MLB Player News

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, two runs and a walk during Friday's 12-9 win over the Royals.

Hedges launched his first long ball since Aug. 24 on Friday. The 34-year-old took Noah Cameron deep in the second inning to extend the lead. The catcher extended his on-base streak to eight games. This year, Hedges is batting .249/.328/.380 with six homers and 25 RBI in 245 plate appearances.

Smith went 3-for-4 in Friday's 2-0 win over the Giants.

Smith's trio of singles Friday accounted for his third multi-hit effort over his last seven games. The catcher is batting .458 (11-for-24) in that span. For the season, he's hitting .259 with a .782 OPS, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 34 runs scored, nine doubles and no stolen bases over 72 contests.

Fortes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday in a 2-0 win over the Phillies.

Fortes made a rare start versus southpaw Cristopher Sanchez, taking the left-hander yard in the second inning. Liam Hicks has taken over as Tampa Bay's primary backstop since the trade deadline, likely leaving Fortes with scant playing time in the playoffs. Through 294 at-bats, Fortes is hitting .262 with six homers, 35 RBI, 12 walks and 33 runs scored.

Raleigh is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.

Jhonny Pereda will step in behind the plate to catch for starter Bryce Miller, as Raleigh sits amid an 0-for-12 stretch. Raleigh is wrapping up one of the most disappointing follow-ups to an MVP-caliber season in recent memory, as he's slashing just .179/.294/.369 across 520 plate appearances in 2026.

Hicks is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies.

Hicks will give way to Nick Fortes behind the plate against lefty Cristopher Sanchez, which is the norm for Tampa Bay against southpaws. The 27-year-old Hicks is enjoying a breakout campaign, and he's been even better by OPS with the Rays (.804) than he was with the Marlins to begin the year (.795).

The Dodgers reinstated Rushing (elbow) from the injured list Friday.

Rushing hasn't fully recovered from his elbow soreness, which stems from a partial UCL tear that will keep him from catching for the rest of the year, but the Dodgers will bring him back to serve as a left-handed bench bat. The 25-year-old has been fairly successful when healthy, slashing .249/.332/.466 with 12 homers, 36 RBI and 37 runs scored across 250 plate appearances. However, his restrictive role will likely keep him from being much of a factor during Los Angeles' final regular-season series and the postseason. Alex Freeland was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Stephenson is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in Toronto.

It's a routine day off for Stephenson, who has exceeded 100 starts at catcher this season for the second time in his career. Jose Trevino will be behind the dish in Friday's series opener.

Wells is not in the lineup for the first game of Friday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.

Left-hander Trevor Rogers is taking the ball for the Orioles, so the left-handed-swinging Wells will grab a seat in favor of Ali Sanchez. Wells should be back behind the dish for Friday's nightcap.

Kelly is absent from the lineup for the first game of Friday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox.

Miguel Amaya will do the catching and bat ninth in the first game of the double dip. Kelly should be back behind the dish for the nightcap.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy said after Thursday's 5-1 win over the Phillies that he removed Contreras for a pinch hitter late because the backstop didn't run out a grounder he could have gotten a hit on, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

This doesn't figure to have any real implications for Contreras' playing time moving forward, but it sends a message to the clubhouse that a lack of hustle will not be tolerated. Contreras was an All-Star this season -- his third career All-Star selection -- and he has been hot for Milwaukee with an .886 OPS in September entering Thursday's game.