MLB Player News

Murphy isn't in Atlanta's lineup for Saturday's game against the Giants, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Atlanta seems to have fallen into a pattern of alternating between Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate, and Saturday will mark d'Arnaud's turn to start. Murphy has been a reliable option on days he gets to play, slashing .276/.475/.586 with three homers since the start of August.

Sanchez isn't in the Padres' lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Arizona, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

After going 0-for-5 across his last two games, Sanchez will yield catching duties to Luis Campusano for the first game of Saturday's action. The 30-year-old backstop figures to return for the nightcap.

Ruiz isn't in the Nationals' lineup Saturday against the Phillies, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

After getting on base in all four of his plate appearances Friday, Ruiz will get a breather Saturday. Riley Adams will take over behind the dish and bat sixth in Ruiz's place.

Moreno isn't in the Diamondbacks' lineup for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Padres.

After going 3-for-7 with a homer during the first two games of the series, Moreno will get a breather for the first game of Saturday's activities. Moreno will likely return for the nightcap, but for now Jose Herrera will get the nod behind the plate and bat eighth.

The Cubs designated Barnhart for assignment Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Barnhart already wasn't receiving much playing time as the third catcher on the Cubs' depth chart, and now he'll lose his spot on Chicago's 40-man roster. The 32-year-old backstop has slashed .202/.285/.257 through 123 plate appearances this season. Miles Mastrobuoni was recalled from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.

Stallings went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 11-3 win over the Dodgers.

Stallings had one of the Marlins' three homers in a six-run third inning. Entering Friday, Stallings was 0-for-17 in August, though he's still maintained an edge over Nick Fortes for playing time. Stallings is now at a .186/.285/.263 slash line with two homers, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored and seven doubles through 195 plate appearances this year.

Contreras went 3-for-5 with one double, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's victory over the Rangers.

Contreras' third-inning double put the Brewers on the board. He entered the game mired in a 4-for-29 slump, while the Brewers entered the contest coming off a three-game sweep against the Dodgers in which they'd only scored three runs. However, Contreras and the rest of his teammates broke out of their funk with nine runs and 14 hits in the winning effort.

Diaz went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and a steal in Friday's victory against the White Sox.

Diaz went deep during Colorado's five-run first inning and later nabbed his first stolen base of the season. He entered Friday's contest in a 4-for-38 (.105) skid since his last multi-hit game Aug. 4. Since the All-Star break, Diaz has gone 22-for-97 (.226), but he's still slashing .264/.317/.416 through 108 games.

Ruiz went 3-for-3 with a walk, a double and a run scored in Thursday's win over the Red Sox.

The backstop extended his hitting streak to seven games with the big performance, a stretch in which he's batting .464 (13-for-28) with two doubles, three homers, seven RBI, eight runs and a 3:1 BB:K. Ruiz has taken a big step forward as a hitter in his second full season with the Nationals, posting a .741 OPS with 15 homers in 102 contests, but the 25-year-old switch hitter may not have hit his ceiling yet.

Barnes went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday in a 1-0 victory against Milwaukee.

Barnes chose a prime time for his first long ball of the season, as his solo shot to left field in the seventh inning accounted for the lone run in LA's 11th straight win. The catcher added a single in the contest, giving him his first multi-hit performance in 43 games this season. Though he's valued for his work with pitchers as Will Smith's backup behind the plate, Barnes has endured a difficult campaign with the bat, slashing a measly .136/.216/.176 over 141 plate appearances.