MLB Player News

Smith went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, a walk and a stolen base Sunday against the Rockies.

Smith blasted his 11th homer of the year in the eighth inning, a two-run shot off Carlos Estevez that gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Smith, who also stole his second base of the year, added a pair of singles and a walk and has reached base seven times (five hits, two walks) in his last two contests. The 26-year-old catcher is slashing .265/.368/.466 in 285 plate appearances on the year.

Contreras is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

A 3-for-4 effort with a home run and two RBI on Saturday raised Contreras' average to .306 since the start of July. He's also drawn seven walks in that 10-game span. Robinson Chirinos will catch and bat eighth Sunday.

Casali is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Casali will cede catching duties to Chadwick Tromp in the series finale after he was behind the dish Friday and Saturday. With Buster Posey (thumb) considered day-to-day and likely to return from the injured list during the upcoming week, Casali's time as San Francisco's No. 1 catcher will soon come to an end.

McCann is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

The 31-year-old has gone 0-for-7 with a walk in two games after the All-Star break and is hitting .242 with just one RBI since the start of July. Tomas Nido will catch and bat eighth as the Mets close out their series in Pittsburgh.

Stallings is not in the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Mets.

After his walk-off grand slam Saturday, Stallings is now hitting .333 with three home runs and nine RBI in his last 10 games. Michael Perez will start behind the dish and bat seventh Sunday afternoon.

Narvaez is not in the lineup for Sunday afternoon's game against the Reds.

The 29-year-old sits out the matinee after going 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI on Saturday night. Narvaez has gone 6-for-27 with a home run, two RBI and four walks in his last 10 games. Manny Pina is catching and batting eighth Sunday.

Stallings went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a walk in Saturday's comeback victory over the Mets.

With two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Stallings got around on an inside Edwin Diaz offering and sent it into the left field bleachers to complete Pittsburgh's rally from a 6-0 deficit. It was Stallings' eighth homer of the year, extending his career high, and gave him 40 RBI, second on the team behind only Bryan Reynolds (52). Stallings is slashing .239/.325/.420 in 255 plate appearances, making him a viable starter in most fantasy formats.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 4-2 win over Arizona.

Contreras scored the Cubs' first run of the game when he scored on a sixth-inning double by Javier Baez. In the ninth, Contreras put the Cubs ahead for the first time with his two-run blast, and that stood up for a win. The catcher has hit safely in eight of his 10 games in July, going 11-for-36 (.306) in that span. He's slashing .241/.350/.431 with 14 homers, 33 RBI, 38 runs scored and three stolen bases through 322 plate appearances overall. His homer Saturday was his first since June 24.

Caratini will sit Saturday against the Nationals, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Caratini's time as the Padres' primary catcher may be up soon, as Austin Nola (knee) has begun a rehab assignment. Webster Rivas will start in his place Saturday.

Smith will sit Saturday against the Rockies, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Smith remains on pace to blow past manager Dave Roberts' preseason estimate of 90 starts, as his 60 games started in the team's first 93 contests put him on pace for 105 by the end of the year. His .256/.361/.449 slash line means the Dodgers are unlikely to cut his playing time any time soon, but he'll get a brief rest Saturday, with Austin Barnes starting behind the plate.