MLB Player News

Smith went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in Thursday's 9-3 win over the Reds.

Smith drove in a run with an infield single in the first inning, and he got a little help with his three-run homer in the seventh. The ball hit off the top of the outfield wall and bounced off the back of Jake Fraley's glove, careening over the fence for a home run. The long ball was Smith's first this season and doubled his RBI total from three to six. The backstop is slashing .267/.353/.533 through 17 plate appearances.

Narvaez went 2-for-4 with with a solo home run and two RBI during Thursday's win against the Cardinals.

Narvaez provided instant offense when he took Adam Wainwright yard in the second inning to record his first homer of the season. One frame later, he added an RBI double to put the Brewers up 3-0. Thursday's effort was the first notable offensive production of the campaign for Narvaez, as he entered the game with one hit in eight at-bats.

Gomes will start at catcher and bat sixth Thursday against the Rockies.

Gomes will crack the lineup for only the second time in six games this season while No. 1 backstop Willson Contreras gets a breather. The Cubs have been running out a designated-hitter platoon of Rafael Ortega and Clint Frazier, so Gomes' opportunities are expected to remain limited while Contreras continues to play exclusively at catcher.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies.

He'll sit for the second time in six games this season while Yan Gomes gets a turn behind the plate. Contreras turned in his best game of the season in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Pirates, hitting a thunderous solo home run while coming around to score the Cubs' other run of the day after reaching base on a double.

Stephenson went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Guardians.

The catcher launched his second homer of the season in the eighth inning by connecting on a Nick Sandlin fastball, driving in Tyler Naquin. With Tucker Barnhart now in Detroit, Stephenson has stepped in the everyday role behind the dish and should have ample opportunity to build on a 2021 campaign where he compiled 10 home runs, 45 RBI and produced a .286 batting average over 132 games.

Barnes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a strikeout Wednesday against the Twins.

Barnes was on the back end of three consecutive homers for the Dodgers in the eighth inning. He now has a pair of bombs early this season, which is notable considering he only left the yard six times across 225 plate appearances in 2021. Barnes will yield the majority of the playing time behind the plate to Will Smith, though he's made the most of his opportunity early on in the campaign.

Caratini will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

Both Caratini and Omar Narvaez have each picked up three starts apiece, but a timeshare arrangement doesn't seem to be in the works between the two catchers. Instead, manager Craig Counsell seems to be favoring a platoon setup, with the switch-hitting Caratini entering the lineup against southpaw pitchers, while the lefty-hitting Narvaez plays against righties.

Narvaez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

The lefty-hitting Narvaez will cede catching duties to the switch-hitting Victor Caratini with southpaw John Means on the mound for Baltimore in the series finale. Narvaez recorded his first hit of the season in Tuesday's 5-4 win.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and two runs in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to the Pirates.

Contreras opened the scoring in the contest, taking the Pirates starter Zach Thompson deep for a solo shot in the top of the first inning. He later ripped a ground-rule double off Thompson, narrowly missing an opportunity to leg out a three-bagger. The multi-hit effort was Contreras' first of the season as he added his first couple extra-base knocks of the 2022 campaign as well. Contreras continues to represent an elite fantasy option at the shallow catcher position.

Casali will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Padres, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

With top catcher Joey Bart moving over to designated hitter for the series finale, Casali will pick up his second start of the season. He'll likely continue to play once or twice a week while Bart is healthy and effective at the dish.