MLB Player News

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Sunday's 3-1 victory against Arizona.

The backstop had arguably the most impressive at-bat of the contest in the second inning, working the count full before fouling off six straight pitches and concluding with his fifth long ball of the campaign. Smith ranks second among catchers leaguewide with 24 RBI this season, and he has posted a .246/.354/.410 slash line along with a 20:23 BB:K over 144 plate appearances.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk Sunday against the Nationals.

Diaz singled to center field in the seventh inning to tally his ninth RBI of the season. He has hit just .164 across 18 games in May, also recording three RBI and five runs scored. Diaz has had a disappointing campaign to this point, maintaining a .212/.264/.314 line across 129 plate appearances.

Herrera hurt his ankle while running out an infield hit during the seventh inning of Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Dodgers, Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic reports.

Herrera remained in the game, and manager Torey Lovullo said the catcher twisted the ankle but was fine. In other Herrera-related news, Daulton Varsho, who was held out of the starting lineup Saturday and Sunday with a shoulder injury, entered the game as a pinch hitter and is expected to be ready to resume on-field duties Monday against Atlanta.

Maldonado went 1-for-3 with a double Sunday against the Mariners.

Maldonado hit a one-out double in the seventh inning, but he was pinch run for and was denied the opportunity to score. It was only his third double and sixth extra-base hit of the season. Maldonado has maintained an unimpressive .123/.203/.236 line across 120 plate appearances for the campaign.

Stassi went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Blue Jays.

Stassi's two-run single tied the game at 6-6 in the third inning, and he added a solo shot in the seventh for the Angels' last run. Sunday's big game gave the catcher three multi-hit efforts in his last five contests since returning from the COVID-19 injured list. He's up to a .250/.330/.417 slash line with four homers, 11 RBI, 14 runs scored and a pair of doubles through 24 games this season.

Kirk went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk and four runs scored in Sunday's 11-10 win over the Angels.

Kirk has scored eight runs in his last five games, a span in which he's gone 8-for-17 with three doubles. The catcher has played well for much of the season, but his recent uptick in offense has lifted his slash line to .289/.371/.372 with a home run, nine RBI, 15 runs scored and seven doubles in 140 plate appearances. If Danny Jansen (hip) is forced to miss any more time, Kirk would logically pick up the slack behind the dish.

Jansen wasn't in Sunday's lineup against the Angels due to a minor hip injury, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star reports.

The 27-year-old had started in three of the last four games prior to Sunday's matchup, and manager Charlie Montoyo didn't sound too concerned about Jansen's injury following the win. The backstop should tentatively be considered day-to-day prior to Tuesday's series opener against the White Sox.

Narvaez went 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, an RBI, three runs scored and a walk in Sunday's 8-0 win over the Cardinals.

Narvaez hadn't hit a triple since 2018 with the White Sox, but he came up a home run short of a cycle in the unexpected performance. The 30-year-old has multiple hits in each of his last three games, going 7-for-11 in that span. He's lifted his slash line to .276/.372/.429 with two home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs scored and seven doubles across 113 plate appearances this year while serving as the Brewers' top catcher.

Nido is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.

Nido and Patrick Mazeika have now alternated turns behind the plate over the past seven games, with the former getting three starts to the latter's four. Expect a rough timeshare to remain in place for the two backstops until James McCann (wrist) is cleared to return from the 10-day injured list, likely at some point shortly before the All-Star break.

Perez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in San Diego.

The lefty-hitting Perez will take a seat for the third time in four games, paving the way for the switch-hitting Tyler Heineman to pick up another turn behind the dish. The Pirates have faced left-handed starting pitchers twice during the past three contests, so that could explain why Perez was passed over for the start in favor of Heineman. The two backstops may continue to work in a platoon for Pittsburgh, with neither representing an especially appealing fantasy option.