MLB Player News

Herrera will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Marlins, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Since Yadier Molina (knee) remains without a clear timeline to return from the injured list and with Andrew Knizner sitting on a lowly .525 OPS through 136 plate appearances on the season, the Cardinals may be ready to give Herrera glimpse as their primary catcher. The 22-year-old rookie will pick up his second straight start after going 2-for-3 with a walk in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Cubs. Prior to being called up from the minors following Molina's placement on the IL, Herrera showcased a dash of pop (.145 ISO) and strong plate discipline (12.7 percent walk rate, 14.7 percent strikeout rate) over his 129 plate appearances with Triple-A Memphis.

Knizner isn't starting Monday against Miami, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Knizner went 0-for-7 with two strikeouts over his last three games and will be out of the lineup for a second consecutive matchup. Ivan Herrera is starting behind the plate and batting ninth.

Jansen (finger) was spotted tracking pitches during live batting practice Monday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Jansen had been limited to hitting off a tee a week ago, but he looks as though he might be ready to take full swings in the near future. The Blue Jays will likely assess Jansen over a series of workouts this week before potentially mapping out a minor-league rehab assignment for the 27-year-old catcher.

Hedges will sit Monday against Minnesota.

Hedges finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row. His .494 OPS makes it hard to justify his everyday role, though Luke Maile, who starts again Monday, has a similarly uninspiring .572 OPS and doesn't share Hedges' defensive reputation, so a permanent change to the depth chart seems unlikely.

Kirk went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's loss against the Brewers.

Kirk launched a three-run blast in the first inning that scored George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero, the only runs that Toronto would score in the loss. The homer was Kirk's fourth in five games. Additionally, the catcher has nine hits during that span, including two two-hit performances and a four-hit game. Kirk is now slashing .322/.409/.523 on the season to go along with 10 home runs.

Heim went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in a 6-4 loss to the Nationals on Sunday.

Heim hit his 10th home run of the year to tie his season total from 2021. The 26-year-old catcher has taken 171 at-bats to reach the double-digit home run mark, compared to 265 at-bats a year ago. The increased home-run rate combined with a serviceable .246 average make him a player of interest in two-catcher fantasy leagues.

Contreras went 2-for-5 with three RBI in a 6-5 extra-inning victory over the Cardinals on Sunday.

Contreras continued his excellent first half with a three-RBI performance to give him 31 total on the year. His two-RBI single in the fourth tied the game at 5-5, and then he put the Cubs ahead for good with an RBI single in the 10th inning. The Cubs' starting catcher was playing DH in this day game, as manager David Ross likes to keep Contreras' dependable bat in the lineup any way possible. Contreras has five home runs and is slugging .426 over the past 15 days.

Herrera went 2-for-3 with a walk in a 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Cubs on Sunday.

The rookie catcher picked up his first major-league hit with a single off Alec Mills in the second inning. He later walked and singled again to make it a two-hit game. The Cardinals recalled the backstop from Triple-A Memphis on Friday when Yadier Molina was sidelined with knee inflammation. Herrera and Andrew Knizner are both in the mix for at-bats while Molina is out, and it is worth monitoring if either one of them can make a statement with the newfound opportunity.

Haase went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 11-7 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Haase's fifth-inning blast briefly gave the Tigers a one-run lead, but their offense stalled out after that. The catcher is finishing June strong -- he's gone 11-for-33 (.333) with four multi-hit efforts in his last 10 games. He's up to a .216/.266/.371 slash line with four homers, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored, four doubles and a triple through 124 plate appearances. Tucker Barnhart is just 2-for-19 (.105) in his last seven contests, so Haase's hot hitting could allow him to see an uptick in playing time.

Nola went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run in Sunday's 8-5 loss to the Phillies.

Though Jorge Alfaro's hot bat has earned him a near-everyday role at catcher or designated hitter, Nola hasn't completely fallen out of the lineup as a result. In fact, Sunday marked Nola's fourth start in five games, He's gone 6-for-15 with a double, five RBI and three runs over those four starts and should continue to hold down at least a part-time role with the Padres while he's swinging a hot bat.