MLB Player News

Narvaez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Cubs.

The lefty-hitting backstop will head to the bench with southpaw Jon Lester on the hill for Chicago. Manny Pina will start behind the dish and hit seventh.

Caratini is not in Sunday's lineup against the Brewers.

He is hitting .304/.333/.348 in 23 at-bats this month. Kyle Schwarber will start at designated hitter while Steven Souza gets the start in left field.

D'Arnaud is not in Sunday's lineup against the Marlins, 680 The Fan Atlanta reports.

He is hitting .293 with three home runs and a 13:0 K:BB in 10 games this month. Tyler Flowers will get the start behind the dish, hitting seventh.

Ruiz was called up for the first time by the Dodgers on Saturday.

Ruiz would be the catcher of the future in many organizations, though the presence of Will Smith, who landed on the injured list with neck inflammation in a corresponding move, prevents him from holding that title for the Dodgers. Still, he's a talented prospect, with strong contact ability offsetting a lack of power and a future as a roughly average defender. Just 22 years old, Ruiz is quite young for a catcher, and he didn't dominate the upper minors last season, hitting just .261/.331/.347 in 85 games in Double-A and Triple-A, so expectations should probably be muted for him this year.

Smith was placed on the injured list with neck inflammation Saturday.

The move was made retroactive to Thursday, so Smith could return as soon as Aug. 23, though it's unclear whether or not he's expected to do so. Keibert Ruiz was called up in a corresponding move and will split time with Austin Barnes until Smith returns.

Smith (neck) isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Angels.

Smith currently remains day-to-day, but a trip to the injured list hasn't been ruled out yet. As he sits for his third consecutive game, Austin Barnes will take over behind the plate.

Alvarez was added Saturday to the team's player pool and assigned to the Mets' alternate training site, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Although listed as a catcher, Alvarez has the potential to line up at any position on the field for the Mets. He has good pop in his bat but needs to work on his defense. He joins fellow top prospects Andres Gimenez and Matthew Allan at the team's training site, although a callup to the big-league roster is not imminent.

D'Arnaud went 2-for-4 with a solo home run as the Braves fell to the Marlins 8-2 on Friday.

D'Arnaud continued his impressive run at the plate with his third multi-hit performance in five games. The 31-year-old has a hit in 10 of the 11 games he's played in this season. Despite his consistent production, d'Arnaud will still give way to Tyler Flowers behind the plate every couple of games.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, three RBI and two strikeouts in Friday's win against the Mets.

Realmuto has been dominant over the past two games with three home runs and seven RBI, and he helped lead the Phillies to the win Friday. After smacking a career-high 25 home runs last season, Realmuto has eight home runs with a 1.101 OPS and 20 RBI through 14 games this year.

Smith (neck) is still considered day-to-day, but a trip to the 10-day injured list hasn't been ruled out, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Smith is sitting for the second consecutive game Friday as he's still dealing with neck stiffness, but manager Dave Roberts said that the injured list "isn't out of the realm of possibility." Austin Barnes continues to serve as the backup catcher in Smith's absence.