MLB Player News

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Contreras had lost out on playing time recently after he went 0-for-12 with a walk and six strikeouts across his last four appearances. He had been out of the lineup in five of the last nine games, but he could see more consistent at-bats in the minors while he has a chance to sort things out. Jonathan Lucroy's contract was selected as part of a corresponding move, and he could compete for playing time with Kevan Smith behind the plate going forward.

Gomes went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to the Padres.

Gomes doubled his first two times up and came around to score off the bat of Josh Harrison in the fifth. It was the second instance in which he's recorded multiple extra-base hits in a game this year. The 33-year-old backstop is slashing .266/.323/.443 with eight homers, 30 RBI, 28 runs scored and a 13:43 BB:K over 220 plate appearances. Gomes doesn't have much competition for reps at the moment after Alex Avila (calf) went on the injured list over the weekend and should be rostered in most leagues given the lack of depth at his position.

Stassi went 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.

The catcher took Nathan Eovaldi deep in the first inning, Stassi's first homer since June 13 and his sixth of the year. Despite the power outage and his troubles staying healthy in the first half, the 30-year-old is still headed for a career year with a .312/.390/.523 slash line through 36 games.

Stephenson went 3-for-5 with a run scored in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to Kansas City.

All three of the catcher's hits were singles, and he scored on a Joey Votto triple in the third inning. Stephenson continues to show well when he's in the lineup, as he's posted a .281/.381/.432 slash line with five home runs, 22 RBI and 34 runs scored through 215 plate appearances. With Jesse Winker out of the lineup Tuesday, Stephenson hit second, but he'll likely bat further down the order in most circumstances.

Rogers went 2-for-4 with a triple and a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers.

Rogers is known more for his defensive ability at catcher, but he's held his own at the plate so far this season, as he now has five home runs and a .773 OPS through 31 games. He posted a .481 OPS in 35 games last year, so he's shown marked improvement offensively. Rogers should continue to see regular playing time behind the plate, though Eric Haase remains in the mix.

Haase went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers.

Haase pinch hit in the seventh inning and promptly hit his 12th home run of the season. Considering he came into the year with one career MLB long ball, the power has been a pleasant surprise. Haase should continue to rotate into the lineup at catcher and in the outfield, and given how productive he's been offensively, he figures to see fairly regular playing time moving forward.

The White Sox recalled Zavala from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old will serve as the backup catcher while Yasmani Grandal (knee) misses at least a month. Zavala has hit just .178 in 118 at-bats with Charlotte in 2021, but he has homered five times and drawn 19 walks. He made his major-league debut in 2020 with the White Sox, recording one hit while striking out nine times in 12 at-bats.

Grandal is expected to miss four to six weeks with a torn tendon in his left knee, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The catcher falls victim to a knee injury in his first game back from a relatively minor calf ailment. Specifics about Grandal's return timeline should become available in a few weeks. Zack Collins will be the White Sox's starting catcher, with Seby Zavala, whom the team recalled Tuesday, serving as the backup.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Tuesday that Kirk (hip) is "100 percent healthy" but will remain on his rehab assignment for now, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk had been dealing with left hip flexor discomfort since the start of May, and he's gone 5-for-13 with a home run, a double, four walks, three RBI and four runs across five rehab games at Triple-A Buffalo. The catcher will remain on the 60-day injured list for now to get some extra plate appearances in the minors, but he should be available to return to the Blue Jays in the near future.

Stallings isn't starting Tuesday's game against Atlanta.

Stallings will get a breather after he went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and two strikeouts in Monday's series opener. Michael Perez will start behind the plate and bat seventh.