MLB Player News

Caratini is starting at catcher and batting sixth in Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Caratini appeared as a pinch hitter Saturday and popped his 10th home run of the season in the process. With regular catcher Willson Contreras getting a breather Sunday, Caratini will have a chance for a few more at-bats.

Contreras is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

Contreras will take a seat Sunday after starting the first two games of the series and going 3-for-8 with two home runs, three runs scored and two RBI. Victor Caratini will start behind the plate and bat sixth in the series finale.

Stallings (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Stallings will remain on the bench for the third straight contest as he battles back tightness. Elias Diaz will start behind the plate and bat fifth Sunday.

Mejia (oblique) could rejoin the Padres as early as Monday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Mejia began taking batting practice last week and has since moved on to game action in the instructional league in Arizona. The Padres will head to Milwaukee for a four-game series beginning Monday, during which Mejia could rejoin the team. He has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 30 while nursing a strained right oblique.

Caratini went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in a 14-1 win over the Pirates on Saturday.

Entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh, Caratini completed the scoring with a solo homer off Parker Markel. Caratini has played less in September with Wilson Contreras (hamstring) now healthy and Jonathan Lucroy also on the roster, but he has still been able to generate a .277/.359/.466 slash line over 206 at-bats this season.

Smith is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets.

Smith has been getting every other day off and that trend will continue; he gives way to Russell Martin behind the plate after going 0-for-4 in Friday's series opener. He was off to a blistering start in the majors, but Smith is just 3-for-27 to begin September. Ideally, he'll be able to make some adjustments before the end of the regular season.

Hedges went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and two walks in a loss to Colorado on Friday.

Hedges put the Padres on the board in the first inning with a two-run blast to center field and reached base twice more via walk. The productive game was a rare bright spot in what has been a miserable month for Hedges at the plate, as he is hitting a scant .100 with one extra-base hit in 30 at-bats in September.

Stallings is unavailable Saturday against the Cubs due to back tightness, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

With two healthy catchers (Elias Diaz and Steve Baron) on the active roster, the Pirates may play it safe and hold Stallings out for the rest of this series and also take advantage of Monday's off day. Diaz will start at catcher and hit eighth.

Gomes is not in Saturday's lineup against the Braves.

He is the Nationals' primary catcher while Kurt Suzuki is out with an elbow injury. Gomes is hitting .161 with four home runs in nine games this month. Raudy Read will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs, a third run scored and a walk during a 17-8 victory over the Pirates on Friday.

The Cubs catcher went deep twice against Pirates starter Steven Brault in the first three frames. The first long ball gave Contreras a new career high in the homer category, and he set a new high-water mark in runs too. Contreras is batting .283 with 23 home runs, 62 RBI, 52 runs and one steal in 318 at-bats this season.