MLB Player News

Jeffers is not starting Thursday against the Guardians.

Jeffers will get a breather Thursday after he went 2-for-8 over the last two contests. Gary Sanchez will get the start behind the plate and bat seventh.

Smith went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-4 win against Colorado.

Smith swatted one of three Dodgers long balls in the contest, smashing a 429-foot, two-run shot in the fifth inning. The long ball was his 12th of the campaign, moving him into second place in that category among big-league catchers. Smith has enjoyed a strong June, slashing .304/.350/.587 with seven homers, 14 RBI and 10 runs over 23 games.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base Wednesday against the Pirates.

Ruiz delivered separate run-scoring singles in the first and fifth frames. He also swiped his fourth base of the season, which is particularly notable given that he had no steals at any professional level since 2016 entering the current campaign. Ruiz is striking out at just a 9.7 percent clip for the season, though he has an unimpressive .093 ISO paired with a .255 batting average across 238 plate appearances.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a two-run home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

Contreras was electric in this one, and he now has three straight multi-hit games. It was the backstop's third three-hit effort in June, pushing his batting average this month to .295. He also has five home runs and 16 RBI across 25 games in June. Contreras has been a fantasy bright spot in Chicago and is certainly enhancing his trade value before the deadline next month.

Haase went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Giants.

Haase's only hit of the day was a big one, as he broke open a 1-1 tie with a two-run blast in the sixth inning. The 29-year-old now has five home runs this season, and he may have an uphill battle matching or surpassing the 22 long balls he recorded a season ago during a breakout campaign. Haase offers some power potential when he's in the lineup, but his playing time and overall production leave plenty to be desired.

Stephenson (thumb) participated in batting practice on the field at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Manager David Bell recently said he hopes Stephenson will begin a rehab assignment within the next week, and the catcher's participating at batting practice Wednesday is an encouraging sign for his outlook. The 25-year-old will likely need to advance to facing live pitching before being cleared for game action in the minors.

Gomes isn't in the lineup Wednesday against Colorado.

Gomes started in the last six games but hit just .185 with a run and a strikeout. Willson Contreras is starting behind the plate while Rafael Ortega takes over in left field.

Herrera isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Herrera started in the last three games and went 2-for-9 with two walks and three strikeouts. Andrew Knizner is taking over behind the dish and batting ninth Wednesday.

Murphy (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Murphy's move to the 60-day IL is simply procedural, as the Mariners announced last week that the catcher will require season-ending shoulder surgery. Luis Torrens (shoulder) landed on the 10-day IL on Monday, so Andrew Knapp is on the active roster to serve as the primary backup to Cal Raleigh behind the plate.

Barnhart isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Barnhart has alternated starts behind the plate recently, and he'll take a seat after he went 0-for-2 in Tuesday's loss to San Francisco. Eric Haase is starting at catcher and batting fifth.