MLB Player News

Caratini went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in Thursday's loss to the Pirates.

Caratini saw himself elevated to the No. 1 catcher recently after Pedro Severino was designated for assignment and Omar Narvaez (quadriceps) was placed on the 10-day IL. The switch hitter wasted no time taking advantage of the increased role by cracking his eighth home run of the season, this one off Pirates starter Zach Thompson.

Stephenson underwent surgery Thursday to stabilize a fracture in his right clavicle, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

According to Rosecrans, the procedure is designed to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort in Stephenson's right shoulder, but his timeline for a return shouldn't be affected. The Reds placed Stephenson on the 60-day injured list earlier this week, making him ineligible to return until the final two weeks of the season.

Contreras went 2-for-8 with a walk, a double, a solo home run and two runs scored across both games of Thursday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

Contreras did his damage early in the matinee, taking St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning. The catcher, who perhaps surprisingly didn't leave Chicago before the trade deadline, now has 15 home runs and an .835 OPS this season. He should be primed for a strong finish to the year in a familiar environment, though the 41-63 Cubs may opt to mix in some rest days.

D'Arnaud went 1-for-4 with a run scored in a 6-4 loss to the Mets on Thursday.

The catcher missed one game with a stomach illness. D'Arnaud has gone 7-for-38 (.184) in his last 10 contests, though he hasn't produced an extra-base hit since July 6. He has a .251/.298/.431 slash line with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 39 runs scored and 15 doubles in 70 games overall, though he'll likely continue to share catching duties with William Contreras.

McCann (oblique) went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Thursday's 6-4 win over Atlanta.

McCann was out for just under four weeks with a left oblique strain. The catcher wasn't able to make much of an impact in his return. It's expected he'll be eased back into action in a timeshare with Tomas Nido. Neither catcher has done much at the plate this year, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a near-even split of duties continue for a while. McCann's slash line is down to .176/.242/.282 through 95 plate appearances after his empty batting line Thursday.

Gomes isn't starting the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

Gomes didn't take the field during the first game of Thursday's twin bill, and he'll remain on the bench for the nightcap. P.J. Higgins is starting behind the plate while Willson Contreras serves as the designated hitter.

D'Arnaud (illness) is starting behind the plate and batting sixth Thursday against the Mets.

The 33-year-old was held out of Wednesday's contest due to a stomach bug but is back in the lineup a day later. D'Arnaud is hitting .190 since the start of July and has been ceding playing time to William Contreras at catcher, even prior to Wednesday's absence.

Contreras isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Mets.

Contreras started the last four games and went 4-for-14 with two homers, three runs and three RBI. However, Travis d'Arnaud (illness) will take over behind the plate and bat sixth.

Nido is on the bench for Thursday's game against Atlanta.

With the Mets activating James McCann (oblique) from the injured list Thursday and inserting into the lineup, Nido's reign as the team's No. 1 catcher will come to an end. Though McCann has operated as the Mets' top option behind the plate when healthy during his two seasons with the team, manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday that McCann and Nido are likely to be used in a near-50/50 timeshare at catcher in the short-term future, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Once McCann's oblique injury is further behind him, however, expect him to eventually get the lion's share of the starts.

McCann (oblique) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Thursday.

McCann's activation was expected, and he's slated to start behind the dish during Thursday's series opener against Atlanta. The 32-year-old is expected to be in a near-even timeshare at catcher with Tomas Nido to help ease McCann back into action, but McCann should have a chance to reclaim his job as the primary backstop down the stretch. McCann struggled prior to his absence, slashing .183/.250/.293 with two home runs, 11 RBI, eight runs and a stolen base over 30 games.