The Dodgers exercised Barnes' $3.5 million club option for 2025 on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Barnes slashed .264/.331/.307 with 11 RBI across 156 plate appearances in 2024 -- good enough for the Dodgers to keep him around as the backup catcher behind Will Smith. While Barnes is likely to break spring training as Los Angeles' reserve backstop, a drop in production from the 34-year-old could eventually result in prospects Dalton Rushing or Hunter Feduccia taking his spot on the roster.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Notches steal Sunday
Rotowire
Barnes went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Rockies.
Barnes went 2-for-6 with a walk over two games after he was activated from the injured list Friday. The catcher ends the regular season with a .264/.331/.307 slash line, one home run, three steals, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored over 156 plate appearances this year. He is likely to continue operating in a reserve role behind Will Smith in the postseason.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Activated from IL
Rotowire
The Dodgers activated Barnes (toe) from the 10-day injured list Thursday, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Barnes fractured his left big toe Sept. 15 after fracturing the same toe in August. However, the fractures occurred in different spots of the toe. With Barnes returning from injury, Hunter Feduccia was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Placed on IL with fractured toe
Rotowire
The Dodgers placed Barnes on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a fractured left big toe.
The fracture is to the same toe that Barnes previously fractured in August. While he spent the minimum 10 days on the IL in his first stint, the expectation this time around is that Barnes will be sidelined until the postseason, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Hunter Feduccia was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill in for Barnes as the Dodgers' backup catcher behind Will Smith.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: X-rays show new fracture in toe
Rotowire
Barnes said Monday that X-rays showed a fracture in his left big toe in a different spot than his previous fracture, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Barnes missed the minimum amount of time when he was placed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 19 with the same injury. The 34-year-old catcher is expected to go on the IL again, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, but it's unclear whether Barnes will miss more than the minimum 10 days this time around.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Exits early Sunday
Rotowire
Barnes exited Sunday's contest with Atlanta in the fifth inning with a left big toe contusion.
Barnes was forced to the leave the game before his second at-bat with a familiar injury. The catcher had a fracture in the same toe in August, and it's unclear how long he could be unavailable for. Will Smith replaced him behind the plate and will continue to get the lion's share of work at catcher moving forward.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Three hits in blowout loss
Rotowire
Barnes went 3-for-4 with one RBI in Sunday's 14-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Barnes' three-hit game was a small bright spot in an otherwise awful performance for the Dodgers. The backup catcher has gone 5-for-8 over three contests since he returned from a fractured big toe sustained in mid-August. Through 139 plate appearances, Barnes is slashing .266/.336/.315 with one home run, 11 RBI, 10 runs scored and two stolen bases. He is unlikely to challenge Will Smith for a starting role, but Barnes should be expected in the lineup any time the Dodgers have a day game immediately after a night game.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Solid performance in return
Rotowire
Barnes went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in Thursday's win over the Orioles.
Barnes doubled in his second trip to the plate, sending home Gavin Lux and Chris Taylor to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. The backstop then added a leadoff single in the eighth before stealing second and coming around to score. It marked Barnes' first multi-hit performance since July 25, while the stolen base was just his second of the campaign. He was making his return to the lineup following a 10-day stint on the injured list due to a broken toe. Prior to Thursday's two-hit effort, he was batting .052 (1-for-19) in August.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Back from IL
Rotowire
The Dodgers reinstated Barnes (toe) from the 10-day injured list Thursday.
Barnes landed on the injured list Aug. 19 due to a fracture of his left big toe, though he will now return to the active roster following a minimum-length stay. The 34-year-old backstop has slashed .241/.318/.284 with eight RBI across 131 plate appearances while serving as Will Smith's backup, and his return will push Hunter Feduccia back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Likely to return Thursday
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Barnes (toe) is slated to be activated from the injured list Thursday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.
As expected, Barnes will miss the minimum amount of time after being placed on the IL on Aug. 19. The backup catcher fractured his left big toe in a game against the Cardinals, and Hunter Feduccia has been filling in behind starting catcher Will Smith in Barnes' absence. Feduccia could be sent back to the minors upon Barnes' activation.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Expected to miss minimum time
Rotowire
Barnes (toe) is expected to miss the minimum 10 days while on the injured list, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Barnes is dealing with an injured big toe on his left foot, but he'll be able to avoid a prolonged stint on the IL. The catcher will be replaced by Hunter Feduccia as the primary backup option behind Will Smith behind the plate.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Returns to bench role
Rotowire
Barnes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Barnes picked up his 32nd start of the season in Saturday's 4-1 win, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts while filling in for a resting Will Smith. With Smith back in action for Sunday's series finale, Barnes will return to his usual bench role.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Filling in for resting Will Smith
Rotowire
Barnes will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Reds.
Barnes will start for the first time in a week while top backstop Will Smith rests for the day game. Over 45 plate appearances this season, Barnes is hitting .189 with zero home runs or stolen bases.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Draws starting nod Thursday
Rotowire
Barnes will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Nationals.
Barnes will pick up his sixth start of the season while top backstop Will Smith gets a breather as the Dodgers and Nationals close their series with a day game after a night game. Over 19 plate appearances to date, Barnes has batted .250 with no extra-base hits, one RBI and one run.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Returns to action Wednesday
Rotowire
Barnes (back) will start at catcher and bat eighth Wednesday in the Dodgers' Cactus League game against the White Sox.
Barnes was scratched from Tuesday's lineup because of a back issue, but he's back behind the plate a day later. The 34-year-old is again slated to be Will Smith's understudy at catcher this season for the Dodgers.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Hits homer in Sunday's win
Rotowire
Barnes went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 6-1 win over the Mariners.
Barnes has gone 4-for-21 (.190) across six games in September, though the catcher may get some more time over Will Smith since the Dodgers clinched the NL West on Saturday. For the year, Barnes has two homers, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored, two stolen bases and a .171/.238/.232 slash line through 182 plate appearances. He will likely be a clear backup once the postseason begins.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Returns to lineup Thursday
Rotowire
Barnes (head) will start at catcher and bat ninth Thursday versus the Marlins.
Barnes took a backswing to the head in Tuesday's series opener at Miami, but he's cleared the concussion protocol and is back in action for Thursday's series finale. Will Smith will take a turn as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Has bruised temple
Rotowire
Barnes said he felt fine after exiting Tuesday's game against Miami upon getting hit by Nick Fortes' backswing, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Barnes said he has a bruise on his left temple and will be re-evaluated ahead of Wednesday's game. The 33-year-old has been serving as the backup to Will Smith all season, and he will likely return to the Dodgers' lineup in a couple days if everything checks out after further testing.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Exits game early
Rotowire
Barnes was removed from Tuesday's game against Miami with an apparent injury, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Barnes was struck in the head by Nick Fortes' backswing during the seventh inning, and he was later replaced behind the dish by Will Smith. The Dodgers will take a look at Barnes and presumably evaluate him for a concussion, but he should be considered day-to-day until more information is available.
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Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Swats first homer of campaign
Rotowire
Barnes went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday in a 1-0 victory against Milwaukee.
Barnes chose a prime time for his first long ball of the season, as his solo shot to left field in the seventh inning accounted for the lone run in LA's 11th straight win. The catcher added a single in the contest, giving him his first multi-hit performance in 43 games this season. Though he's valued for his work with pitchers as Will Smith's backup behind the plate, Barnes has endured a difficult campaign with the bat, slashing a measly .136/.216/.176 over 141 plate appearances.
