MLB Player News

Herrera has served as the personal catcher for Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante and is expected to continue doing so at least through the end of April, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The goal in having Herrera attached to two specific starters allows the Cardinals to simplify his game-planning duties and also ease his catching burden following offseason elbow surgery and a spring training knee issue. Additionally, with Herrera catching the team's two best groundball pitchers, it frees up the designated-hitter spot for Nolan Gorman and third base for a better defender in Ramon Urias. The Cardinals have been pleased with Herrera's work at catcher so far, as well as the health of his knee. If those things continue trending in a positive direction, Herrera will eventually take on additional catching responsibilities. If McGreevy and Pallante remain on the same schedule, Herrera should reach 10 games at catcher on April 24, which is the in-season eligibility threshold on most fantasy platforms.

Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Monday in a loss to the Angels.

Baldwin gave Atlanta a quick lead with a solo homer in the first inning. He added a single to finish as the only Atlanta player with multiple hits in the loss. Baldwin has followed up his Rookie of the Year 2025 campaign with a blistering start to 2026, slashing .318/.388/.682 through 49 plate appearances. His five long balls and 13 RBI are each tied for the top mark in MLB.

Stephenson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's win over the Marlins.

Stephenson provided key insurance with a solo homer in the eighth inning, extending Cincinnati's lead late. It was the catcher's second home run of the season and third RBI. After opening the year hitless in his first four games, the 29-year-old has begun to turn things around slightly with hits in three of his last four contests. Still, Stephenson is slashing just .167/.200/.417 through 25 plate appearances, making him a frustrating early-season option for fantasy managers.

Rushing went 4-for-4 with a two solo home runs and an additional run scored in Monday's win over the Blue Jays.

It was the first career multi-homer game out of Rushing, who also racked up a career-high four knocks Monday. The backstop is off to a ridiculous start in limited action, having gone 6-for-9 with three long balls in his first three appearances, but his pathway to steady reps is blocked by Will Smith at catcher. Rushing remains likely to mostly fill in behind the dish on occasions when Smith needs a breather.

Ruiz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.

Ruiz and Drew Millas have split time behind the dish evenly through the Nationals' first five games, with both catchers drawing five starts apiece. Though Ruiz has been the better producer thus far, he's still holding down a modest .222/.211/.444 slash line through his first 19 plate appearances. He may need to raise his performance before taking on a larger share of the catching duties.

Smith is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.

Smith will hit the bench for a second straight game, with Dalton Rushing working behind home plate and batting eighth. The decision to hold Smith out is a deliberate one, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noting Monday that he wants Smith to be the catcher for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani for Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Smith has gone 8-for-29 (.276 average) with two home runs and five RBI to open the season.

Hicks is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

Hicks has gotten off to a sizzling start to the season with a 1.164 OPS over 29 plate appearances, but the Marlins will shield the left-handed batter from southpaw Brandon Williamson in Monday's series opener. At least until the Marlins return the likes of Christopher Morel (oblique) and Kyle Stowers (hamstring) from the injured list, Hicks should have a clear path to regular at-bats versus right-handed pitching while making starts at catcher, first base or designated hitter.

Pages is not in the lineup for Monday's game versus the Nationals.

Pages will begin the contest on the bench as Ivan Herrera gets a start at catcher. The 27-year-old Pages has drawn starts in six of 10 games thus far and appeared off the bench in one additional contest.

Amaya will start at designated hitter and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Rays.

Amaya will remain in the lineup for the fifth time in six games, with three of his starts coming versus lefties and two coming against righties during that stretch. The 27-year-old has gone 5-for-12 with a pair of extra-base hits to begin the season, and his hot start appears to have helped him at least temporarily supplant Moises Ballesteros as the Cubs' preferred option at DH.

Baldwin went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Sunday's extra-inning loss against the Diamondbacks.

Baldwin powered Atlanta's offense, accounting for four of the team's five runs in the contest. The 25-year-old catcher got things started early with a solo homer, his fourth of the season, as the second batter of the game and added a pair of RBI singles, including a clutch knock in the ninth inning to tie the game. The hot start continues for Baldwin, who is slashing .300/.378/.625 with 12 RBI across 45 plate appearances to begin his second season in the majors.