MLB Player News
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Joey Bart C | PIT
Pirates' Joey Bart: Yielding to Davis on Wednesday
Bart is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Bart will yield to Henry Davis at catcher for the second day in a row after he had started both of the two games prior to that. Neither catcher has made much of a case offensively for more playing time, though Bart has put up an .846 OPS in a nine-game sample in August.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Heads to IL with fractured thumb
The Reds placed Stephenson on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a fractured left thumb.
Cincinnati had previously labeled the injury that had kept Stephenson from playing in the last four games as a sore thumb, but X-rays evidently revealed that the backstop sustained structural damage to the finger. The team hasn't provided word on the severity of the fracture nor indicated whether Stephenson will require surgery, so his timeline for a return is unclear at the moment. Cincinnati called up Will Banfield from Triple-A Louisville to provide the team with another option behind the plate, but Jose Trevino is expected to receive the bulk of the starts at catcher while Stephenson is on the shelf.
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Will Banfield C | CIN
Reds' Will Banfield: Added to roster
The Reds selected Banfield's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.
Banfield will serve as the backup catcher behind Jose Trevino while Tyler Stephenson (thumb) is on the shelf. The 25-year-old Banfield has slashed .220/.277/.304 with two home runs this season with Louisville and will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Collects three hits
Smith went 3-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a walk in Tuesday's win over the Rockies.
Smith added insurance runs with his RBI singles in the seventh and ninth innings. He snapped out of a small slump with his first multi-hit performance since Aug. 11; he was 1-for-his-last-14 entering play Tuesday. Smith has just one extra-base hit over his last 12 games. Still, he owns a terrific .308/.415/.511 slash line with 56 RBI and 59 runs scored through 98 games.
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J.T. Realmuto C | PHI
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto: Continues to rake in win
Realmuto went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 6-4 win over Seattle.
Realmuto homered for the second straight game, and he also swiped his first bag since July 21 versus the Red Sox. The veteran backstop has been on fire at the plate since the start of July, hitting safely in 27 of his last 34 games. During that stretch, Realmuto is hitting .346 (46-for-133) with four homers, 11 doubles, 15 RBI and two steals.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Taking seat again Tuesday
Stephenson (thumb) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Angels.
Stephenson finds himself on the bench for a fourth consecutive game due to a sore left thumb. Jose Trevino is receiving another start behind the plate and is batting seventh for Cincinnati.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Will eventually need surgery
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Alvarez (thumb), who was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, will need to undergo surgery at some point, but the catcher will be re-evaluated in 10-to-14 days to determine if he can play through the injury for the rest of the season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez was diagnosed with a right thumb sprain after suffering the injury on a head-first slide into second base Sunday, and it's possible the injury ends his 2025 campaign. However, he's going to attempt to put off surgery until the offseason and play through the sprained thumb. The Mets should have a better idea whether Alvarez will return this season once he's re-evaluated.
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Freddy Fermin C | SD
Padres' Freddy Fermin: Idle Tuesday
Fermin is not in the Padres' lineup versus the Giants on Tuesday.
The Padres' new catcher is slashing .318/.348/.409 since joining the lineup Aug. 2. Since Fermin's last day off Aug. 13, he's gone 3-for-13 with three strikeouts in four games. As he takes a seat Tuesday, Elias Diaz has the start behind the plate and is batting ninth.
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Hayden Senger C | NYM
Mets' Hayden Senger: Back in majors
The Mets recalled Senger from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday.
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is headed back to the injured list, so Senger will rejoin the Mets to serve as the club's backup catcher. The 28-year-old has a .174/.208/.196 slash line in 49 MLB plate appearances this year, and he isn't likely to see much playing time behind fill-in starter Luis Torrens.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Out at least 10 days
The Mets placed Alvarez on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right thumb Tuesday, and he'll be re-evaluated in 10-to-14 days.
The 23-year-old suffered the injury during Sunday's win over the Mariners, when he jammed his thumb on a head-first slide into second base. Alvarez appears to be a good bet to return before the end of the season, but when exactly he's ready to go will depend how well he recovers over the next couple of weeks.