MLB Player News

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

Barnhart will be getting a routine day off after starting at catcher in each of the Reds' first two games of the season. Tyler Stephenson will check into the starting nine for the first time in 2021, batting eighth while catching for starting pitcher Jeff Hoffman.

Narvaez went 1-for-3 during Saturday's loss against the Twins.

Narvaez was the only Milwaukee player who mustered a hit in a game in which the Brewers were completely outmatched. Narvaez was seeing the ball well in spring training and he's started the regular season on a strong note as well, hitting safely in both contests and going 3-for-6 with an RBI thus far in his first two games.

Sanchez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Saturday's win over Toronto.

Sanchez gave his team a 2-1 lead with a fourth-inning shot off Ross Stripling. He's now homered in each of the first two games of the season. He's also yet to strike out, an encouraging sign after he posted a 36.0 percent strikeout rate last season.

Grullon was designated for assignment by the Reds on Saturday.

Grullon hit .283/.534/.496 in 108 games at the Triple-A level in the Phillies organization in 2019, but he hasn't established himself anywhere as even a backup catcher, receiving just 13 plate appearances at the highest level. The Reds apparently don't even like the 25-year-old as a depth option, as they removed him from the 40-man roster to clear space for waiver claim Beau Taylor, a 31-year-old with a career .492 OPS in limited big-league opportunities.

Stassi will sit Saturday against the White Sox.

Stassi started behind the plate in both of the first two games of the season, going 2-for-6 with a homer. Kurt Suzuki will make his season debut Saturday.

Grandal will sit Saturday against the Angels.

Grandal has started the third-most games behind the plate over the last three seasons, trailing only Yadier Molina and J.T. Realmuto, but it's possible he could start needing a bit more rest going forward in his age-32 season. He started the first two games of the year but will cede his spot to Zack Collins on Saturday.

Murphy will sit Saturday against San Francisco.

Murphy started behind the plate on Opening Day but has since gone on to sit twice in a row. Luis Torrens will make his second straight start in his absence.

Smith will be on the bench Saturday against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

The Dodgers made it clear over the offseason that Smith wouldn't find himself in the lineup all that more often than Austin Barnes this season. That's been the case through the first three games of the year, with Smith starting just once and Barnes starting twice. Smith went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, two runs and two RBI Friday, but even that wasn't enough to keep him in the lineup.

Barnes (hand) will catch and bat eighth Saturday against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Barnes left Thursday's season opener with a cut on his hand following a collision at home plate. He didn't appear in Friday's contest but is ready to go again Saturday, starting ahead of Will Smith for the second time in the first three games.

Diaz will sit Saturday against the Dodgers, Jenny Cavnar of AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain reports.

Diaz started behind the plate on Opening Day but now finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row. Dom Nunez will get another start in his absence.