MLB Player News

Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Friday's 10-6 win over the Giants.

Alvarez went deep in the second and eighth innings, recording his third multi-homer effort of the campaign. It snapped a 17-game power drought for the 24-year-old, who entered Friday just 7-for-55 with five RBI during that stretch. On the season, he's slashing .234/.319/.413 with 15 long balls, 36 RBI and 31 runs scored across 363 plate appearances.

Ruiz (head) is not in the Nationals' starting lineup against the Dodgers on Friday, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Ruiz was removed from Wednesday's game against Atlanta after taking a foul tip off his mask. The good news for him was that he cleared the league's concussion protocol, but he'll take at least one game off to get some additional rest. Henry Ford will start behind home plate Friday and bat seventh.

Flores is not in the Pirates' starting lineup against the Angels on Friday.

Flores will get a breather after going 2-for-31 with one home run, three RBI and a 2:8 BB:K over his last six games. Henry Davis will start behind home plate and bat ninth while forming a battery with Jared Jones.

The Giants transferred Rodriguez (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The 24-year-old was placed on the IL at the start of August due to right elbow neuritis, and he recently suffered a setback after starting up a minor-league rehab assignment. Rodriguez won't be eligible to be reinstated until after the end of the regular season, so his 2026 campaign can safely be considered finished since San Francisco is 25 games under. 500. He played in 22 games in his first taste of the majors and posted a .235/.316/.412 slash line with two home runs and one steal in 58 plate appearances.

The Pirates designated Bethancourt for assignment Friday, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

The veteran catcher was added to the big-league roster Tuesday after being acquired from the Yankees in mid-August, but he'll lose his place on Pittsburgh's 26-man and 40-man rosters without appearing in a game. Bethancourt hasn't seen action in the majors since 2024 with the Marlins and Cubs.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Nationals.

The veteran catcher has caught fire at the plate now that he's fully healthy for the first time in a few years. Murphy has hit safely in five straight games, batting .500 (9-for-18) during that heater with two doubles, three homers, seven runs and seven RBI. His surge has allowed Drake Baldwin to get more rest while serving as Atlanta's primary DH, and Murphy should continue to see regular playing time as the team tries to keep its key players fresh for the playoffs.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Philadelphia.

McCann, who had struck out twice against Phillies starter Andrew Painter, homered on the first pitch of the eighth inning off reliever Jonathan Bowlan. He reached low for a sweeper down in the zone for his fifth home run of the season. As the backup catcher, McCann gets a couple of starts per week, but as the Diamondbacks battle for a postseason berth, manager Torey Lovullo may be tempted to get starting catcher Gabriel Moreno's bat in the lineup as much as possible. That could result in Moreno slotting in at DH and McCann working behind the dish.

Bernal went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-6, extra-inning win over the Dodgers.

After a 1-for-5 debut Tuesday, Bernal delivered his first big-league homer in his second game. The 22-year-old got the start at designated hitter Wednesday, but he's expected to see a decent share of playing time at catcher over the remainder of the campaign, though the Cardinals also have Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages capable of playing behind the dish. Bernal hit .278 with an .831 OPS at Triple-A Memphis this year prior to his promotion.

Smith isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Smith went 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored Tuesday during his first game back from the injured list, and he'll retreat to the bench Wednesday as the Dodgers look to ease him back into action. Hunter Feduccia will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth.

Ruiz passed concussion protocol following his removal from Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Danielle Allentuck of The Washington Post reports.

Ruiz was pulled from the game after taking a foul tip off his mask in the fourth inning. Although he managed to avoid suffering a concussion this time around, the 28-year-old backstop's history of concussions/head injuries could cause the Nationals to err on the side of caution and sit him down for another game or two. Harry Ford would benefit from extra playing time during any games Ruiz may have to miss.