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Omar Narvaez C | HOU
White Sox's Omar Narvaez: Makes second start of season
Narvaez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Rays.
This was just Narvaez's second start in nine games, as there's been an expected drop in plate appearances after the White Sox signed Welington Castillo in the offseason. At this current pace, Narvaez is due to play just 36 games, although that number of starts should be higher, as Castillo has never played more than 113 games in a season.
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Travis d'Arnaud C | LAA
Mets' Travis d'Arnaud: Hits bench Monday
D'Arnaud is not in the lineup Monday against the Marlins, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
D'Arnaud started the past two games for the Mets, but he only managed to collect one hit in nine at-bats. The Mets timeshare behind the plate will continue Monday, as Kevin Plawecki takes a turn as the catcher for starter Noah Syndergaard.
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Chad Wallach C | ATH
Marlins' Chad Wallach: Sits again Monday
Wallach is not in the Marlins' lineup Monday against the Mets, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.
Wallach has been the primary catcher for the Marlins while J.T. Realmuto (back) remains on the disabled list. Bryan Holaday will start at catcher Monday, the third time in four games that he's done so. Wallach could be losing his temporary starter role, though that likely won't have much fantasy impact; his light bat is irrelevant in most formats, and J.T. Realmuto is approximately 10 days from returning.
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Gary Sanchez C | MIL
Yankees' Gary Sanchez: Hopeful to return Tuesday
General manager Brian Cashman said the hope is that Sanchez (calf) will return to action Tuesday against the Red Sox, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Sanchez has missed the previous two games while nursing a calf injury, but with an off day Monday -- marking the catcher's third consecutive day off -- the Yankees are hoping that the 25-year-old will be able to either catch or serve as the team's designated hitter for Tuesday's series opener. He'll still have to be cleared by team doctors prior to Tuesday's game, and while the Yankees are hopeful to have their star catcher back in action, Cashman noted he "can't guarantee anything." Look for Sanchez's status to clear up sometime Tuesday. If he's unable to play, Austin Romine will once again start behind the dish.
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Austin Barnes C | NYM
Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Starts at second
Barnes got a rare start at second base Sunday, going 0-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch hitter in an extra-inning win over the Giants.
Manager Dave Roberts got his backup catcher in the lineup against the left-handed Ty Blach, but he was lifted in favor of Chase Utley when the southpaw was pulled after six innings. Barnes' stock rose heading into the season after he broke out to the tune of a .289/.408/.486 slash line in 262 plate appearances in 2017, but Yasmani Grandal's hot start at the plate has limited the versatile catcher to occasional starts against lefties.
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Danny Jansen C | TEX
Blue Jays' Danny Jansen: Set to open at Triple-A
Jansen will open the season with Triple-A Buffalo.
Jansen reached the Triple-A level for the first time last year, hitting .328/.423/.552 in 21 games. Russell Martin is entrenched as the starter in Toronto and is unlikely to yield that position until he becomes a free agent after the 2019 season, but he's 35, so there's certainly the risk than an injury could open up playing time for Jansen this season. The biggest threat to Jansen's value might be his fellow Triple-A backstop, Reese McGuire. McGuire has a strong defensive reputation and had a solid season at the plate last year as well, hitting .278/.366/.492 in 34 games for Double-A New Hampshire.
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Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Cubs' Willson Contreras: Logs two hits in series finale
Contreras went 2-for-3 in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Brewers.
Contreras is now 9-for-30 over his last seven games, and he appears to be back on track following a slow start to the season. He figures to see plenty of opportunities at the dish as long as he can stay healthy. The Cubs begin a three-game series with the Pirates on Monday.
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Max Stassi C | SF
Astros' Max Stassi: Ends team's extra-base hit drought
Stassi went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Padres.
Stassi's fifth-inning bomb snapped Houston's streak of 29-plus innings without an extra-base knock. The catcher, who revamped his swing last season to hit more flyballs, is 6-for-15 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI over six games (four starts).
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Yan Gomes C | CHC
Indians' Yan Gomes: Hits two-run homer Sunday
Gomes went 1-for-4 with a home run in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Royals.
Gomes entered Sunday's game having gone 2-for-17 (.118) over five outings this season, with one of those hits being a home run. Cleveland's bats were quiet for much of the game, as the team combined to record just four hits. However, Gomes managed to pick up his third hit of the year in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he hit a two-run walkoff home run. Although he's shown power early this season, Gomes is expected to continue sharing time behind the dish with Roberto Perez.
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Salvador Perez DH | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Trending positively in recovery
Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Sunday that swelling has "vacated" Perez's sprained left knee, and the catcher is expected to "get back a little bit before" the 4-to-6-week recovery timeline established March 28, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports.
Since Perez has yet to resume baseball activities, it's too early to predict with much confidence that he'll be ready to go by the end of April, as Moore seems to be forecasting. In any case, the fact Perez has healed a little faster than anticipated counts as positive news and may convince any owners with limited bench spots who were thinking of cutting him to think twice. The Royals will likely provide additional updates on Perez's condition over the next few weeks before a firmer return date is sussed out.