MLB Player News

Mets manager Buck Showalter said Narvaez (calf) will move his rehab assignment from High-A Brooklyn to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Showalter added that Narvaez is on pace to return from the 60-day injured list at the beginning of next week, when the backstop is first eligible for activation. Narvaez opened the season as the Mets' No. 1 catcher but played in just five games before suffering a left calf strain. He's since gotten two rehab games under his belt and will make a few more appearances for Syracuse this week, but Narvaez may have to settle for the No. 2 role once he's activated with Francisco Alvarez having provided the Mets with a major spark on offense since he was called up from Triple-A.

Sabol went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Brewers.

Sabol entered Sunday 0-for-17 over his last four games, with a 1:7 BB:K in that span. It took him until the seventh inning to snap the drought, with his homer being his first since April 29. While the bat has cooled off a bit since Patrick Bailey took over the primary catching duties, Sabol is still getting in the lineup regularly at designated hitter and occasionally in left field. Sabol is slashing .244/.313/.437 with six homers, two stolen bases, 16 RBI and 14 runs scored through 131 plate appearances.

Knizner went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Guardians.

Knizner went 4-for-11 (.364) with two extra-base hits over four games last week. He's still good for one or two starts a week as backup to Willson Contreras, but there's not a clear path to consistent at-bats for Knizner. For the season, he's slashing .231/.259/.449 with four homers, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored, a stolen base and five doubles over 92 plate appearances.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.

He'll retreat to the bench for the day game at Wrigley Field after catching in both of the Cubs' last two contests. Tucker Barnhart will step in behind the dish, forming a battery with starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Fortes went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and a stolen base in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Angels.

Fortes came up a triple shy of the cycle while logging his first three-hit effort of the season. The catcher has done well lately, going 12-for-33 (.364) over his last nine contests. Fortes is up to three homers, nine RBI, nine runs scored and three steals while slashing .243/.283/.336 through 113 plate appearances. He's still Miami's primary catcher over Jacob Stallings.

Alvarez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 11-10 loss to the Rockies.

Alvarez was moved up to the two hole in the batting order for the first time Sunday, and he put an exclamation point on the Mets' six-run fourth inning. The homer was his fifth during his eight-game hitting streak, a span in which he's added 13 RBI while batting .400 (12-for-30). The young slugger is up to eight homers, 19 RBI, 14 runs scored and a .269/.327/.558 slash line through 33 contests this season.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets, Patrick Lyons of TheDNVR.com reports.

Diaz has been excellent throughout the 2023 campaign, but he'll get a day of rest for the series finale. Austin Wynns is hitting ninth and starting behind the dish with Austin Gomber on the mound for the Rockies.

Alvarez will start at catcher and bat second in Sunday's game against the Rockies.

Alvarez has hit near the bottom of the order for the majority of the season, but he'll climb into the two hole while the Mets face lefty Austin Gomber on Sunday. The 21-year-old backstop has swung the bat well as of late and is coming off a two-hit performance Saturday in which he slugged a three-run home run in the Mets' 10- 7 loss. If Alvarez continues to swing a hot stick, it's possible he'll earn more opportunities to hit near the top of the lineup versus right-handers too.

Sabol will start at catcher and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Sabol will step in behind the dish in place of Patrick Bailey, who is resting for the series finale after catching in each of the past three contests. Even though Bailey looks poised to remain the Giants' primary backstop while Joey Bart (groin) is on the shelf, Sabol's ability to fill in at designated hitter or in the corner outfield has allowed him to retain a regular role. The rookie will draw a seventh consecutive start Sunday despite going 2-for-21 with seven strikeouts over the previous six contests.

Bailey is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bailey will get a day of rest after starting the first three games of the series against Milwaukee. Blake Sabol will handle catching duties Sunday while Bailey sits.