MLB Player News

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in Saturday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

Ruiz put Washington on the scoreboard with a two-run double in the fourth inning, then kicked off an eventful ninth with a 431-foot solo shot to right field. The three RBI were a season high for the backstop, who had not knocked in any runs over his previous eight contests coming into Saturday. Ruiz notched his eighth multi-hit game of the campaign and raised his slash line to .248/.311/.376 through 119 plate appearances.

Diaz went 2-for-4 with two RBI on Saturday against the Mets.

Diaz delivered two timely hits to drive in a pair of runs and help the Rockies to the win. He now has four multi-hit efforts in his last five starts, and he's also collected seven RBI in that span. Diaz has quietly had an excellent start to the season, maintaining a .343 average with three home runs, 18 RBI and 12 runs scored across 110 plate appearances.

Smith went 0-for-1 with three walks, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Padres.

Smith was effective despite not recording a hit for just the third time in his last nine games. The steal was Smith's first of the season, and he's never swiped more than three bags in a campaign, so he shouldn't be expected to run much. The catcher is slashing a solid .294/.400/.529 with four homers, 15 RBI, 17 runs scored and four doubles through 85 plate appearances.

Knizner will serve as the Cardinals' top catcher for the next few weeks while Willson Contreras spends time at designated hitter and in the outfield, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Contreras has looked good offensively, but the Cardinals are unhappy with his performance on the defensive side and aren't going to use him much, if at all, at catcher for the near future. That opens up considerably more playing time for Knizner, though he's unlikely to do enough with it to have much fantasy value. In 197 career major-league games, he's hit .201/.287/.285 with eight homers.

Contreras will spend most of his time in the outfield or at designated hitter over the next couple of weeks, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Contreras has been seen as a bat-first catcher throughout his career, but to see the Cardinals go from giving him five years and $87.5 million over the winter to not trusting him at all behind the plate a little over a month into his first season is quite a surprise. His framing numbers have been subpar this season, but presumably that's not a shock to St. Louis, as that's nothing new. It remains to be seen how often he'll play until he regains his team's trust as a catcher, since the Cardinals already have a depth chart crunch in the corner outfield and at designated hitter. Expect Andrew Knizner to see an uptick in playing time behind the plate in the meantime.

Barrera's contract was selected by the Cardinals on Saturday.

Barrera is a 28-year-old backstop with a career .231/.317/.315 slash line in 51 major-league games. The Cardinals didn't send down any catchers as part of the series of moves which accompanied Barrera's call-up, but with the team moving Willson Contreras out from behind the plate for at least the near future, Barrera may serve as Andrew Knizner's backup.

Knizner went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Tigers.

Knizner got the Cardinals on the board in the third inning with his solo shot, which was his first homer and fifth hit of the season. He's supplied his two RBI over his last two games, and he's also added three runs scored while hitting .156 across 35 plate appearances. With Willson Contreras getting most of the starts behind the dish, it's tough to see Knizner getting consistent playing time.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Friday's loss to Baltimore.

Murphy poked an RBI single to put Atlanta on the board in the first inning. He later drilled a three-run shot in the eighth, but it wasn't enough for the team to mount a comeback. Murphy has been incredible to begin the 2023 campaign, slashing .296/.439/.653 with nine homers, eight doubles and 28 RBI through 121 plate appearances. All of those long balls have come during the last 22 games, during which he's hitting .333 (26-for-78).

Campusano (thumb) began catching pitches Friday for the first time since he went on the injured list, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

It's a significant step forward for Campusano, who has been on the shelf since mid-April because of a left thumb sprain. He was cleared to start swinging a bat earlier this week and seems to be tracking toward a return to the Padres sometime in mid-May. Austin Nola and Brett Sullivan are currently serving as the catching tandem for San Diego.

Wynns was activated to the Rockies' 26-man roster Friday.

Colorado claimed Wynns off waivers from the Dodgers on Thursday and will make him the new backup behind starting catcher Elias Diaz ahead of Friday's series opener against the Mets. Brian Serven has been optioned out to Triple-A Albuquerque.