MLB Player News

Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, a walk, three total runs and three total RBI in a 12-2 victory versus the Yankees on Wednesday.

Alvarez touched up Yankees starter Luis Gil for a two-run homer in the third inning and added a run-scoring double in the fifth. The catcher also singled for his third three-hit performance during his current nine-game hitting streak. Alvarez has been scorching during that stretch, batting .516 (16-for-31) with three home runs, nine RBI and a 7:7 BB:K. His slash line is up to an impressive .313/.383/.521 on the campaign.

Higashioka went 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in Wednesday's 8-5 win against the Nationals.

Higashioka drove in all but two of San Diego's eight runs. He swatted a two-run homer to kick off the scoring in the second inning and capped his offensive outburst with a grand slam in the eighth. The grand slam was the first of Higashioka's career, while the multi-homer effort was his fifth as a big leaguer. He's hitting only .207 on the season but has otherwise provided good production with eight homers and 20 RBI in 32 games.

Barnes will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

He'll be making his 22nd start of the season while top backstop Will Smith rests in the series finale. Over 74 plate appearances on the campaign, Barnes is hitting .203 with no home runs and two RBI.

Smith is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the White Sox.

Smith started each of the previous three games at catcher but will begin Wednesday's contest on the bench. Austin Barnes will step in behind the plate Wednesday.

Ruiz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Ruiz will rest up after he started at catcher in each of the Nationals' last four games while going 3-for-13 with a pair of doubles and walks. Drew Millas will get the nod behind the dish in Ruiz's stead.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal will get a breather for the day game Wednesday after he started behind the dish in each of the Pirates' last three contests. Jason Delay will spell Grandal, forming a battery with starting pitcher Luis Ortiz.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored during Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Rangers.

Contreras got the Brewers on the board in the third inning, swatting a leadoff double before being driven in on a two-out single by Jackson Chourio. Tuesday's contest marked Contreras' first multi-hit game since June 16. While the catcher's power numbers are down overall, he's one stolen base away from matching his career high of six and is on pace for a career-best strikeout rate at 19.3 percent.

Moreno (thumb) will catch Zac Gallen's (hamstring) bullpen session Thursday, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

A sprained left thumb forced Moreno onto the injured list Saturday, and Wednesday's bullpen session will allow him to get a feel for how his thumb feels in his glove after a few days of recovery. Assuming all goes well, there is a strong possibility that the 24-year-old backstop will be able to return from the injured list when eligible next Tuesday.

Davis (concussion) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Wednesday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Davis has been on the 7-day concussion IL since June 15, and Wednesday will be the first time he's played in any sort of game since then. The Pirates haven't indicated how long the 24-year-old's assignment might last, though it's possible he remains in the minors upon being activated after slashing just .153/.267/.235 across 101 major-league plate appearances this season.

Herrera (back) will play catch Tuesday and is hoping to hit off a tee and take flips Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Herrera is eligible for activation Saturday but could need a rehab assignment before returning. He could make it back by early July if all goes well. It wouldn't seem to be a given that Herrera rejoins the big-league roster at that point, however, since Willson Contreras is back from the injured list and Pedro Pages had been playing over Herrera prior to the latter's injury.