MLB Player News

Vazquez is not starting Friday against the Astros.

Vazquez and Sandy Leon have alternated starts behind the plate in the last six games. Leon will take his turn Friday, catching Chris Sale.

Perez (concussion) returns to the lineup Friday against the Rays, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Perez suffered a concussion Tuesday, but it was evidently a very mild one, as he's back in action just three days later. He'll catch and bat sixth in Friday's contest.

McCann is not in the lineup Friday against Minnesota.

After posting an excellent .936 OPS in April, McCann has continued to exceed expectations in May, recording an .854 OPS so far. Welington Castillo starts behind the plate in his absence.

Knizner, RotoWire's No. 4 fantasy prospect in the Cardinals organization, is slashing .298/.360/.484 with 13 extra-base hits (eight doubles, five home runs), 17 RBI, eight walks, a stolen base and 20 runs across 136 plate appearances at Triple-A Memphis.

Knizner is proving that his initial success against Triple-A arms over a 17-game sample in 2018 was no fluke, as he's squared up on the ball consistently throughout a more extensive 2019 tenure at Memphis. The 24-year-old has been on the fast track through the Cardinals organization since his Rookie league debut in 2016, acquitting himself well at every stop. The seemingly ageless Yadier Molina and fellow veteran Matt Wieters currently hold down the catcher spots at the big-league level, but Knizner, who already saw one potential obstacle in Carson Kelly traded this past offseason, will continue getting further seasoning with the Redbirds until his number is called.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Reds.

Contreras will return to the bench Friday after starting the last three games and going 2-for-11 with one RBI and two walks. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a productive May with a .338/.423/.544 slash line in 20 games. Victor Caratini will start behind the dish and bat sixth for the Cubs in his absence.

Smith is slashing .277/.395/.546 with eight homers and 27 RBI through 130 at-bats for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Smith has been red-hot at the dish for Oklahoma City, as a three-hit, two-homer day Tuesday gave him five long balls in 10 games. He's currently sporting a robust .941 OPS, showing vast improvement at the Triple-A level compared to his 25-game stint with Oklahoma City last season that saw him hit just .138. Smith is considered one of the top two prospects the Dodgers have at catcher along with Keibert Ruiz.

D'Arnaud is not in Thursday's lineup against the Indians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He is hitting just .045 with seven strikeouts and zero extra-base hits in nine games this month. Erik Kratz starts behind the dish, hitting eighth.

Grandal went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, two runs and two walks in Wednesday's victory over the Reds.

Grandal can be a bit streaky, but he's on a hot one right now, hitting .289/.431/.605 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 51 plate appearances over 12 games since May 10. Grandal has started every game behind the plate since fellow backstop Manny Pina landed on the injured list May 16.

Wynns will start at catcher and bat seventh Thursday against the Yankees, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Wynns and Severino have alternated starts behind the dish over the last eight contests, with both backstops drawing four starts. Given he maintains a .515 OPS on the season compared to Severino's .798 mark, Wynns will probably need to increase his offensive production before claiming a larger portion of the timeshare.

Nido went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before being lifted for Wilson Ramos in the seventh inning of Wednesday's win over the Nationals.

The Mets' backup catcher has gone 4-for-22 (.182) in May with nine strikeouts in eight games, although he does have a homer and two RBI. Barring an injury to Ramos, Nido's playing time and fantasy value will remain erratic at best.