MLB Player News
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Not listed in starting lineup
Stephenson (thumb) isn't listed in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.
Stephenson is still being slowed by a sore left thumb, opening up another opportunity for Jose Trevino behind the dish. Stephenson can continue to be considered day-to-day until the team provides another update.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Absent from lineup
Smith is not in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Rockies on Monday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Smith will get a breather while Dalton Rushing serves behind home plate and bats ninth for Monday's series opener. Smith went 0-for-10 with five strikeouts during the Dodgers' three-game weekend sweep of the Padres, and the veteran catcher has gone 5-for-38 (.132) with one home run and four RBI since the beginning of August.
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Joey Bart C | PIT
Pirates' Joey Bart: Taking seat Monday
Bart is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.
Henry Davis will get the nod behind the dish Monday, but the playing time at catcher seems to be tilting in Bart's favor of late. With Davis batting just .098 since the All-Star break, Bart was awarded starts in three of the previous four contests. Bart went 3-for-10 with two doubles, two walks and two RBI during that stretch to boost his case for earning more opportunities at Davis' expense.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Requires MRI on thumb
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after Sunday's 7-3 win over the Mariners that Alvarez would return to New York on Monday to undergo an MRI on his jammed right thumb, the Associated Press reports. "Right now, we don't know what we're dealing with," Mendoza said of Alvarez's injury.
Alvarez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI before exiting in the eighth inning, after he had initially stayed in the game upon jamming the thumb on a head-first slide into second base on his seventh-inning double. The Mets are off Monday, so the team will likely wait for the results on Alvarez's MRI to become available before determining if he'll meet back up with the team in Washington on Tuesday for the start of a three-game set with the Nationals. Luis Torrens would be in line to take over as the Mets' No. 1 catcher if Alvarez requires a stint on the injured list.
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Danny Jansen C | MIL
Brewers' Danny Jansen: Starting behind plate in early game
Jansen will start at catcher and bat eighth in the first game of Monday's doubleheader versus the Cubs.
William Contreras will get a break from catching but stay in the lineup at designated hitter for the first contest of the twin bill, enabling Jansen to make a second consecutive start. Since being acquired from the Rays on July 28, Jansen has seen light usage overall with Milwaukee, appearing in seven contests while slashing .222/.286/.278 with four runs and one RBI.
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Joey Bart C | PIT
Pirates' Joey Bart: Knocks in two
Bart went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Sunday against the Cubs.
Bart saw his playing time slip for much of July, but he has mostly alternated starts with Henry Davis since Aug. 4. In eight games since, Bart has gone 6-for-24 with two doubles, one home run and four RBI. He delivered a two-RBI double in the sixth inning Sunday to briefly give the Pirates the lead.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Battling sore thumb
Stephenson is dealing with a sore left thumb and is available to catch in an emergency, MLB.com reports.
Stephenson initially banged the thumb during a series in Pittsburgh two weeks ago and then again against Philadelphia on Aug. 13. He then aggravated the issue Friday against Milwaukee and sat out the last two games. Jose Trevino is filling in behind the plate.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Catches seven innings on rehab
Moreno (finger) caught seven innings for Triple-A Reno on Saturday, going 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and two runs scored.
Moreno followed up Saturday's effort by serving as the DH on Sunday and playing all nine innings. He's alternated catching and DH over four games on his rehab assignment, during which he's 4-for-12 with three walks and three doubles. The Diamondbacks likely want to see him catch a full nine-inning game before activating him, although given his nearly two months of recovery, the club may want Moreno to get more plate appearances regardless if he catches nine innings. Either way, he's on the verge of returning to the majors.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Exits early Sunday
Alvarez was removed from Sunday's contest against the Mariners in the eighth inning due to a right hand injury, Andrew Tredinnick of The Bergen Record reports.
Alvarez appeared to jam his hand on a head-first slide into second base in the bottom of the seventh inning, which ultimately required him to leave the game in the following frame. The catcher finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. More information on his status will likely be provided following the contest.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Smashes clutch two-run homer
Contreras went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to Cincinnati.
The Brewers were kept off the board until the ninth inning, when Contreras took the first pitch he saw from Emilio Pagan deep to left field to give Milwaukee the lead. Contreras is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak -- including five multi-hit games -- and over that span he has gone 14-for-32 (.438) with one steal, four home runs and 14 RBI. He has been red-hot at the plate since the All-Star break with a .956 OPS across 125 plate appearances.