MLB Player News

Smith isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Thursday versus the Rangers.

Smith will get some scheduled rest after starting in five consecutive games. In that span, the catcher went 5-for-19 with a homer versus the Yankees and Rangers. With the 29-year-old on the bench Thursday, Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and bat ninth.

Raleigh isn't in the Mariners' lineup for Thursday's game against the White Sox.

Although Raleigh is currently enjoying a five-game hitting streak, the Mariners will sit him down for Thursday's series finale while Seby Zavala starts behind the plate and bats ninth.

Alvarez is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Marlins.

Alvarez started at catcher in the first two games of the series after being activated from the 10-day injured list, but he will sit out the finale. Luis Torrens will do the catching for Luis Severino.

Wong is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Phillies.

The Red Sox will go with Reese McGuire behind the dish in the rubber game of the series. Wong had started each of the previous six contests, with five of those coming at catcher.

Contreras (forearm) is hoping to begin a rehab assignment around June 18, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Contreras is just five weeks into a projected 10-week timetable following surgery to repair a fractured left forearm, but Goold writes that the catcher is "eager to push the timetable for his return." He took batting practice in the cage Thursday and has been catching bullpen sessions without issue. If Contreras is indeed able to start a rehab assignment by Tuesday, he could be just a week or so away from activation.

Contreras (forearm) will take full batting practice in the indoor batting cage Thursday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Contreras is barely more than a month removed from surgery to repair a fractured left forearm. He was given a 10-week timetable to return following the operation but would appear to be ahead of schedule, given that he's already taking batting practice. Before being activated from the injured list, Contreras will surely need to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment, but it's uncertain when he might be cleared to join one of the Cardinals' affiliates for game action.

Perez went 2-for-2 with three walks in Wednesday's 11-5 loss to the Yankees.

Perez walked three times in a game for the first time in his career. The catcher has gone just 6-for-33 (.182) over 10 contests in June, but he's shown rare patience at the plate by drawing eight walks in that span. For the season, he's at a .302/.381/.488 slash line with 10 home runs, 42 RBI, 26 runs scored, 15 doubles and no stolen bases, and his 9.0 percent walk rate is double his previous career high, which was in a 39-game sample as a rookie in 2011.

Trevino is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

Trevino is on the bench for a day game after a night game, but he seems to have usurped Austin Wells as the Yankees' preferred option at catcher. He's started in three of the previous four games -- all against right-handed pitchers -- while going 4-for-10 with a home run and five RBI to bring his OPS up to .737 for the season. Though Wells has picked up the pace at the plate over the past month, his .620 OPS on the campaign still sits more than 100 points behind Trevino's mark.

Langeliers went 2-for-5 with an RBI single in a loss to the Padres on Wednesday.

Langeliers laced a sixth-inning single that drove home Miguel Andujar and knotted the score at 2-2 at the time. The multi-hit effort was Langeliers' first since May 30, and it only served to push the backstop's average in June to a paltry .156 across 33 plate appearances. The poor first half of the month can largely be attributed to Langeliers' difficulties making consistent contact, as he sports a bloated 39.4 percent strikeout rate thus far this month.

Ford is slashing .250/.381/.402 with five home runs, 15 stolen bases and a 20.6 percent strikeout rate in 54 games for Double-A Arkansas.

Ford's numbers were a bit better across the board last year while he was playing in a hitter-friendly home park with High-A Everett, but he is now playing in Arkansas' pitcher-friendly home park. His 15 steals are tied with Blake Mitchell for the lead among all catching prospects, while his 21.9 percent hard-hit rate is a below-average mark. Ford's ultimate power output is to be determined, but his speed and command of the strike zone should allow for him to be an above-average fantasy catcher during his prime years.