MLB Player News

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Monday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs.

He took Jason Adam deep in the seventh inning to provide the Brewers with their only offense of the night. Narvaez has hits in all three of his starts to begin the season, going 5-for-11 with one homer and four RBI.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Monday's win over the Brewers.

Contreras went deep against Milwaukee starter Brett Anderson during a four-run fourth inning, giving the Chicago catcher his first long ball of the season. Contreras had seven home runs in 57 games last season and posted a career-high 24 homers in the team's last full season back in 2019. He could certainly surpass that figure in 2021 if he stays healthy.

Nola (finger) has recently resumed taking live batting practice, and he could soon be ready to take at-bats in simulated games at the Padres' alternate site, Jim Duquette of Sirius XM Radio reports.

Along with Trent Grisham (hamstring), Nola is one of two projected regulars in the San Diego lineup who opened the season on the 10-day injured list. Grisham has already resumed playing in simulated games and looks on track to return from the IL for this weekend's series with the Rangers, while Nola is slightly behind the outfielder in his recovery from a fractured finger on his left (catching) hand. In addition to picking up regular at-bats at the alternate site, Nola will need to prove that the fractured finger presents no issues for him defensively before the Padres are comfortable bringing him off the IL. Victor Caratini will continue to see the bulk of the work behind the plate while Nola is on the shelf.

Stephenson will return to a bench role for Monday's game against the Pirates.

Though Tucker Barnhart is back behind the plate for the series opener with Pittsburgh, Stephenson may have earned himself a larger share of playing time following a huge game Sunday. Stephenson posted a team-high three hits in the Reds' 12-1 win over the Cardinals, coming around to score three times while also driving in a run. Barnhart's defensive prowess is probably enough to keep him locked in atop the depth chart, but Stephenson's combination of power and on-base skills would likely make him one of the more intriguing fantasy catchers if he can capture a regular role at any point in 2021.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Rockies.

After sitting the last two days, Smith came up big in the eighth inning with a solo shot for his first home run of the season. The Dodgers have quite the catcher tandem between Smith and Austin Barnes. Neither catcher will get everyday playing opportunities, but Smith has provided offense in both games he's started so far. He is 4-for-6 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored to start his season.

D'Arnaud went 1-for-4 with a home run in Sunday's loss against the Phillies.

D'Arnaud accounted for Atlanta's lone run of the game when he launched a homer in the top of the seventh inning against Zach Eflin -- the only run the right-hander allowed over the course of seven innings. The veteran catcher should remain as the Braves' starting backstop this season, and while he might not repeat what he did in the 2020 shortened campaign when he posted a career-best .919 OPS, he should be a decent fantasy option considering the lack of value at his position across the league.

Nola (finger) has been going through workouts at Petco Park, but it is unclear when he will see game action at the club's alternate training site, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Nola is eligible to come off the injured list April 8, but it appears unlikely that he will be ready to go at that time. The backstop fractured his left middle finger during a Cactus League game in mid-March and has since taken swings off a tee. Despite the lack of a clear timeline, Nola's injury isn't expected to keep him out of action for a lengthy period. Victor Caratini will continue to serve as San Diego's primary catcher until Nola returns.

Contreras is starting at catcher and batting second in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Contreras led off Saturday's game with Ian Happ out of the lineup, going 0-for-2 with two walks, but he'll bump back to second with Happ back in there Sunday. It's also the third straight start behind the plate for Contreras to start the season, so the Cubs do seem intent on riding their 28-year-old backstop, though he'll likely see an off day fairly soon.

Narvaez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

Carrying over the momentum from a hot spring, Narvaez has gotten off to a nice little 3-for-8 start to the 2021 season. Narvaez was the only Brewer to record a hit in Saturday's game. He will get a day to rest his legs as Manny Pina takes over behind the plate Sunday.

Stallings is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

After catching the first two games, Stallings will give way to Michael Perez behind the plate with right-hander Mitch Keller on the mound for Pittsburgh. Stallings is 2-for-7 with a walk, a double and three strikeouts so far this season.