MLB Player News

D'Arnaud will sit for the second straight game Sunday against the Pirates.

D'Arnaud missed a pair of games early this season with forearm soreness, but he returned to start both Thursday and Friday before being on the bench for both weekend contests. It's possible his absence is due to a recurrence of the injury, but it's also possible it's simply a routine rotation of Atlanta's two backstops. William Contreras remains the starter behind the plate Sunday.

Smith went 3-for-5 with a run in a loss to San Francisco on Saturday.

Smith was the only player in the contest to collect three base knocks, and he scored the Dodgers' first run of the game in the eighth inning. The catcher extended his hitting streak to seven games with the performance. During the streak, Smith is slashing .370/.393/.630 with two homers, three RBI and four runs.

Realmuto went 0-for-3 with a steal in Saturday's victory over Arizona.

Although Realmuto went hitless Saturday, he was able to reach base on a walk and swipe his sixth bag of the year. The veteran catcher has seen his batting average drop over his last six games as he's gone hitless in four of them. He's slashing just .238/.315/.360 on the season, which is certainly not what the Phillies or fantasy managers were expecting from him this season.

Casali is dealing with a hamstring injury, though it hasn't prevented him from playing, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

While Casali is banged up, the issue isn't expected to send him to the injured list. It may decrease his short-term fantasy value, however, something that wasn't particularly large to begin with given his uninspiring .227/.296/.398 slash line.

Fortes went 0-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Astros.

Fortes got aboard on an error and stole second in the second inning. Speed typically isn't a big component of a catcher's game -- this was Fortes' first steal in six contests this season, and he's never had more than six in a season in the minors. The 25-year-old has been limited to 24 plate appearances, but he's racked up seven hits, including two home runs, six RBI and 10 runs scored through six contests this season. Continued success at the plate could see Fortes begin to chip away at Jacob Stallings' playing time.

Heineman went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 10-4 loss to Atlanta.

Heineman is not known for speed -- he had just one career stolen base and no triples entering Saturday. He was plunked in the fifth inning and promptly stole second before scoring on a Bryan Reynolds double. With Roberto Perez (hamstring) out for the year, the playing time's been there for Heineman recently, but he's failed to seize the opportunity by going 2-for-19 (.105) in six games in June. Overall, the catcher is hitting .182/.250/.236 with no home runs, two RBI and eight runs scored in 24 contests between the Pirates and the Blue Jays.

Stallings is not in Saturday's lineup against the Astros, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Stallings is hitting .160 with zero home runs in 25 at-bats this month. Nick Fortes will start behind the dish and bat sixth.

Ruiz went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's win over the Brewers.

The switch-hitting catcher took Miguel Sanchez deep in the sixth inning for his second homer of the season. Ruiz has been streaky in his first full campaign with the Nationals, but he might be heating up again, collecting five hits in his last two starts. On the season, the 23-year-old is slashing .265/.332/.367 with three steals, 14 RBI and 16 runs through 45 contests.

Gomes (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Gomes has been out just over two weeks with a strained left oblique, and he'll rejoin the big-league roster without the need for a minor-league rehab assignment. The 34-year-old has a .651 OPS in 24 games this season and should reclaim No. 2 catching duties behind starter Willson Contreras.

Caratini is not in the lineup for Friday's game at Washington.

The 28-year-old served as Milwaukee's No. 1 backstop over past week with Omar Narvaez (illness) on the COVID-19 injured list, but Narvaez is back on the active roster and starting Friday. Caratini started six of seven games during that stretch and went 4-for-18 with a double, two walks and a run. He should continue to see playing time against left-handed pitching while Narvaez handles most of the starts against righties.