MLB Player News

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Cardinals.

Contreras took Austin Gomber deep in the fifth inning to record his 10th home run of the season. It marked his first home run since Aug. 1 and only his third since the All-Star break. That long stretch without power is an illustration of Contreras' disappointing season, as his home run production was cut in half from the 2017 campaign.

Perez will undergo lateral collateral ligament reconstruction on his thumb Tuesday, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

The veteran catcher finished 2018 batting a career-low .237 with a .719 OPS that was 73 points lower than his 2017 mark. There's no word yet on how long Perez's rehab will be at this time, but that figures to come into focus after his procedure.

Diaz will catch and bat cleanup Sunday against the Reds.

He's 4-for-12 with one homer and four RBI in his last three starts. Diaz also has three hits (including one double) in nine career at-bats against Sunday starter Sal Romano. The catcher is slashing .286/.338/.456 with 10 homers and 34 RBI in 272 plate appearances.

Narvaez (back) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Narvaez has been seeing steady starts at either catcher or designated hitter over the past week, but he'll end the campaign on the bench after tweaking his back in Saturday's 8-3 loss. Welington Castillo will get the nod behind the dish while Daniel Palka serves as the club's designated hitter in the season finale.

Wynns is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.

Wynns has alternated starts each of the last seven games and is 4-for-12 with two walks in his last 14 plate appearances. The 27-year-old has a .255/.287/.382 slash line in 110 at-bats this season. Caleb Joseph will start behind the plate and bat ninth for the Orioles.

Mejia is not in the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

Mejia has shown significantly more power against righties (.545 slugging percentage) than against lefties (.346 SLG) this season, so he'll head to the bench with southpaw Robbie Ray taking the hill for Arizona. Austin Hedges will replace him behind the dish for the season finale.

Gomes (thumb) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes suffered a right thumb bruise and laceration that required stitches Saturday, so it's not surprising to see him held out of the regular-season finale. The 31-year-old is day-to-day for now, and his ability or lack thereof to participate in Tuesday's intrasquad game should help determine his recovery timeline, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. The ALDS begins Friday at Houston, so Gomes will have most of the week to test things out. Eric Haase will start behind the plate for the Indians on Sunday.

Jansen is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.

Jansen went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Saturday's game as his September struggles -- .178/.288/.333 slash line in 45 at-bats -- continued. Reese McGuire grabs another start behind the plate for the Blue Jays, and the two figure to battle for catching duties come spring training.

Maldonado is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

Maldonado will take a seat for the second straight game after going 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader. The 32-year-old has a .225/.276/.351 slash line with nine home runs in 373 at-bats between the Angels and Astros this season. Max Stassi will start behind the plate and bat eighth in his absence.

Plawecki is not in the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

Plawecki started the past three contests but has just one hit to show for it. He'll sit out of the season finale, ending his season with a .685 OPS to go with seven home runs and 30 RBI. Tomas Nido will replace him behind the plate Sunday.