MLB Player News

Stephenson is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Atlanta.

It's a routine day off for Stephenson, who had started the last six games for the Reds. It will be Will Banfield doing the catching on Wednesday.

Smith went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday in a 7-0 win against the Padres.

Smith put the finishing touch on a dominant Dodgers win with his solo blast to left field in the seventh inning. The backstop has gone deep in each of his past three starts. Smith missed nearly three months due to a neck issue, and he initially struggled upon returning to action Sept. 1. However, he's perked up with the bat of late, going 7-for-18 with three homers, a double, four runs and five RBI across his past five games.

The Cardinals believe Bernal can be "an everyday, workhorse catcher," per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and are giving him a heavy workload down the stretch to prepare him to be the everyday catcher in 2027.

Bernal has started all 19 games since being promoted Sept. 1, including 13 starts at catcher. The 22-year-old rookie has slashed .299/.341/.494 with four home runs and 17 RBI and has also drawn rave reviews for his work with the pitching staff. St. Louis is overloaded with catching depth, but it's become clear that it sees Bernal opening 2027 at the top of the depth chart at the position. Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, Jimmy Crooks and eventually Rainiel Rodriguez are also in the mix at catcher for the Cardinals, though they could move Herrera off the position permanently at some point.

The Orioles placed Basallo (concussion) on the 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Basallo had to be removed from Monday's game versus the Blue Jays after taking a foul tip off his catcher's mask, and testing has determined he suffered a concussion. It will end the season of Basallo, who has also dealt with a nagging right shoulder injury during the second half. The 22-year-old will finish the 2026 campaign with a .222/.291/.406 batting line and 18 home runs over 112 contests. While Basallo is out, Carlos Narvaez will serve as the Orioles' primary catcher in the final days of the regular season.

Kirk is not in the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Baltimore.

Kirk will likely start behind the dish for Wednesday's nightcap, but he will begin the first contest on the bench. Brandon Valenzuela will do the catching and bat seventh for the Blue Jays in the afternoon tilt.

Basallo (head) is not in the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays.

Basallo had to be lifted from Monday's game versus the Blue Jays after taking a foul tip off his catcher's mask. The Orioles are keeping a close eye on Basallo to see if he develops concussion symptoms, which leaves his status for the final week of the regular season in limbo. Carlos Narvaez will do the catching for Baltimore during Wednesday's matinee.

Moreno went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-2 win over Colorado.

Moreno delivered one run on a single during the team's three-run first inning. He later had a sacrifice fly to knock in another. The two RBI put him at a career-high 77 over 126 games in what has been a breakout season for the 26-year-old catcher. Most of the breakout has happened during the second half, as Moreno sports a .312/.383/.529 slash line with nine home runs, 19 doubles and 45 RBI across 57 contests since the All-Star break.

Langeliers went 3-for-5 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 9-7 win over the Angels.

Langeliers has hit safely in six of eight games since he returned from knee surgery. He continues to see most of the starts as the designated hitter since his knee is not healthy enough to allow him to regularly catch. The 28-year-old is batting .267 with an .818 OPS, 23 home runs, 56 RBI, 57 runs scored, 20 doubles and three stolen bases over 101 contests.

Alvarez is starting at DH for Tuesday's matchup against Texas, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

After recording back-to-back multi-hit games against the Phillies, Alvarez will slot in as designated hitter for Tuesday's series opener against the Rangers. Luis Torrens will catch and bat ninth for the Mets while Alvarez bats seventh.

Dingler is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals.

The 28-year-old and Eduardo Valencia will alternate starts behind the plate for a fifth consecutive game Tuesday. Dingler earned his first career All-Star nod with an .831 OPS and 19 homers during the first half of the season, but he's struggled to a .220/.275/.369 slash line in 55 contests since the All-Star break.