MLB Player News

Smith (neck) remains sidelined Friday against the Angels.

Smith is set to miss his second straight game due to a sore neck. Austin Barnes remains the starter behind the plate.

Narvaez is not in the lineup Friday against the Cubs.

Narvaez started the past two games but will take a seat after going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts and one walk. The 28-year-old has endured an abysmal start to the season with a .488 OPS in 46 plate appearances. Manny Pina will bat seventh and catch for Brandon Woodruff on Friday.

Caratini is out of the lineup Friday versus the Brewers.

Caratini started the past five games between catcher and designated hitter, and he'll receive a day off after going 6-for-17 in that stretch. Willson Contreras will start behind the plate while Jason Kipnis serves as the designated hitter Friday.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with two two-run home runs in Thursday's 11-4 loss to the Orioles.

Realmuto gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead with his homer off Thomas Eshelman in the fourth inning and later added another two-run shot off David Hess in the eighth. The stud backstop now has seven home runs and 17 RBI in just 48 at-bats. The catcher is slashing .292/.358/.729 heading into the weekend series against the Mets.

Barnes went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a victory over the Padres on Thursday.

Barnes was part of a homer-happy Dodgers offense in the win, slugging the fourth of six Los Angeles homers in the game. His first long ball of the season was a two-run shot off reliever Luis Perdomo in the fourth inning. Barnes has shown signs of emerging from a season-long slump over his last three games, going 5-for-9 with four RBI over that span.

Nido went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a grand slam in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Nido gave the Mets a 3-1 lead with a two-run long ball off Austin Voth in the fourth inning and broke the game open an inning later with a grand slam against Seth Romero. Nido has only played in five games while serving as Wilson Ramos's backup, but with his big day Thursday, the backstop is now slashing a solid .308/.400/.385 on the campaign.

Smith (neck) isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Padres.

Smith exited Wednesday's game with neck soreness, and the issue is severe enough to keep him out of the lineup for the team's series finale against the Padres. Manager Dave Roberts said that he probably won't start Friday either, but he's unlikely to land on the injured list. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish Thursday.

Mejia is not starting Thursday against the Dodgers.

Mejia will head to the bench as Austin Hedges picks up the start at catcher in Thursday's series finale. Across 14 games this season, Mejia is slashing just .097/.176/.226 with one home run.

Smith was removed from Wednesday's game against the Padres with a sore neck, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

The 25-year-old went 0-for-1 before exiting during the fifth inning, and the severity of the injury remains unclear. Austin Barnes took over behind the plate and will start Thursday's contest, while Smith is considered day-to-day, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register.

Contreras was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Indians during the fifth inning, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

The 28-year-old was unhappy with a check-swing call during his third at-bat and was subsequently tossed from the contest. Contreras went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts prior to exiting. Backup catcher Victor Caratini took over behind the plate, but since he was already serving as the designated hitter, the Cubs lose the extra bat for the remainder of game.