MLB Player News

Stubbs will start at catcher and bat ninth Wednesday against the Rockies, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Stubbs will be making just his fifth appearance of the season through the Phillies' first 19 games, as top backstop J.T. Realmuto has shouldered one of the heaviest workloads among all MLB catchers thus far in April. The Phillies will finally extend Realmuto a breather after 10 consecutive turns behind the dish, allowing Stubbs to pick up his first start since April 15.

Realmuto isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Realmuto went 4-for-12 with two doubles, three runs, an RBI, a stolen base and three strikeouts in his last three appearances, and he'll get his first day off since April 15. Garrett Stubbs will start behind the plate and bat ninth.

Stephenson (concussion) participated in agility drills and ran on the field prior to Wednesday's game against the Padres, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Stephenson is eligible to return from the 7-day injured list as early as Wednesday, but manager David Bell said Sunday that he isn't sure whether the catcher will be back in action in time for the team's weekend series against Colorado. While it was encouraging to see Stephenson participate in some work Wednesday, it's not yet clear when he'll return to game action. Aramis Garcia is starting behind the plate once again Wednesday.

Herrera is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Herrera will take a seat for the series finale, as No. 1 backstop Carson Kelly checks back into the Arizona lineup. Though Kelly remains atop the depth chart, his ongoing struggles at the dish have opened the door for Herrera to push for a larger share of the catching duties. Herrera and Kelly have now alternated turns behind the dish over the last seven games.

Smith is not starting Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith started each of the last two games at catcher, going 3-for-7 with a double, homer and four RBI, but he'll take a seat Wednesday. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth as the Dodgers finish their series against the Diamondbacks.

McCann is not in the lineup for Wednesday's matchup with the Cardinals, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

The catcher will get a day off after starting three straight contests, most notably putting together a three-hit effort Tuesday. McCann will be replaced by Tomas Nido who will bat ninth Wednesday.

McCann went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Cardinals.

The veteran catcher came into Tuesday with only four hits in 12 games, but he nearly doubled that total in one night. McCann's sluggish beginning to the season has left him with a .194/.286/.333 slash line, but he's in no danger of losing his starting spot behind the plate and should compile decent counting stats even if his overall performance doesn't improve significantly. That said, he posted an .896 OPS as recently as 2020, and the 31-year-old could still have a lot left in the tank.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBI on Tuesday against the Brewers.

Perez enjoyed one of his more productive performances of the season, which began with an RBI double in the second inning. He later grounded into a fielder's choice in the final frame to knock in his second run. Perez is hitting only .231 on the season, though he has collected at least one hit in three of his last four starts, and he also boasts a .362 on-base percentage.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base in a 10-3 win Tuesday over the Rockies.

Realmuto singled, stole second and scored in the four-run fourth inning. He started the game at catcher and moved to first base in the eighth inning. Tuesday was the three-time All-Star's first appearance at first base this season after he made 16 appearances there last season. While he's yet to hit for much power, the 31-year-old has a solid .303 average and .343 OBP. With at least 10 homers in seven consecutive seasons, it's just a matter of time before the power stroke returns.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Dom Nunez will serve as the Rockies' catcher and No. 9 hitter while Diaz receives what appears to be a routine maintenance day. Diaz started behind the plate in both of the Rockies' last two games, going 0-for-6 with a walk.