MLB Player News

Contreras is not starting Sunday against the Astros, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Contreras is out of the lineup for the third time in the last four games. On Sunday, Ronald Acuna will start at designated hitter with Robbie Grossman taking over in right field. Contreras isn't losing at-bats due to his level of play, as he has maintained a .270 average with three homers, six RBI and eight runs scored across 16 games in August.

Hedges (ankle) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Though Hedges isn't expected to land on the 10-day injured list after spraining his right ankle Friday, he'll be confined to the bench for the second straight game nonetheless. Luke Maile will receive another turn behind the plate for the series finale, but the Guardians are seemingly hopeful that Hedges will be ready to go following Monday's team off day.

The White Sox selected Perez's contract from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Perez will head to the big leagues for the first time in his career after a nine-year stay in the minors. The 25-year-old backstop is expected to settle in as the No. 2 option behind Seby Zavala, who will ascend to the No. 1 role with Yasmani Grandal (knee) landing on the injured list in a corresponding move. Perez produced a .257/.319/.446 slash line to go with 17 home runs and two stolen bases across 389 plate appearances for Charlotte in 2022.

The White Sox placed Grandal on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left knee strain.

Grandal sustained the injury while attempting to avoid a tag at home plate in Saturday's 2-0 win. A timeline for Grandal's return isn't yet known, as he's scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday as the team looks to determine the extent of the damage to his knee, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. In any case, the White Sox's decision to immediately place him on the IL suggests the veteran backstop is in line to miss more than the minimum 10 days. Seby Zavala is expected to take over as the White Sox's top catcher in Grandal's stead, while Carlos Perez was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to provide depth behind Zavala.

Zavala will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Guardians, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Yasmani Grandal isn't included on Chicago's lineup card for the series finale and is likely to land on the injured list after suffering a left knee injury during a play at the plate in Saturday's 2-0 win, so Zavala should have a clear path to the No. 1 role at catcher for the foreseeable future. Zavala had already begun to encroach on the struggling Grandal's playing time after producing a solid .721 OPS through his first 143 plate appearances on the season. Zavala looks worthy of a pickup in all leagues that start two catchers.

Contreras went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an RBI single in Saturday's win over Milwaukee.

Contreras launched a two-run shot that scored Nick Madrigal in the fifth inning. He also knocked in Rafael Ortega for what would turn out to be the game-winning run on a single in the 11th inning. The home run was the 20th of the year for the catcher and comes two days after a two-homer outing against Baltimore. Contreras has gone 4-for-11 with no strikeouts over his last three games, raising his batting average to .250 for the year.

Bart went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's extra-inning loss to the Rockies.

Bart had gone 0-for-6 in two games since receiving an off day Wednesday. He snapped the skid in the sixth inning Saturday with a solo shot to get the Giants on the board. The catcher has gone 17-for-48 (.354) with four homers, eight RBI and seven runs scored in his last 14 games. For the season, Bart has a .228/.315/.407 slash line with 10 long balls, 21 RBI, 26 runs scored and two stolen bases, though he's clearly trending in the right direction as he gets more fully adjusted to major-league pitching.

Knizner went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and three runs scored in Saturday's 16-7 win over the Diamondbacks.

Knizner got the start behind the dish Saturday as Yadier Molina (personal) is away from the team. In his last 10 games, Knizner has delivered four multi-hit efforts with two doubles, two RBI and seven runs scored. The backup catcher is up to a .219/.311/.273 slash line with one home run, 19 RBI, 18 runs scored and seven doubles through 213 plate appearances this year. Molina is expected to rejoin the Cardinals on Monday, so Knizner's time as the No. 1 backstop is likely limited.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in a 7-0 win over Miami on Saturday.

Smith hit out of the cleanup spot as the Dodgers' DH in the contest while Austin Barnes started behind the plate. The decision to get Smith's bat into the lineup paid off quickly when he put the Dodgers on the board with a three-run blast to left field in the first inning. Smith is up to 18 homers on the campaign, and his 70 RBI leads all big-league catchers.

Perez will join the White Sox in Cleveland for Sunday's game, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Yasmani Grandal suffered what appeared to be a significant knee injury in Saturday's game against the Guardians, which will force him to the injured list. Perez will make his big-league debut as a result, likely serving as the backup to Seby Zavala. Perez has managed a .259/.317/.448 slash line across 385 plate appearances with Triple-A Charlotte this season.