MLB Player News
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Jason Delay C | BOS
Pirates' Jason Delay: Knocks in three
Delay went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI on Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Delay delivered RBI hits in back-to-back innings, the highlight of which came in the seventh inning when he drove in two with a double. Though he's served primarily as the backup when Austin Hedges is healthy, Delay has at least one hit in each of his last five starts. Overall, he's hitting .368 across 42 plate appearances and has chipped in four runs scored, seven RBI and one home run.
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Patrick Bailey C | CLE
Giants' Patrick Bailey: Promoted to Triple-A
Bailey was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Danny Emerman of KNBR 680 San Francisco reports.
After finishing 2022 in High-A and playing just 14 games in Double-A, the 23-year-old backstop is quickly ascending through the Giants' farm system. Bailey slashed .333/.400/.481 over 60 plate appearances with Double-A Richmond. If he's able to keep his hot streak going, there's a chance he cracks the big leagues at some point, though he would have to be added to the 40-man roster before that can happen.
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Joey Bart C | ATL
Giants' Joey Bart: Remains out Wednesday
Bart (groin) isn't starting Wednesday against the Cardinals, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Wednesday marks the second start Bart has missed due to his right groin tightness, but signs point to him rejoining the lineup relatively soon. Blake Sabol will continue to fill in behind the dish in Bart's absence.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Won't return just yet
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Smith (concussion) won't be activated from the 7-day injured list until at least Saturday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
The Dodgers had previously considered activating Smith for Friday's series opener versus the Cardinals, but the 28-year-old backstop looks like he'll get at least a few more days to recover from the concussion before returning to action. The worst of the brain injury appears to be behind Smith at this point; he said he hasn't been experiencing any headaches since last Friday, and he's been able to do agility work, take batting practice and catch bullpen sessions within the past few days. He'll get some more live at-bats when the Dodgers return to Los Angeles on Friday, and if all goes well, Smith should be back in the lineup before the weekend comes to a close.
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Nick Fortes C | TB
Marlins' Nick Fortes: Returns to bench Wednesday
Fortes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Fortes will hit the bench after starting three of the past four games behind the dish while going 2-for-10 at the dish during that stretch. Though Fortes brings more offensive upside to the table than Jacob Stallings, the latter catcher's defensive prowess has made him the Marlins' No.1 backstop since he joined the organization ahead of the 2022 season. Expect the playing time between the two catchers to tilt in Stallings' favor as a result, despite Fortes' recent uptick in starts.
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Austin Hedges C | CLE
Pirates' Austin Hedges: Not in lineup Wednesday
Hedges is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Jason Delay will catch and bat ninth. Hedges has slashed just .188/.257/.219 through 38 plate appearances this season and could begin losing his hold on the bulk of starts behind the plate in Pittsburgh.
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Victor Caratini C | MIN
Brewers' Victor Caratini: Hits first long ball of season
Caratini went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-2 victory over the Tigers.
After striking out in his first at-bat, Caratini smoked a two-run blast in the third to give Milwaukee a 5-0 lead, marking his first long ball of the season. He added a single his next time up, giving him two multi-hit games this year. Caratini continues to operate as the backup behind William Contreras and has appeared in only nine of the Brewers' first 25 games, but he's put up solid offensive numbers in his limited action.
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Tyler Heineman C | LAA
Pirates' Tyler Heineman: Designated for assignment
Heineman was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Wednesday.
This move clears out a 40-man roster spot for Cody Bolton, who is joining the Pirates' bullpen ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Dodgers. A journeyman catcher, Heineman heads into DFA limbo with a career .210/.276/.269 major-league batting line.
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Tucker Barnhart C | TEX
Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Not in lineup Wednesday
Barnhart is not in the lineup Wednesday versus the Padres.
Yan Gomes will catch and bat eighth with right-hander Michael Wacha on the mound for San Diego. It's the third straight start behind the plate for Gomes, though the previous two starts were versus lefties. He has greatly outperformed Barnhart offensively and may be capturing a larger share of the catcher platoon in Chicago.