MLB Player News

Stephenson will start at catcher and bat third Sunday against the Cardinals.

He'll crack the lineup for the second time in the series after going 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in Friday's 6-5 win. Most of Stephenson's starts in recent weeks have come against left-handed pitching, but he'll take aim at a right-hander (Johan Oviedo) while top backstop Tucker Barnhart sits for the day game after a night game.

Barnhart is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Barnhart will get a breather for the second time in the series, allowing Tyler Stephenson to pick up a turn behind the plate. Cincinnati should continue to hand Barnhart the bulk of the starts against right-handed pitching for the foreseeable future, though he could fall into more of a timeshare at the position with Stephenson if the 51-47 Reds start to fade in the National League playoff picture.

Perez went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 9-8 win over the Tigers.

With the Royals in a 5-0 hole heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Perez kick-started the rally in earnest by chasing Casey Mize from the game with his 22nd homer of the year. The veteran catcher isn't matching last season's extraordinary pace, but he's still slashing an impressive .279/.310/.500 through 96 games.

Barnes went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in a 1-0 triumph over Colorado on Saturday.

Barnes went deep off Colorado starter Kyle Freeland in the second for the game's single run and provided two of only seven hits in the contest. It was the backstop's first home run since June 22 and he's now 5-for-9 over his last three games.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Saturday against the Diamondbacks.

Contreras delivered a leadoff home run in the fourth inning, his 15th long ball of the campaign. He was also ejected from the game arguing a call against Jason Heyward, though it was in the bottom of the ninth inning, so it did not cost him any plate appearances. Contreras has been on a modest power surge of late, delivering two home runs and two doubles across his last six starts. For the season, he is hitting.239/.350/.433 across 346 plate appearances.

Diaz will be on the bench Saturday against the Dodgers.

Diaz has become the Rockies' primary catcher despite a .210/.278/.381 slash line, though he's justified the role over his last 16 games, homering six times while posting a 1.071 OPS. Dom Nunez will start behind the plate Saturday.

Murphy will sit Saturday against Seattle.

Murphy hits the bench for the first time in a week. Aramis Garcia will take over behind the plate in his absence.

Smith will sit Saturday against the Rockies.

Smith gets a rest after starting three straight games behind the plate. Austin Barnes takes over in his absence.

The Marlins designated Wallach for assignment on Saturday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

The catcher was recalled before Friday's game and struck out in his only plate appearance. Wallach has appeared in 23 total games for the Marlins this season, hitting .200 with six RBI and 32 strikeouts. He was DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster for Brian Anderson, whom the team activated from the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Ruiz went 4-for-4 with three home runs, a double, a walk and five RBI for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.

Ruiz has been on a tear at the plate of late, collecting at least one hit in seven straight games to push his season average up to .309. Overall, the backstop has crushed 16 homers across 48 contests while notching an equal number of walks and strikeouts (23). He may be the organization's top hitter currently playing in the minors, but his path to big-league playing time remains blocked by Will Smith and Austin Barnes.