MLB Player News

Stephenson isn't starting Saturday against the Cardinals.

Stephenson will get a breather after he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a walk Friday. Mike Freeman will start at first base and bat eighth.

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double, a walk, two RBI and three runs scored in Friday's 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Narvaez doubled in a run in the third inning and came around to score on an error. He later tacked on an insurance run with a solo blast in the eighth. The 29-year-old was in a 4-for-35 slump entering Friday's game and he produced his first multi-hit effort since May 19.

Manager Jayce Tingler said Friday that Nola (knee) still needs "a week or two" before he's cleared to return, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Nola has been on the 10-day injured list since May 28 due to a slight knee sprain. It's not yet clear whether the 31-year-old will require a rehab assignment before he returns to the Padres, but Victor Caratini should continue to serve as the primary catcher in his absence.

Gomes is out of the lineup Friday at Philadelphia due to some tightness in his right hamstring, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.

The 33-year-old is on the bench for the second straight contest due to the injury. Gomes is considered day-to-day, and the fact the Nationals have yet to make a roster move to add a third catcher indicates it may not be a serious injury. Alex Avila will receive another start behind the plate in his place.

Barnhart is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.

Barnhart will sit for the second time in three games. Tyler Stephenson will catch Luis Castillo, with Alex Blandino manning first base.

McCann went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's loss against the Padres.

McCann has gone deep in two straight games and in three of his last five contests, and the veteran catcher is putting a slow start to the year behind him. The backstop has five homers and 19 RBI through 42 games and seems on a good path to hit double-digit homers for the second time in the last three years.

Gomes is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.

Gomes hits the bench after starting five straight games. Alex Avila will get the nod behind the plate in his absence.

Gomes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 5-3 win over Atlanta.

His eighth-inning blast off A.J. Minter broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the winning run. Gomes hadn't gone yard in nearly a month, and on the season the veteran catcher is slashing .258/.291/.430 with five homers and 17 RBI in 36 games.

McCann went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Wednesday's 7-6 win over Arizona.

McCann opened the scoring with a three-run blast in the first inning. Arizona rallied for the lead in the bottom of the first, but McCann retied the game with an RBI single in the second. The catcher has been mediocre at the plate with a .233/.297/.353 slash line, four home runs, 17 RBI and 10 runs scored in 41 games. He's shown a little more promise lately with eight hits in his last 16 at-bats, including two homers.

Smith is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Smith started the first two games of the series versus the Cardinals, and he'll take a seat for the finale. Austin Barnes will bat eighth and catch for Wednesday's starter Walker Buehler.