MLB Player News

Narvaez (illness) will travel with the Brewers during their upcoming road trip to Washington, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Narvaez spent a week away from the team while on the COVID-19 injured list, but he's closing in on a return. It's not yet clear whether the 30-year-old will be activated Friday or if he'll require a few days of on-field work prior to returning to game action. Regardless, Narvaez should reclaim his job as the Brewers' primary catcher once he's officially reinstated from the IL.

Okey will have his contract selected by the Reds on Friday after Tyler Stephenson sustained a fractured thumb, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Okey spent the last two seasons at Triple-A Louisville, and he slashed .265/.324/.441 with a homer, 12 runs and nine RBI over 24 games at the to begin the 2022 campaign. The 27-year-old should provide depth at catcher behind Aramis Garcia while Stephenson is unavailable.

Ruiz isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Miami.

Ruiz started in the last four games and went 2-for-14 with an RBI, a stolen base, three walks and a strikeout. Riley Adams will take his place behind the dish and bat seventh.

Stephenson sustained a fractured right thumb during Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson had a strong start to the 2022 season, slashing .305/.361/.468 with five home runs, 31 RBI, 21 runs and a stolen base over 42 games. He missed a week and a half earlier in the year due to a concussion but is now facing an absence of at least a month due to the thumb injury. Aramis Garcia should serve as the Reds' primary catcher in Stephenson's absence, while the team will also presumably call up another backstop from the minors.

D'Arnaud (forearm) is starting Thursday against the Pirates.

D'Arnaud missed the last two games due to forearm soreness, but he'll start behind the plate and bat fifth Thursday. Over his last five games, the 33-year-old hit .286 with two homers, six RBI, three runs, a walk and two strikeouts.

Stephenson left Thursday's contest early with a hand injury, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

He was forced out of the game after a foul ball went off his bare right hand while catching, and Aramis Garcia replaced him behind the plate. More information will likely be provided on Stephenson's status following the conclusion of Thursday's matchup.

Casali isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Colorado, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports.

The 33-year-old started in the last three games and went 2-for-8 with a double, two runs, a walk and three strikeouts. While Casali is in line to serve as the primary catcher after Joey Bart was sent down Wednesday, Austin Wynns will start behind the dish and bat eighth Thursday.

Diaz is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's contest against the Giants.

Diaz will sit after starting two games in a row, going 1-for-7 with a run scored in the first two contests of the series in San Francisco. Brian Serven will take over behind the plate and bat ninth Thursday.

Contreras and the Cubs agreed to a one-year, $9.625 million contract for the 2022 season Thursday to avoid arbitration, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The two parties were slated to have an arbitration hearing Thursday, but Contreras landed a new deal shortly before the deadline. The 30-year-old has been productive early in the season, slashing .277/.403/.530 with 10 homers, 35 runs, 23 RBI and two stolen bases over 47 games. He's slated to become a free agent during the offseason but is a candidate to be traded by the rebuilding Cubs this summer if he doesn't reach a long-term agreement with the team.

Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's victory against the White Sox.

Smith took Johnny Cueto deep for a two-run shot in the first inning. The homer was his seventh of the year and his second in the last three games. He later added a single and notched his first multi-hit effort since May 26. Overall, Smith has struggled to hit consistently this season, producing a .235/.343/.409 slash line over 149 at-bats in 44 games.