MLB Player News

Gomes is out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader with the Cardinals.

Gomes is absent from the lineup for the front end of the twin bill, but expect him to check in behind the dish for Game 2 while top backstop Willson Contreras either heads to the bench or serves as the Cubs' designated hitter.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss against the Mets.

Ruiz launched a solo blast in the bottom of the ninth inning to kick off the scoring for the Nationals. It was his fourth home run of the season and his first since July 1. The catcher is 3-for-12 to start August after batting .230 in July. For the season he has a .655 OPS in 82 games.

Caratini will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

In less than 24 hours, Caratini has seen both of his primary challengers for playing time exit the Brewers' active roster. Prior to Wednesday's 8-7 loss, the Brewers designated No. 3 backstop Pedro Severino for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Then, No. 1 catcher Omar Narvaez exited Wednesday's contest with a left quadriceps strain, which resulted in him being placed on the 10-day injured list. Milwaukee called up Mario Feliciano from Triple-A Nashville to add depth at catcher, but the switch-hitting Caratini should be in line to see regular starts against both left- and right-handed pitching while Narvaez is on the shelf. Caratini draws walks at a high rate and makes contact at a decent clip for a catcher, but his average power and low placement in the batting order will likely render him a low-end fantasy option.

The Brewers placed Narvaez on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a left quadriceps strain.

Narvaez's injury is unfortunate timing for the Brewers, who designated No. 3 catcher Pedro Severino for assignment Wednesday and could be at risk of losing him to the waiver wire even though he would have been the top choice to replace Narvaez on the 26-man active roster. Instead, the Brewers called up Mario Feliciano from Triple-A Nashville to provide depth behind Victor Caratini, who will step in as the team's No. 1 backstop for the duration of Narvaez's absence.

Bart was replaced by a pinch runner in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Dodgers after experiencing slight groin tightness, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bart went 3-for-4 in the contest, but he exited after his ninth-inning single. Slusser adds that the injury is considered minor, and it's unlikely Bart will start Thursday's afternoon game after a night game Wednesday. Bart can be viewed as day-to-day heading into Friday's series opener in Oakland.

Narvaez was removed from Wednesday's loss to the Pirates with a quadriceps strain and will be unavailable for Thursday's series finale, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Narvez went 1-for-3 with a run before being lifted during the eighth inning for a pinch hitter. The injury is exceptionally poor timing for the Brewers, who designated fellow catcher Pedro Severino for assignment prior to Wednesday's game. Victor Caratini should start behind the plate Thursday, but it remains to be seen who serves as the backup catcher if Narvaez is forced to miss any additional time.

Heineman was diagnosed with right groin discomfort after exiting Wednesday's win over the Brewers, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Heineman suffered the injury while running out a groundball and should be considered day-to-day. Jason Delay should step in as Pittsburgh's primary backstop should Heineman require a trip to the injured list.

Heineman was removed from Wednesday's game versus the Brewers with an apparent leg injury, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Heineman went 0-for-2 and suffered the injury while running out a grounder during the fourth inning, and he was replaced in the field for the following frame. The 31-year-old should be considered day-to-day until his status is updated.

Smith is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Austin Barnes will check in behind the plate while Smith receives a maintenance day. Smith started at catcher or designated hitter in each of the Dodgers' last nine games, going 9-for-38 (.237 average) with a home run, eight RBI and four runs over that stretch.

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

Willson Contreras is behind the plate Wednesday and Rafael Ortega is getting a turn as the Cubs' designated hitter, closing off both of Gomes' avenues to starting roles. Though the Cubs' decision not to deal Contreras ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline is a negative development for Gomes' playing-time outlook, Gomes should still be in line for at least a handful of starts per week.