MLB Player News

Gomes was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the Reds due to left oblique tightness, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The 34-year-old was set to serve as Chicago's designated hitter but is now out of the starting nine with the oblique issue. Starting catcher Willson Contreras (hamstring) is also banged up, leaving P.J. Higgins to work behind the plate.

Contreras (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game in Cincinnati.

Per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs manager David Ross said Contreras is on track to avoid the 10-day injured list, but the star catcher will be on the bench for the third game in a row due to a right hamstring strain. P.J. Higgins will fill in for Contreras behind the dish Tuesday.

Contreras will serve as Atlanta's designated hitter and No. 2 batter in Tuesday's game against the Phillies.

For the second game in a row, the righty-hitting Contreras will stick in the lineup against a right-handed starting pitcher (Kyle Gibson), after he went 2-for-4 with a double and a run while manning left field in Monday's 7-3 loss to Philadelphia. The 24-year-old has now posted an incredible 1.141 OPS through 42 plate appearances with Atlanta this season, and while he's swinging a hot bat, he should see regular starts between left field, DH and catcher. The fact that Contreras has catcher eligibility in most fantasy leagues without having to play behind the plate on a regular basis makes him especially appealing. While he's getting steady at-bats, Contreras looks like a must-roster player in every weekly league that requires two active catchers.

Nido is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants.

Nido is the Mets' primary catcher with James McCann out with a wrist injury, but he doesn't appear to have a particularly heavy workload. He'll sit in favor of Patrick Mazeika on Monday for the fifth time in the last 10 games.

Nola isn't starting Monday against the Brewers.

Nola started in the last two games and went 2-for-7 with a double, a run, two walks and two strikeouts. Jorge Alfaro will take over behind the dish and bat ninth Monday.

Knizner will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Blue Jays, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Knizner is likely to draw both of the starts behind the plate during the Cardinals' two-game series with the Blue Jays while top backstop Yadier Molina (personal) is back in Puerto Rico to tend to a family matter after being placed on the bereavement list. By catchers' standards, Knizner has been productive when given opportunities to play this season, as he carries a .262/.357/.361 slash line over 70 plate appearances into Monday's contest.

The Cardinals recalled Herrera from Triple-A Memphis on Monday.

Herrera is expected to be in store for a short-term stay with the Cardinals, as fellow backstop Yadier Molina (personal) will be away from the team for 3-to-7 days after being placed on the bereavement list. While Molina is inactive, Herrera will serve as the No. 2 catcher behind Andrew Knizner. Herrera, 21, is slashing .310/.405/.493 over 84 plate appearances with Memphis this season.

Contreras (hamstring) isn't starting Monday's game against the Reds.

Contreras suffered a right hamstring strain during Saturday's loss to the Diamondbacks, and he's considered day-to-day. He isn't expected to require a trip to the injured list, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. With Contreras out of the lineup for a second straight game, Yan Gomes will start behind the dish and bat fifth.

Contreras will bat second and play left field Monday against the Phillies.

Contreras has homered six times in 10 games this season, but he doesn't have a path to a major role behind the plate with Travis d'Arnaud hitting well and under contract through at least the end of next season. Contreras' inclusion in the lineup as an outfielder Monday is a clear sign that Atlanta wants to create as many opportunities for him as possible. He's only appeared in two games in the outfield as a professional, but he's a strong athlete for a catcher and should be able to hold his own.

Stallings went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Sunday's win over Atlanta.

The backstop continued a productive stretch that has seen him hit .333 (11-for-33) over his last 11 games (nine starts) with five runs scored and seven RBI. Stallings is having a disappointing season overall, with his .568 OPS being a significant decline from the .705 mark he posted over his final three seasons in Pittsburgh, but the 32-year-old remains Miami's starter behind the plate and still has time to bring his numbers up to their usual level.