MLB Player News

Murphy is not in Saturday's lineup against the Rangers.

He is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with four home runs and three doubles in his first eight big-league games, but the A's will continue to give him rest days after he missed significant time with knee injuries this season. Josh Phegley will start behind the dish and hit ninth.

Higashioka will take on a "fairly even" split in catching duties while Gary Sanchez (groin) is on the shelf, Jordan Horrobin of MLB.com reports.

Though the Yankees are optimistic that Sanchez will make it back by the end of the season, he is likely to miss around two weeks, giving Higashioka a chance to showcase his abilities down the stretch. Manager Aaron Boone indicated that the decision to split time behind the plate between Higashioka and Austin Romine was made in order to protect both catchers from fatigue. Higashioka started Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader and is back in the lineup, slotted eighth in the batting order, for Saturday's tilt against Toronto.

Smith is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets.

Smith has been getting every other day off and that trend will continue; he gives way to Russell Martin behind the plate after going 0-for-4 in Friday's series opener. He was off to a blistering start in the majors, but Smith is just 3-for-27 to begin September. Ideally, he'll be able to make some adjustments before the end of the regular season.

Hedges went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and two walks in a loss to Colorado on Friday.

Hedges put the Padres on the board in the first inning with a two-run blast to center field and reached base twice more via walk. The productive game was a rare bright spot in what has been a miserable month for Hedges at the plate, as he is hitting a scant .100 with one extra-base hit in 30 at-bats in September.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run in a loss to the White Sox on Friday.

Murphy's breakout season at the plate looks like it's on its way to wrapping up in strong fashion, as the backstop now has a trio of multi-hit efforts over the eight games he's suited up for in September. Murphy's career-best .280 average and impressive .555 slugging percentage are largely comprised of his career-high 30 extra-base hits (12 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs), numbers he's generated in his first major-league campaign with more than 100 plate appearances.

Maile (oblique) was activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday.

He is not in the lineup, as Danny Jansen gets the start behind the dish, but Maile is active for the contest. Look for him to work as the third-string catcher over the rest of the season.

Stallings is unavailable Saturday against the Cubs due to back tightness, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

With two healthy catchers (Elias Diaz and Steve Baron) on the active roster, the Pirates may play it safe and hold Stallings out for the rest of this series and also take advantage of Monday's off day. Diaz will start at catcher and hit eighth.

Gomes is not in Saturday's lineup against the Braves.

He is the Nationals' primary catcher while Kurt Suzuki is out with an elbow injury. Gomes is hitting .161 with four home runs in nine games this month. Raudy Read will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Murphy went 3-for-4 with a walk, three doubles and four runs scored in Friday's 14-9 win over the Rangers.

While seven homers were hit on the night in Globe Life Park between the two teams, Murphy was content with his first big-league two-baggers instead. The rookie is now slashing an eye-popping .409/.458/1.091 through 24 plate appearances since his promotion, with seven of his nine hits (three doubles, four homers) going for extra bases.

Narvaez went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 9-7 loss to the White Sox.

All three hits were singles, including one of the run-scoring variety to cap a three-run first inning for the Mariners. Narvaez later scored on Shed Long's two-run single in the fourth. The catcher has enjoyed hitting against his former team, going 7-for-14 with two RBI and three runs scored in three games versus the White Sox this year. For the season, Narvaez is hitting .280/.354/.462 with 20 homers, 52 RBI and 60 runs scored.