MLB Player News

Nola will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Nola will step in behind the plate for the fourth time in five games while fellow backstop Jorge Alfaro (knee) is tending to an injury. Alfaro isn't expected to require a trip to the injured list, but Nola may have forced his way into a timeshare at catcher. Since the beginning of July, Nola has slashed .277/.342/.323 with three doubles, a stolen base, five RBI and four runs in 21 games.

Bart (ankle) is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Padres.

Austin Wynns will pick up a second straight start behind the dish while Bart tends to a right ankle injury. Per Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News, the young backstop was sent in for an MRI on Wednesday, but the results aren't yet available. Manager Gabe Kapler said he's hopeful that Bart's ankle issue will keep him out for only a few days, but if the backstop heads to the injured list, the Giants would likely call up Andrew Knapp from Triple-A Sacramento to add depth behind Wynns.

Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBI in a 10-3 win over the Twins on Tuesday.

Smith was one of four Dodgers with multiple hits in the contest, and he was the only batter with three base knocks. His first-inning double plated the game's first run; he also knocked in the final run of the contest with an eighth-inning single. Smith has three multi-hit games over his past four contests and is slashing .400/.440/.644 with two homers and 14 RBI in 11 contests since July 28.

Diaz went 2-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in Tuesday's win over the Cardinals.

Diaz was one of four Rockies hitters to tally multiple RBI on Tuesday. He appears to have reclaimed the starting role behind the plate, as he's been in the lineup for 12 of the team's 19 games since the All-Star break. While Diaz has hit just .222 in that span, he does have 10 RBI and five extra-base hits -- one home run -- across 52 plate appearances.

Ruiz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Ruiz will get a well-deserved rest with an afternoon game on tap for the series finale in Chicago after he started behind the dish while going 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs, a walk and four RBI in Tuesday's 6-5 win. Tres Barrera will catch for starting pitcher Josiah Gray on Wednesday.

Contreras isn't starting Wednesday against the Nationals.

Contreras is getting a rare day off after he hit .250 with a home run, five RBI, two runs and a stolen base over the last five games. Yan Gomes will start behind the plate and bat seventh.

Bart wasn't available for Tuesday's game versus the Padres due to a right ankle injury, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

X-rays on Bart's ankle came back negative, but the catcher is still likely to miss Wednesday's game while he gets a precautionary MRI. For the bulk of Bart's absence, Austin Wynns is likely to handle the majority of the catching duties.

Ruiz went 2-for-3 with two homers, four RBI and a walk in a 6-5 win Tuesday against the Cubs.

Ruiz took Marcus Stroman deep twice, launching a solo shot in the second and adding a three-run blast in the fourth. Last season he hit 24 combined homers between Triple-A and the majors, but the power stroke has been absent this year until recently. He has three homers in his last seven contests after knocking just three balls out of the park in his first 81 games. For the season, he has a .247/.307/.359 line.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with one double, one homer, two RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Marlins.

The veteran catcher provided much of the offense for the Phillies, driving in the first run of the game with a double in the first inning and another run with a solo shot in the fourth. Tuesday also marked his third straight multi-hit effort, as he increased his average to .348 since the beginning of July. After hitting just .239 over the first three months of the season, Realmuto has turned things around and owns a respectable .268/.339/.455 line for the campaign.

Bart is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres, according to Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com.

Bart reached base 10 times over the Giants' last five games, but manager Gabe Kapler decided it was time for a day off. Austin Wynns will get the nod behind the plate Tuesday night.