MLB Player News

Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and scored twice in Friday's 9-4 win over Tampa Bay.

Maldonado hasn't exactly been the greatest offensive catcher in the big leagues this season, as his sixth-inning three-run homer gave him his first three RBI of 2024. The 37-year-old is still batting just .087 on the year, and fantasy managers should not expect him to have many more games similar to Friday's showing.

Bailey went 1-for-4 with a walk-off, three run home run in Friday's 3-0 win against the Pirates.

The Giants mustered just four singles through eight innings Friday, but Bailey broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the ninth with a 378-foot shot over the wall in right field. The 24-year-old backstop hit just seven homers in 97 games as a rookie last season, but he's well on his way to eclipsing that in 2024 with three long balls through 20 contests. Bailey has been a key offensive piece for San Francisco early in the season with a .297/.365/.516 slash line, five doubles and 10 RBI in addition to the homers.

Smith went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double and three total RBI in Friday's 12-2 victory over the Blue Jays.

Smith slugged a solo home run off Trevor Richards in the fourth inning, his second long ball of the year. It's Smith's second straight four-hit game (he's gone 8-for-11 with three extra-base hits in that span) and already his fourth this season. The 29-year-old backstop is off to an excellent start, slashing a robust .376/.413/.527 with 21 RBI and 14 runs scored through his first 104 plate appearances.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that Kelly (ribs) wasn't available off the bench after all Friday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Kelly was a late scratch from the lineup after his left ribcage "locked up" on him pregame. While the team isn't overly concerned about the injury, Hinch indicated that the injured list is a possibility since the club doesn't want to play short at catcher. Jake Rogers will be the Tigers' primary backstop while Kelly recovers.

Naylor is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in Atlanta.

It's the second straight game on the bench for the left-handed hitting Naylor, with this one coming against southpaw Chris Sale. Austin Hedges will do the catching for Logan Allen.

Banuelos was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Friday.

The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Ryan McKenna. It's the second time this month that Banuelos has been designated for assignment, so he could refuse this one if he wants to try his luck in free agency.

Adams might still see regular playing time even with Keibert Ruiz back from the injured list, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports. "We're definitely going to use him," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Thursday. "One, let him catch. And two, we can also DH Keibert like we've done in the past and let him continue to catch. He's done a great job. He's learned a lot over the years. He's really coming into his own."

Adams started 11 of 13 games while Ruiz was sidelined by an illness, batting .270 (10-for-37) with a home run and four doubles while winning the trust of the pitching staff. He'll retain fantasy value in deeper two-catcher formats if he's seeing action three or four times per week.

Kelly was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals due to left ribcage soreness.

The Tigers are saying Kelly will be available off the bench, so while the injury was enough to knock him out of the starting lineup, it doesn't sound like it's a long-term concern. Jake Rogers will now do the catching for Reese Olson.

Bart went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer and two runs scored in Thursday's loss to the Brewers while also drawing a walk.

Bart put the Pirates ahead with a three-run shot in the bottom of the first inning, giving the catcher his third home run in just seven games this season. He also drew a two-out walk in the fifth before coming around to score the tying run on a Jack Suwinski double, marking Bart's first game this season with two runs scored. The backstop has hit safely in six of his seven games and continues to make a strong case for more playing time with Henry Davis scuffling at the plate and Yasmani Grandal (foot) still on the 10-day injured list.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, three runs scored and a stolen base while also drawing a walk in Thursday's win over the Pirates.

Contreras launched a solo homer off Mitch Keller in the top of the first inning to give Milwaukee an early lead and came around to score the team's third run on a Rhys Hoskins single in the third. He then added a single in the fifth frame before going on to steal his second base of the season. The catcher scored three runs in the contest, a mark he's hit three times already this season, while also recording multiple hits for the second consecutive game. Contreras is batting .373 (31-for-83) in April with five homers, 20 RBI and 21 runs scored.