MLB Player News

Murphy is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta has locked away the top seed in the National League, so Murphy will sit for the third time in four games to close out the season. The 28-year-old finished this season with an .843 OPS and career highs in home runs (21) and RBI (68) despite playing in just 108 games.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.

The Phillies have the No. 1 wild-card seed locked up, so it's not a surprise Realmuto is on the bench for the regular-season finale. The 32-year-old's .762 OPS in 135 games this year will be the lowest since his first full MLB season in 2015.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.

The 32-year-old started the first two games versus Minnesota but will sit for the series and season finale Sunday. Barring an appearance off the bench, Diaz will close the campaign with a .266/.314/.408 slash line with 14 homers and 72 RBI in 140 contests as he enters the final year of his contract in 2024. Austin Wynns is catching for Chase Anderson in the season finale.

Gomes went 1-for-3 with a walk, a grand slam and five total RBI in Saturday's win over the Brewers.

Gomes reached the 10-homer plateau in style, as he blasted a grand slam in the first inning to get the Cubs going. The veteran catcher has been a pleasant surprise this season, as his 63 RBI are his most since he tallied a career-best 74 RBI back in 2014. It remains to be seen what the 36-year-old's role will be in 2024, though he appears to still have a little left in the tank based on this year's performance.

Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a walk, two home runs, a third run scored and six RBI in an 11-4 win over the Phillies during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader.

It was a big day for Mets catchers, as Omar Narvaez launched his second homer of the season in the matinee, but Alvarez was the star of the show in the nightcap. The 21-year-old slugged both his long balls off Michael Plassmeyer -- a two-run shot in the second inning and a grand slam in the third, the first of his young career. Alvarez is up to 25 homers in 122 games in his first full big-league season, and his .211/.285/.439 slash line figures to improve as he matures given his 77th percentile barrel rate and 91st percentile max exit velocity in 2023.

Realmuto isn't in the Phillies' lineup for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Mets.

Realmuto will get a breather to conclude Saturday's activities after going 2-for-3 and with a run during the Game 1 loss. Garrett Stubbs will fill in behind the plate and bat seventh.

Smith will be on the bench Saturday against the Giants.

Smith sits for the second time in three days, with the Dodgers seemingly prioritizing rest in the final week of the regular season. He's one homer shy of his third straight 20-homer campaign but will have to wait until the final game of the season to try for it, unless he appears as a pinch hitter Saturday. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate in Smith's absence, catching for Clayton Kershaw.

The Padres placed Campusano on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a right ankle sprain.

Campusano's injury could help explain why he's missed each of the Padres' last four games, and it will officially keep him out for the final two. The 25-year-old backstop put up a .319/.356/.491 slash line through 174 plate appearances in 2023, and he projects as San Diego's primary catcher for 2024.

Alvarez will sit for the first half of Saturday's doubleheader against the Phillies, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez won't be asked to start twice in one day but could still get one or two more starts in before the end of the year. After hitting .238/.295/.514 in the first half, he's managed just a .168/.263/.305 line since the break, though his overall 93 wRC+ and 23 homers makes for a more than adequate performance from a 21-year-old catcher. Omar Narvaez will crouch behind the plate Saturday afternoon.

The Mets recalled Perez from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.

Perez will come up from the minors to give the Mets a bench bat as Brandon Nimmo (shoulder) lands on the injured list. Perez played two games with the Mets in May, going 4-for-7 with a run scored. With Francisco Alvarez and Omar Narvaez already on the big-league roster, Perez's chances of starting one of New York's final games are low.