Contreras (forearm) will start at catcher and bat fourth against the Cardinals on Friday.

A bruised forearm prevented Contreras from playing in Wednesday's series finale against Texas, but after being checked out by team doctors Friday, the 27-year-old backstop has been cleared to return behind the plate. He's been hitting the ball well since the start of the month, going 10-for-30 with two RBI and seven runs scored through eight games in September.

Smith (hand) isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

Smith will head to the bench for the second straight game and the seventh time in the Dodgers' last eight contests while he continues to nurse a sore right hand. Ben Rortvedt will receive another start at catcher as a result and bat ninth.

Realmuto is absent from the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.

Realmuto will receive a well-earned day off after catching all four games this week against the Mets. Rafael Marchan will be behind the dish and batting ninth for the Phillies on Friday.

Rushing (lower leg) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Rushing has been sidelined since Saturday with a shin injury, but it appears that he has the chance to be activated after a minimum stint on the injured list. He went 1-for-4 with a double and caught all nine innings of Thursday's game.

Adams (groin) will start at catcher and bat third in Thursday's game versus the Marlins.

Adams had to exit Tuesday's game after taking a foul tip to the groin area, but he checked out fine and is back in there after one day of rest. The 29-year-old has been operating as the Nationals' primary catcher since Keibert Ruiz (concussion) was sidelined and is slashing .239/.316/.380 with five home runs over 43 contests during that time.

Alvarez isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies.

Alvarez will get a day to regroup after going just 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts in six games since returning from the injured list. Hayden Senger will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.

Davis is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest in Baltimore.

Davis started at catcher in each of the first two games of the series, so he'll get a breather during Thursday's matinee. Joey Bart is behind the dish and batting sixth for the Pirates.

Mack went 1-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and a second run scored for Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old backstop walked it off for the Jumbo Shrimp in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving Mack his 20th homer of the year between Double-A and Triple-A. He's gone yard in four straight games, and over his last 12 contests for Jacksonville he's slashing .325/.383/.950 with 10 of his 13 hits (two doubles, a triple and seven homers) going for extra bases. The presence of Agustin Ramirez ahead of him on the organizational depth chart complicates his timeline, but Mack appears ready to make his big-league debut in 2026, and he could be competing for a 26-man roster spot in spring training.

Kelly went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 win over Atlanta.

Kelly continued his recent power surge, as he now has four home runs over his last six games. During that span, he's also tallied seven RBI and he's sporting a 1.058 OPS. Kelly now has 17 long balls for the season, which puts him within one of his previous career high. The Chicago catcher has already set a new career high with 50 RBI this year.

Stephenson started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Padres.

Stephenson, who recently returned from a fractured thumb, was in the starting lineup for a second straight game. It was the first time that he played in back-to-back contests since his return, and Stephenson operated as the catcher in both. Since returning, he's 2-for-14 with a double, a home run and four RBI over five games.