MLB Player News

Ballesteros will start at catcher and bat sixth in Monday's game versus the Padres.

It's the first start and second appearance at catcher this season for Ballesteros, who is slashing .397/.446/.690 with four home runs as the Cubs' primary designated hitter. Most of Ballesteros' playing time is likely to continue to come at DH, but it would be a major boost to his fantasy prospects if he catches enough to gain eligibility at the position.

Smith (back) will start at catcher and bat third in Monday's game versus the Marlins.

Smith missed both of the previous two contests with back tightness, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go in Monday's series opener. The veteran catcher has slashed .266/.337/.392 with three home runs across his first 89 plate appearances this season.

The Marlins optioned Hernandez to Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Hernandez will head to the minors after producing a .159/.284/.190 batting line across 74 plate appearances on the season. His roster spot will be absorbed by Christopher Morel (oblique), who was reinstated from the injured list.

Jansen is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

Jansen will be rested Monday after he picked up starts behind the plate in the final two games of the Rangers' weekend series versus the Athletics. Kyle Higashioka will handle catching duties in the series opener against New York.

Pages (hamstring) will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Pirates.

A sore left hamstring knocked Pages out of Saturday's 11-9 loss to the Mariners and kept him from playing in Sunday's series finale, but the lone day off appears to be all that the backstop needed to overcome the issue. Pages will step back in behind the dish Monday in Pittsburgh, and while he may continue to operate as St. Louis' main catcher, he'll likely continue to cede at least a couple starts per week to Ivan Herrera.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

The left-handed-hitting Naylor will hit the bench for a second straight game while the Guardians face off against another southpaw (Steven Matz) in the series opener with Tampa Bay. Austin Hedges will handle catching duties Monday.

Pozo went 0-for-1 in his lone plate appearance Sunday in the 3-2 loss to the Mariners.

Pozo came in as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and grounded out for the second put-out of the inning. The right-hander, who is operating as the secondary backup catcher and designated hitter, has gotten some playing time this season with Pedro Pages (hamstring) out a couple of games. The 28-year-old has only started in two games so far this season and has mostly come on as a pinch-hitter or defensive replacement at catcher.

Moreno (oblique) is expected to rejoin the Diamondbacks during the series against the Cubs that begins Friday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The most recent news had Moreno returning Tuesday for the series against the Brewers, but it's been pushed back until at least Friday. The Diamondbacks are getting by with backups behind the plate, but Adrian Del Castillo (finger) is day-to-day after being removed from Sunday's game. James McCann and Aramis Garcia are still on the 26-man roster to carry the catching load until Moreno and/or Del Castillo are ready.

Basallo went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Basallo, who started at catcher Sunday due to Adley Rutschman serving as the DH, got the Orioles on the board in the fifth inning with a 392-foot blast off Connelly Early, Basallo's fifth homer of the season and first against a left-handed pitcher. The 21-year-old has now homered in back-to-back starts while going 6-for-9 in that span. He's boosted his slash line to .233/.325/.452 with eight RBI and 10 runs scored through his first 83 plate appearances this season.

Campusano went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional RBI in Sunday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

Campusano drew the start behind the plate to wrap up the weekend in Mexico City, doubling and homering Sunday after slugging two doubles and a homer in his previous start Wednesday against the Rockies. After going hitless in 10 regular-season games at the big-league level in 2025, the 27-year-old has been on fire to begin 2026, slashing .350/.395/.750 with three homers, nine RBI and eight runs through 14 games. Freddy Fermin is the lead catcher and is more well regarded on the defensive side, but Campusano's continued success should earn him opportunities in the lineup.