MLB Player News

Smith is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Considering that Smith is the Dodgers' clear No. 1 catcher and is now out of the lineup for the second game in a row, he's most likely dealing with an unreported injury or illness. Manager Dave Roberts should provide more clarity on the situation later Tuesday, but Austin Barnes will pick up another start in place of Smith.

Narvaez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds.

Narvaez is getting a routine breather after he played all nine innings behind the plate in losses Sunday in Atlanta and Monday in Cincinnati. Victor Caratini will serve as the Brewers' starting catcher in place of Narvaez on Tuesday.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Monday against the Dodgers.

Perez started behind the plate for the second consecutive day, even with lefty Julio Urias on the mound. Perez ended the southpaw's outing with his second home run of the season -- and second in as many days -- to lead off the seventh inning. He should continue to see significant playing time with Roberto Perez (hamstring) sidelined, though Andrew Knapp will also see plate appearances.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Monday's win over the Padres.

All three hits were singles, but fantasy managers aren't complaining about the recent hot stretch by Contreras. He's gone 9-for-21 over his last six games, which has raised his batting average for the year to .279. If that holds up, it would be the highest mark for the catcher since he batted .282 during his 2016 rookie season.

Narvaez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs in Monday's loss to the Pirates.

Narvaez took Luis Castillo deep to open the top of the fifth inning before notching a single and coming around to score in the next frame. The homer was his second of the season and first since April 14. He now has four multi-hit games this season and his year-long slash line sits at .238/.351/.365.

Smith will sit Monday against the Pirates, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith's 115 wRC+, the product of a .231/.342/.369 slash line, is good for fourth among catchers with at least 70 plate appearances this season, but the Dodgers have avoided overworking him. His 18 starts behind the plate merely tie him for 11th among all backstops. He'll get a rest Monday, with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.

Perez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday against the Reds.

Recalled the prior day, Perez took Tyler Mahle deep in the second inning to record his first homer of the season. While Andrew Knapp is likely to take over as the primary catcher in Pittsburgh, Perez should serve as the backup with Roberto Perez (hamstring) sidelined for a significant period.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.

The Cubs are scuffling at just 9-18, but Contreras has played well lately, going 6-for-17 across his last five games with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. He should remain a solid fantasy catcher, though run-producing opportunities may be somewhat limited moving forward if the team continues to struggle as a whole. As it stands, Contreras looks like Chicago's most proven offensive commodity at the moment.

Contreras went 1-for-2 with a homer, four RBI, a stolen base, two walks and a strikeout in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Brewers.

Contreras didn't appear in the last three games but was one of Atlanta's top contributors while starting behind the dish and batting ninth Sunday. The 24-year-old has had sporadic playing time since joining the major-league club, but he has three home runs over five games. While Travis d'Arnaud continues to serve as Atlanta's primary catcher, Contreras' strong results could lead to him remaining the No. 2 backstop once Manny Pina (wrist) is cleared to return.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Perez's strained left hamstring is on the "more severe side of things," suggesting that the catcher could be in store for a long-term stay on the injured list, Josh Rowntree of TribLive.com reports.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds that Perez was spotted walking around the Pittsburgh clubhouse Sunday with the aid of crutches, which seemingly supports Cherington's comments about the veteran backstop being at risk of an extended absence. A clear timeline for Perez's return may not emerge until the results of his MRI are known, but Andrew Knapp is expected to be the first man up to step in as the Pirates' No. 1 catcher. Pittsburgh also called up Michael Perez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday to add depth behind the plate.