MLB Player News
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Nick Fortes C | TB
Marlins' Nick Fortes: Returns to bench Wednesday
Fortes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
Fortes will hit the bench after starting three of the past four games behind the dish while going 2-for-10 at the dish during that stretch. Though Fortes brings more offensive upside to the table than Jacob Stallings, the latter catcher's defensive prowess has made him the Marlins' No.1 backstop since he joined the organization ahead of the 2022 season. Expect the playing time between the two catchers to tilt in Stallings' favor as a result, despite Fortes' recent uptick in starts.
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Austin Hedges C | CLE
Pirates' Austin Hedges: Not in lineup Wednesday
Hedges is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.
Jason Delay will catch and bat ninth. Hedges has slashed just .188/.257/.219 through 38 plate appearances this season and could begin losing his hold on the bulk of starts behind the plate in Pittsburgh.
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Victor Caratini C | MIN
Brewers' Victor Caratini: Hits first long ball of season
Caratini went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 6-2 victory over the Tigers.
After striking out in his first at-bat, Caratini smoked a two-run blast in the third to give Milwaukee a 5-0 lead, marking his first long ball of the season. He added a single his next time up, giving him two multi-hit games this year. Caratini continues to operate as the backup behind William Contreras and has appeared in only nine of the Brewers' first 25 games, but he's put up solid offensive numbers in his limited action.
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Tyler Heineman C | TOR
Pirates' Tyler Heineman: Designated for assignment
Heineman was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Wednesday.
This move clears out a 40-man roster spot for Cody Bolton, who is joining the Pirates' bullpen ahead of Wednesday night's game against the Dodgers. A journeyman catcher, Heineman heads into DFA limbo with a career .210/.276/.269 major-league batting line.
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Tucker Barnhart C | TEX
Cubs' Tucker Barnhart: Not in lineup Wednesday
Barnhart is not in the lineup Wednesday versus the Padres.
Yan Gomes will catch and bat eighth with right-hander Michael Wacha on the mound for San Diego. It's the third straight start behind the plate for Gomes, though the previous two starts were versus lefties. He has greatly outperformed Barnhart offensively and may be capturing a larger share of the catcher platoon in Chicago.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: May not be activated Friday
Smith (concussion) said Wednesday he's unsure if he'll be able to return from the 7-day injured list for Friday's game against the Cardinals, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Though Smith traveled with the Dodgers to Pittsburgh and has been working out for the past few days, manager Dave Roberts has already ruled out the catcher from playing during the three-game series with the Pirates. Smith mentioned that the headaches he's been experiencing have been gone since Friday, but the Dodgers are still planning on being extra cautious with him before activating him. Even if Smith isn't back by Friday, the 28-year-old should be back behind the plate for Los Angeles in the coming days.
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Austin Barnes C | NYM
Dodgers' Austin Barnes: Resting Wednesday
Barnes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.
After starting behind the dish in each of the Dodgers' last three games, Barnes will get a breather Wednesday while Austin Wynns receives a turn behind the plate. Barnes should be back in the lineup for Thursday's series finale in Pittsburgh, but he'll likely revert to the No. 2 catcher's role by the weekend, when Will Smith (concussion) should be ready to return from the 7-day injured list.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Goes through workout
Smith (concussion) threw to bases and took live batting practice Wednesday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
With his concussion symptoms abated, Smith has been ramping up workouts in his bid to return to the Dodgers' lineup. Assuming he gets through Wednesday's workout with no issues and bounces back fine, he could be back in action for this weekend's home series versus the Cardinals.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Sitting out Wednesday vs. Royals
Moreno is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Kansas City.
Moreno went 2-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored over the first two games of the series against the Royals, and now takes a seat for the finale. Jose Herrera is starting behind the plate and hitting ninth in Moreno's absence.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Gets Wednesday off
Contreras is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.
Contreras will get Wednesday off after going 2-for-7 with a home run over the first two games of the series with the Tigers. Victor Caratini is starting behind the plate and hitting sixth while Contreras rests.