MLB Player News

Stephenson (hand) will start at catcher and bat cleanup in Friday's contest versus the Orioles.

Stephenson has been held out all week as a precaution with soreness in his right hand as a result of a hit-by-pitch. He's ready to roll now, following the Reds' off day Thursday.

The Reds expect Stephenson (hand) to return Friday against the Orioles, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Stephenson is hitting .231/.338/.415 with three homers and 10 RBI, but his Statcast metrics (20.4% barrel rate, 93.4 mph average exit velocity) suggest better results could be forthcoming. Moreover, Stephenson has been considerably better than his backup Luke Maile, who is hitting just .163/.250/.256 so far on the season.

Smith went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Wednesday in an 8-0 win over Arizona.

Smith hit one of two homers in the game for Los Angeles, taking Jordan Montgomery deep to left field for a fifth-inning solo shot. The All-Star catcher went deep just once over his first 23 games of the season but has picked up the power since, swatting three long balls over his past five contests. Smith has complemented his four homers on the campaign with a .355/.395/.555 slash line, 24 RBI and 18 runs over 124 plate appearances.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Tigers.

Contreras also struck out three times Wednesday for the third consecutive game. He'll likely be happy to put the Tigers in the rear-view mirror after going 1-for-13 with nine strikeouts during the three-game series in Detroit. That poor stretch has dropped Contreras to a .258/.373/.505 slash line on the year, and he's added five homers, 10 RBI, 14 runs scored, eight doubles and a stolen base through 110 plate appearances. Contreras has caught four of the Cardinals' last six games, so it appears he's managing his lingering soreness from a left hand injury fairly well.

Nido is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.

Nido will get a breather for Thursday's afternoon game after he caught all nine innings of Wednesday's 1-0 loss. Omar Narvaez will handle catching duties in the series finale.

Amaya is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets.

Amaya looks to be getting a breather for the day game after he caught all nine innings of Wednesday's 1-0 win while going 0-for-2 with a walk. Yan Gomes will get the nod behind the plate Thursday.

The Yankees optioned Narvaez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Narvaez was up for three games while Alex Verdugo was on paternity leave but didn't make an appearance. The catcher will return to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he's collected a .718 OPS with two homers in 101 plate appearances this season.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins.

He'll get a well-deserved breather Thursday after starting at catcher or designated hitter in each of the Rockies' last nine games. Jacob Stallings will replace Diaz behind the dish.

Wong went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's 6-2 win over San Francisco.

Wong has been a consistent producer at the dish, never going more than one game without a hit. The catcher, who recorded his eighth multi-hit game Wednesday, is slashing .366/.367/.620 through 75 plate appearances. Those numbers are sure to correct -- a .412 BABIP indicates that -- but Wong has improved his contact rate on pitches in the zone, jumping up to 84.2 percent compared to 74.3 percent in 2023.

Jansen went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to the Royals.

He spoiled Seth Lugo's shutout bid in the seventh inning, but it was the only bright spot on the day for the Toronto offense. Jansen has three homers since making his season debut April 16, all solo shots, but they've all come in his last four starts. The 29-year-old catcher has gone 8-for-30 (.267) in 10 games, but six of those hits have gone for extra bases, including three doubles.