MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said Smith is being held out of the lineup Tuesday against the Pirates due to a right pectoral injury, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Roberts noted that the Dodgers are just exercising extra caution with Smith, who will give way to Austin Barnes at catcher for the second straight game. The Dodgers are optimistic that Smith will be able to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale in Pittsburgh or Thursday's series opener against the Phillies.

Ruiz is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mets.

Ruiz sat out Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Angels and is on the bench again after Monday's team off day. The Nationals haven't confirmed that Ruiz is dealing with an injury, but in any case, Riley Adams will replace him behind the plate.

Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Considering that Smith is the Dodgers' clear No. 1 catcher and is now out of the lineup for the second game in a row, he's most likely dealing with an unreported injury or illness. Manager Dave Roberts should provide more clarity on the situation later Tuesday, but Austin Barnes will pick up another start in place of Smith.

Narvaez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Narvaez is getting a routine breather after he played all nine innings behind the plate in losses Sunday in Atlanta and Monday in Cincinnati. Victor Caratini will serve as the Brewers' starting catcher in place of Narvaez on Tuesday.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Monday against the Dodgers.

Perez started behind the plate for the second consecutive day, even with lefty Julio Urias on the mound. Perez ended the southpaw's outing with his second home run of the season -- and second in as many days -- to lead off the seventh inning. He should continue to see significant playing time with Roberto Perez (hamstring) sidelined, though Andrew Knapp will also see plate appearances.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Monday's win over the Padres.

All three hits were singles, but fantasy managers aren't complaining about the recent hot stretch by Contreras. He's gone 9-for-21 over his last six games, which has raised his batting average for the year to .279. If that holds up, it would be the highest mark for the catcher since he batted .282 during his 2016 rookie season.

Narvaez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs in Monday's loss to the Pirates.

Narvaez took Luis Castillo deep to open the top of the fifth inning before notching a single and coming around to score in the next frame. The homer was his second of the season and first since April 14. He now has four multi-hit games this season and his year-long slash line sits at .238/.351/.365.

Smith will sit Monday against the Pirates, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith's 115 wRC+, the product of a .231/.342/.369 slash line, is good for fourth among catchers with at least 70 plate appearances this season, but the Dodgers have avoided overworking him. His 18 starts behind the plate merely tie him for 11th among all backstops. He'll get a rest Monday, with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.

Perez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday against the Reds.

Recalled the prior day, Perez took Tyler Mahle deep in the second inning to record his first homer of the season. While Andrew Knapp is likely to take over as the primary catcher in Pittsburgh, Perez should serve as the backup with Roberto Perez (hamstring) sidelined for a significant period.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.

The Cubs are scuffling at just 9-18, but Contreras has played well lately, going 6-for-17 across his last five games with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. He should remain a solid fantasy catcher, though run-producing opportunities may be somewhat limited moving forward if the team continues to struggle as a whole. As it stands, Contreras looks like Chicago's most proven offensive commodity at the moment.