MLB Player News

Contreras (hamstring) was activated from the disabled list Sunday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Although Contreras was brought off the disabled list, he's not in the starting lineup for Sunday's matchup against the Brewers. However, with the Cubs having Monday off, it's likely that Contreras will return to serving as the team's go-to backstop in the near future. Rene Rivera is hitting eighth and starting behind the dish Sunday.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Reds, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

D'Arnaud will get the night off after starting three of the last four games behind the dish, going 5-for-11 with a home run over that stretch. Kevin Plawecki will start at backstop in his stead. Look for d'Arnaud to return to action for Sunday's matinee.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.

Vazquez will get the day off after starting three of the past four games behind the plate and going 3-for-10 over that stretch. Sandy Leon will start behind the dish in his stead.

Contreras (hamstring) went 1-for-2 with two walks as the DH for High-A Myrtle Beach on Friday.

Contreras looked comfortable at the plate and will have his hamstring evaluated Saturday. If all goes well, he could be activated from the disabled list soon. The catcher has been out since Aug. 11, and his activation would shift Alex Avila to a reserve role, though the Cubs would likely ease Contreras back into action to make sure he doesn't tweak his hamstring.

Grandal is out of the lineup Friday against the Rockies.

Grandal has started three consecutive games behind the dish, over which he's gone 1-for-12 and struck out five times. He'll get the night off as Austin Barnes is set to hit seventh and serve as the Dodgers' backstop.

Contreras (hamstring) is participating in his last rehab game Friday night, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

After completing his rehab assignment, Contreras will join the team and have his hamstring evaluated. If all goes according to plan, he could be activated from the disabled list in the near future. Contreras has been out since Aug. 9, but had been putting on a show before getting hurt. Over the last 10 games he played before hitting the DL, Contreras mashed five home runs while hitting .316 with a 1.113 OPS.

Sanchez (suspension) is back in the lineup Friday against the Rangers, catching and batting third against lefty Martin Perez, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

He served his suspension during the Orioles series after Major League Baseball reduced his ban from four to three games. Sanchez was disciplined for his role in an Aug. 24 brawl between the Yankees and Tigers. The 24-year-old is batting .250/.330/.530 with eight homers and 20 RBI in 100 at-bats against left-handed pitching this season.

Gomes is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.

Gomes will head to the bench after starting two of the past three games behind the plate, including a 2-for-5 day during Thursday's win over the White Sox. In his place, Roberto Perez will handle the catching duties.

Contreras (hamstring) went 0-for-2 in his first rehab game Thursday for High-A Myrtle Beach, but the Carolina League playoffs are ending Friday due to Hurricane Irma, and the Cubs must decide another plan to get him at-bats, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

The season has ended for all Cubs minor-league affiliates besides short-season Eugene, so the decision may be just to call up Contreras to the current 40-man major-league roster or send him to the Northwest League Finals, which begin a best-of-five series Saturday. Chicago faces the Brewers this weekend in an important playoff-relevant series, so having him aboard may be their most desired course.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup Thursday against the Reds.

D'Arnaud retreats to the bench following a pair of starts behind the plate, including a 2-for-3 day at the plate, with a home run and two RBI during Wednesday's affair. In his place, Kevin Plawecki draws the assignment.