MLB Player News

Pineda (oblique) will serve as the designated hitter Thursday with High-A Wilmington, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

It will be Pineda's eighth total game on this current minor-league rehab assignment. He had to be pulled off a previous rehab stint in May because of a left oblique strain, but that injury seems to be fully in the rearview now. The 23-year-old catcher originally went on the major-league IL at the end of spring training because of a fractured finger.

Alvarez isn't in the Mets' lineup Thursday against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

After going 1-for-4 and scoring a run Wednesday, Alvarez will get a breather for Thursday's series opener. Omar Narvaez will take over behind the dish and bat ninth.

Knizner went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 11-7 win over the Diamondbacks.

Knizner put the Cardinals ahead with an RBI single in the seventh inning, then added a two-run homer an inning later. The backup catcher has gone 3-for-14 with five RBI and three runs scored over four games since he returned from a groin injury July 16. Ivan Herrera is back with Triple-A Memphis, but Knizner is still likely to be limited to one or two games a week behind Willson Contreras. For the season, Knizner has a .226/.250/.419 slash line with a career-high six homers, 20 RBI, 19 runs scored and a stolen base through 129 plate appearances.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

Gomes will head to the bench for the series finale after he started at catcher or designated hitter in each of the past five games. Tucker Barnhart will check in for Gomes behind the dish and will bat ninth.

Alvarez (hand) is starting at catcher and batting eighth Wednesday versus the Yankees.

Alvarez was removed from Tuesday's game after taking a pitch off his right hand, but X-rays came back negative and he's good to go for Wednesday's series finale against the Yanks. The 21-year-old catcher holds a strong .792 OPS with 19 home runs and 41 RBI through 260 major-league plate appearances this season.

Barnes will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

With top backstop Will Smith resting for the day game after the night game, Barnes will be getting a turn behind the plate. Barnes will be making just his sixth appearance of July after going 2-for-17 with four strikeouts over his prior five games this month.

Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Blue Jays, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers and Blue Jays are playing a day game after a night game, so Smith appears to be receiving a breather. Austin Barnes will do the catching for Tony Gonsolin.

Contreras is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Diamondbacks.

Contreras returned to action Tuesday after missing two games with a hip issue, but he'll take a seat Wednesday for the day game after a night game. Andrew Knizner will catch for starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

Stallings will start at catcher and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the Rays, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Stallings will pick up his third start in four games and may have usurped Nick Fortes as the Marlins' preferred option behind the plate. Neither Stallings (.538 OPS) nor Fortes (.547 OPS) has done much offensively to create excitement for fantasy purposes, and even in mixed leagues that start two backstops, both profile as low-end options at catcher.

Fortes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Fortes is on the bench for the third time in four games and may have ceded No. 1 catching duties to Jacob Stallings. Though Fortes holds a minor edge over Stallings in terms of OPS (.547 to .538) this season, Stallings has a longer track record as a reliable defender behind the plate.