MLB Player News

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.

Rodriguez has been on fire over his last nine games at High-A Greensboro, hitting .450 with six home runs and nine walks while striking out just twice in 41 plate appearances.

This red-hot stretch has lifted his season line to .294/.388/.533 with 15 homers in 85 games -- terrific results that have put him on the precipice of joining the game's top 100 prospects. Rodriguez may not develop into a big-time power bat, but as an athletic, switch-hitting catcher with decent pop and strong defensive skills, he's looking like an underrated part of the Pirates' return on Joe Musgrove.

Manager Buck Showalter said McCann (oblique) is on track to return from the 10-day injured list for Thursday's series opener against Atlanta and will likely be part of a near-even timeshare at catcher with Tomas Nido in the short term, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Showalter said he initially expects McCann and Nido to alternate turns behind plate in an effort to ease McCann back into the mix, but that arrangement won't necessarily remain in place for the rest of the season. Before the playing time tilts more in McCann's favor, however, he'll likely need to show some improvement at the plate, as Nido has historically been the superior pitch framer of the two. McCann has a much better track record of offensive success than Nido, but the 32-year-old was sitting on a career-worst .543 OPS before he was placed on the IL on July 10 with a left oblique strain.

Barnes went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI in a 9-5 win over San Francisco on Tuesday.

Barnes came into the contest batting a paltry .160 on the campaign, but he contributed to a big offensive night for Los Angeles with his first multi-hit performance since May 13. The backup backstop collected his first extra-base hit in over a month with an RBI double in the eighth inning. Barnes has managed a .305 OBP thanks to a 14.2 percent walk rate, but he's otherwise endured a rough season at the plate.

Contreras will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

Contreras will be making his fourth consecutive start Wednesday, though it comes with the caveat that Travis d'Arnaud isn't available while he recovers from a stomach bug. Even so, Contreras may have already supplanted d'Arnaud as Atlanta's preferred option behind the plate, given their wide gap in performance over the past month. Since July 1, Contreras has supplied an .861 OPS, while d'Arnaud owns a .473 mark over that stretch.