MLB Player News

The Blue Jays will place Kirk (hip) on the 10-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against Atlanta, Ben Wagner of Sportsnet reports.

The transaction will clear a spot on the 26-man roster for Ross Stripling (forearm), who will be reinstated from the IL ahead of his scheduled start Sunday. Before exiting Saturday's game with a left hip flexor strain, Kirk had been off to a slow start to the 2021 season, slashing .225/.326/.475 in 46 plate appearances while serving as the No. 2 option at catcher behind Danny Jansen.

Stephenson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Stephenson had caught two of the Reds' previous three games, going 3-for-8 between those contests. Though he boasts the more potent bat among the Reds' two catchers, Tucker Barnhart's superior defense should continue to earn him the overwhelming share of starts behind the dish.

Contreras (thigh) is not in the lineup Sunday against the Reds.

The 28-year-old will be sidelined for the second consecutive contest after exiting Friday's game with mild tightness in his right thigh. According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, manager David Ross said Contreras believes his thigh is fine, but he'll go through a pregame workout Sunday in any case as he attempts to prove his health heading into the upcoming week. Tony Wolters receives another start behind the plate for Chicago while Contreras is day-to-day with the injury.

Caratini will continue to get plenty of work behind the plate despite the return of Austin Nola, Bill Center of FriarWire reports.

Nola may eventually emerge as the Padres' primary catcher, but in the short term he will essentially split time with Caratini behind the plate, according to manager Jayce Tingler. "Victor has played extremely well, he's done a great job with the staff. Also, Nola, having some issues with the finger and some swelling and things like that, I don't think we've got him built up to go four on, one-off. There's the opportunity to split some time and keep both guys active." So far this season, Caratini is slashing .230/.333/.311 with 11 RBI and a 30.6 percent strikeout rate.

Contreras will be recalled from the alternate training site Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The 23-year-old was called up as the 27th man for last weekend's doubleheader, and he'll rejoin the major-league club Sunday with Travis d'Arnaud (thumb) heading to the injured list. Contreras and Alex Jackson will handle catching duties for Atlanta until d'Arnaud recovers from the injury.

D'Arnaud (thumb) will be placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

The specifics of the thumb issue remain unclear, though manager Brian Snitker described the injury as "not good." He suffered the injury while making a tag at the plate during the sixth inning Saturday. D'Arnaud will be eligible to return May 12, but he won't have a timeline for his return until he's evaluated further Sunday after flying back to Atlanta. Alex Jackson and William Contreras will handle catching duties in the meantime.

Nola will split time behind the plate with Victor Caratini for the time being, Bill Center of FriarWire reports.

Nola was activated from the injured list Wednesday and served as a pinch hitter that night before getting his first start Saturday. The backstop is likely to eventually emerge as the Padres' primary catcher, but he'll function in more of a time split with Caratini in the immediate future. "Realistically, we have the opportunity to have a great combination with both guys back there," said manager Jayce Tingler. "Victor has played extremely well, he's done a great job with the staff. Also, Nola, having some issues with the finger and some swelling and things like that, I don't think we've got him built up to go four on, one-off. There's the opportunity to split some time and keep both guys active."

D'Arnaud exited Saturday's game against Toronto with a left thumb injury.

He suffered the injury during the sixth inning while tagging out Randal Grichuk in a play at the plate and promptly left the contest. D'Arnaud is likely to be withheld from the lineup for the series finale Sunday afternoon and should be considered day-to-day until his status is updated by the team.

Kirk was removed from Saturday's game versus Atlanta with left hip flexor discomfort.

The 22-year-old went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run before exiting the contest. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but Kirk figures to take a seat for the series finale Sunday afternoon.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout Saturday as Cleveland lost to Chicago 7-3.

The home run was Hedges' second of the season, but on the year, he only has three hits in 23 at bats. Hedges is one of the best defensive backstops in the league, but until he can be at least serviceable at the plate, he'll remain Roberto Perez's backup.