MLB Player News

Amaya will start at catcher and bat eighth in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Mets.

Top backstop Carson Kelly will rest for the early contest of the twin bill, clearing the way for Amaya to draw his 32nd start of the season through the Cubs' first 79 games. Amaya has posted a respectable .721 OPS over 124 plate appearances, but he's unlikely to see a dramatic spike in playing time while Kelly has produced at a similar level (.766 OPS) and is a more established big-league catcher.

Caissie went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's win over the Rangers.

He also struck out two more times, but Caissie provided what proved to be crucial insurance runs in the fifth inning when he took Jose Corniell deep on a first-pitch changeup that caught way too much of the plate. Caissie's up to nine homers on the season, and four of them have come over 17 contests in June -- a stretch in which he's slashing .191/.273/.489 with six runs, 14 RBI and a 32.7 percent strikeout rate.

Kelly is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader with the Mets.

Miguel Amaya will be behind the plate for Game 1 of the twin bill, but Kelly is expected to draw the start at catcher for the second game of the day and form a battery with starting pitcher Shota Imanaga. After totaling just two RBI from May 16 through June 16, Kelly has plated nine runs in his last three games alone while providing three extra-base hits and four walks.

Bregman is not in the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Mets.

The Cubs will go with Pedro Ramirez at third base in Wednesday's afternoon game. Bregman will likely be back at the hot corner for the nightcap.

Fairbanks gave up two runs on two hits in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Rangers. He struck out one.

Called in to protect a 6-2 lead, Fairbanks made things interesting by serving up a two-out solo shot to Joc Pederson before hitting Wyatt Langford with a pitch and giving up an RBI triple to Brandon Nimmo. Josh Jung then nearly tied the game on a hanging slider, but instead the ball came up a couple feet short of the fence in center field for the final out. Fairbanks has had a bumpy June, posting a 5.19 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB in 8.2 innings, but he's gone a perfect 5-for-5 in save chances this month while adding a win and a hold in nine appearances.

Soto (back) is not in the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Cubs.

Soto had to leave Tuesday's game against the Cubs due to left side back tightness, so it's not a surprise he's sitting for the first game of a double dip. He is considered day-to-day. MJ Melendez is grabbing a start in left field in Soto's place.

The Marlins optioned Fulton to Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday.

Fulton's stay with the Marlins lasted just one week, with the lefty striking out three batters and allowing no hits and one walk over three scoreless innings between his two relief appearances. He'll head back to Jacksonville and will likely move back into the rotation while he gives up his spot on the Marlins' 26-man active roster to right-hander Eury Perez (gracilis), who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start Wednesday against the Rangers.

Sanoja is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Rangers.

It's a routine day off for Sanoja, who picked up two hits in Tuesday's win over Texas. Leo Jimenez will handle third base for the Marlins in Sanoja's stead.

Iglesias (0-2) took the loss Tuesday as Atlanta fell 7-6 to the Padres, giving up an unearned run on two hits in the 10th inning. He struck out one.

The veteran closer was brought in to keep the game tied in the ninth inning and got the job done, but Iglesias couldn't prevent the phantom runner from scoring in the bottom of the 10th as Manny Machado lined a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw in the frame to bring home Jackson Merrill. Iglesias has been tagged for runs in three of his last four appearances, and over his last nine outings he's stumbled to a 3.72 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 10:3 K:BB in 9.2 innings. He has yet to blow a save this season, going 15-for-15, but the 36-year-old right-hander seems to be wearing down, and it will be tougher for manager Walt Weiss to find opportunities to give Iglesias some rest with Robert Suarez (forearm) not 100 percent right now.

Mack is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

He'll receive a well-earned day of rest after starting at catcher in each of the last six contests. Brian Navarreto will grab a start behind the plate in Wednesday's matinee while Mack gets a breather.