MLB Player News

Diaz isn't starting Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a strikeout Friday, but he'll retreat to the bench for the second time in the last three games. Dom Nunez will start at catcher and bat eighth.

Maldonado isn't starting Saturday's game against Oakland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Maldonado will miss a second straight contest, although it's not clear whether his absence is related to his sore shoulder that forced him out of Wednesday's game against the Rays. Jason Castro will start at catcher and bat eighth.

Gomes isn't starting Saturday's game against the Astros, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Gomes started each of the last three games and went 1-for-10 with a run, a walk and four strikeouts. Sean Murphy will start behind the dish and bat eighth.

Barnhart isn't starting Saturday's game against the Pirates.

Barnhart went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Friday, and he'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Tyler Stephenson will start at catcher and bat second.

D'Arnaud remains on the bench Saturday against the Mets.

With Atlanta's division crown secure, d'Arnaud will rest for the second straight game. William Contreras will again start behind the plate.

Fortes isn't starting Saturday's game against Philadelphia, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Fortes has gone 0-for-13 with five strikeouts across his last five appearances, and he'll be out of the lineup for the fourth time in the last five games. Alex Jackson will start behind the plate and bat seventh.

Hedges went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 9-6 win over Texas.

The catcher got Cleveland on the board with his third-inning solo shot. Hedges has gone yard twice in his last six games, and he's up to 10 long balls on the year. He's added a .180/.219/.311 slash line with 31 RBI, 32 runs scored and a stolen base in 308 plate appearances. The 29-year-old has split time with Roberto Perez fairly evenly since mid-September.

Mejia went 2-for-3 with a walk in a win over the Yankees on Friday and now has three multi-hit efforts in his last five starts.

The reserve backstop is hitting a sensational .438 (7-for-16) with two doubles, three RBI, three walks and three runs over that span, boosting his season slash line to a serviceable .256/.317/.415 across 272 plate appearances. Mejia has arguably been everything the Rays could have hoped for in a backup catcher when they acquired him in the Blake Snell trade with San Diego in December, as the 25-year-old has shown flashes of the offensive prowess he displayed at multiple minor-league stops in the Padres organization.

Trevino went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-6 loss to Cleveland.

Trevino launched his fifth homer of the season in the ninth inning. He began the season as Texas' starting catcher but eventually ceded the spot to Jonah Heim.

Contreras, who is under team control through 2022, said he would "love to stay here" when asked about the possibility of a contract extension this offseason, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Now the team's longest-tenured player following midseason trades of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, Contreras said he would like to stick around in Chicago as the club rebuilds, though he admitted he'd like to see the organization approach that process aggressively before deciding on an extension. "I'm not sure how long it's going to take," Contreras said. "I wish I could have a timeframe for that rebuild, but I'm here to help this team to win in as many ways as I can." The 29-year-old catcher has a .778 OPS and 21 home runs this season, and he should remain among the top fantasy options at the position next year at age 30.