MLB Player News

Perez is not in the starting lineup Monday against the Marlins.

Perez will sit for a second game in a row Monday as the Pirates face lefty Trevor Rogers. Jason Delay will start again at catcher and bat ninth in the series opener.

Nido will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game in Atlanta, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Nido will make his second consecutive start and should act as the Mets' No. 1 catcher for the foreseeable future after James McCann was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with an oblique strain that manager Buck Showalter said will keep the veteran backstop sidelined for "weeks." With that being the case, it wouldn't be surprising if the Mets looked outside of the organization for catching help ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline, as Nido is probably best suited for a backup role. Though he draws praise for his abilities as a game caller and pitch framer, Nido has been a well below league-average hitter (51 wRC+) over parts of six seasons in the majors.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.

Though he was named to the National League's All-Star team Sunday, Contreras remains a part-time player for Atlanta. With Travis d'Arnaud locked in as Atlanta's No. 1 catcher and with Marcell Ozuna secure as the team's everyday designated hitter now that the team is back to full strength in the outfield, Contreras could struggle to receive more than three or four starts during Atlanta's final seven games before the All-Star break.

Alvarez will continue his development in the minors and isn't an option to replace James McCann (oblique) on the major-league roster, The New York Daily News reports.

The 20-year-old was only recently promoted to Triple-A, where he's gone 2-for-16 with a double through his first five games. Alvarez's bat will probably wake up before long at Syracuse, but the Mets are more concerned with his development and long-term outlook than in rushing the young catcher to the majors to plug a hole in the roster. Prior to his promotion, the team's top prospect slashed .277/.368/.553 through 67 games for Double-A Binghamton with 18 home runs.

The Mets don't anticipate that McCann (oblique) will be ready to return from the 10-day injured list prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

Manager Buck Showalter didn't offer up a firm timeline for McCann's return from the IL when he was deactivated Sunday, but the skipper noted the veteran backstop would be sidelined for multiple weeks. As a result, McCann's expected absence through the deadline doesn't come as a major surprise, and it could prompt the Mets to look to the trade market for catching help. Top prospect Francisco Alvarez is waiting in the wings at Triple-A Syracuse, but Anthony DiComo of MLB.com suggests that the organization still intends on having him continuing his development in the minors in 2022. With that in mind, Tomas Nido will tentatively slot in as the Mets' No. 1 backstop until the Mets bring in outside help at the position.

Jackson (finger) began a rehab assignment Saturday with the Brewers' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, going 1-for-1 with a double, a walk and a run.

Jackson started at catcher but played only three innings before his day was done. He'll likely make several more starts behind the dish in the minors before the Brewers activate him from the 10-day injured list.

Stephenson went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 10-5 win over the Rays.

Stephenson took Shane Baz deep as part of the Reds' seven-run third frame. He's gone 5-for-9 in two games since returning from a month-long stint on the injured list. The 25-year-old improved his season slash line to .320/.372/.493 with six home runs and 33 RBI through 164 plate appearances. Since the start of June, Stephenson is 14-for-35 (.400) with four extra-base hits in nine games.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Diaz and Brian Serven have now alternated starts behind the plate over the past six games, with the latter getting the nod at catcher in Sunday's series finale. With a 2-for-23 mark at the plate over his last seven games, Diaz hasn't made a good case for running away with the No. 1 catcher job.

Cartaya returned from a hand injury Thursday, but he's gone 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in two games for High-A Great Lakes since getting back into the lineup.

Cartaya received two pieces of good news Thursday -- he was selected to the 2022 Futures Game and was also back in the lineup for Great Lakes after leaving last Sunday's contest due to an apparent hand injury. The backstop struck out twice in his first game back and three times the following day, but there's no indication that the hand issue is to blame. Cartaya is still posting a strong .292/.414/.542 slash line along with five homers, nine doubles and 17 RBI over 25 games at the High-A level this season.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.

P.J. Higgins will step in behind the dish for the series finale after Gomes caught each of the Cubs' last three games while going 0-for-9. Though top backstop Willson Contreras appears to have moved past a hamstring injury, he still may see ample starts as a designated hitter during the final week before the All-Star break, which should continue to open up reps at catcher for Gomes.