MLB Player News

Contreras is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Cardinals.

Contreras will receive a breather after going 1-for-4 with a solo home run and three strikeouts during Friday's loss. In his place, Victor Caratini will catch Tyler Chatwood. Expect to see Contreras back behind the plate for Game 2.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Cardinals.

Contreras also struck out three times, so it was a mixed effort. The 26-year-old catcher went deep in the All-Star Game Tuesday and now has eight home runs this season. He'll have to get rolling to match the 21 long balls he recorded in 2017, but he certainly has the talent to get hot in a hurry.

Murphy had surgery on his right wrist Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Murphy will hit the shelf after undergoing surgery on his right hamate bone. The Athletics hope he'll be healthy enough to return to minor-league action before the end of the season.

Gomes is out of the lineup against Texas on Friday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Gomes will take a seat for the series finale while Roberto Perez is set to handle the catching duties. Look for Gomes to return to the starting lineup Saturday.

Moore's contract was selected by the Rays on Friday, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

The Rays will need a second catcher with Wilson Ramos out with a strained hamstring. Moore has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues but has appeared in just 96 games and none since 2016. He has a .197/.237/.303 line overall and is unlikely to be used in anything other than a backup role while he remains with the team.

Stephenson went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI for High-A Daytona in its 9-6 win over Bradenton on Thursday.

The hit and RBI totals matched career highs for the 21-year-old backstop, who is now slashing .282/.361/.451 across 391 plate appearances on the season. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Stephenson is quite large for a catcher, but his big frame hasn't hindered him too much defensively thus far in his development. The Reds will continue to bring the 2015 first-round pick through the system slowly and likely won't prepare him for a role with the big club until 2020.

Caratini went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's win over the Cardinals.

Caratini got the start for Willson Contreras and made it count, as he recorded his first three-hit game of the season. Contreras figures to catch most days, but Caratini will spell him on occasion, and the 24-year-old could also see some time at first base and in the outfield for the Cubs in the second half.

Higashioka was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Higashioka filled a backup role while Gary Sanchez (groin) was on the disabled list, but Sanchez's return sends him back to the minors. The 28-year-old grabbed his first big-league hits in his time with the Yankees (the first three of which were all homers), though he hit just .167 in 11 games.

Sanchez (groin) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list Thursday.

Sanchez will end up missing just shy of a month with a groin strain. Prior to the injury, the young catcher was having mixed success at the plate. His 14 homers are tied for the lead among all catchers, and his 96 wRC+ is adequate enough for a backstop, though his .190 batting average certainly hurt fantasy owners. There's reason to expect positive regression in that regard, however, as he's been hurt by a .194 BABIP, and his expected batting average according to Statcast is .237. That's far from the .278 figure he posted last season, but it's enough for fantasy owners to enjoy his power without taking a huge hit elsewhere. Kyle Higashioka was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move.

Contreras is out of Thursday's starting lineup against the Cardinals.

Contreras will get an off day coming out of the break after participating in the All-Star Game. Victor Caratini is slated to handle the catching duties and bat eighth in his stead.