MLB Player News

Mejia (oblique) could rejoin the Padres as early as Monday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Mejia began taking batting practice last week and has since moved on to game action in the instructional league in Arizona. The Padres will head to Milwaukee for a four-game series beginning Monday, during which Mejia could rejoin the team. He has been on the 10-day IL since Aug. 30 while nursing a strained right oblique.

Caratini went 1-for-1 with a solo home run in a 14-1 win over the Pirates on Saturday.

Entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh, Caratini completed the scoring with a solo homer off Parker Markel. Caratini has played less in September with Wilson Contreras (hamstring) now healthy and Jonathan Lucroy also on the roster, but he has still been able to generate a .277/.359/.466 slash line over 206 at-bats this season.

Smith is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets.

Smith has been getting every other day off and that trend will continue; he gives way to Russell Martin behind the plate after going 0-for-4 in Friday's series opener. He was off to a blistering start in the majors, but Smith is just 3-for-27 to begin September. Ideally, he'll be able to make some adjustments before the end of the regular season.

Hedges went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and two walks in a loss to Colorado on Friday.

Hedges put the Padres on the board in the first inning with a two-run blast to center field and reached base twice more via walk. The productive game was a rare bright spot in what has been a miserable month for Hedges at the plate, as he is hitting a scant .100 with one extra-base hit in 30 at-bats in September.

Stallings is unavailable Saturday against the Cubs due to back tightness, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

With two healthy catchers (Elias Diaz and Steve Baron) on the active roster, the Pirates may play it safe and hold Stallings out for the rest of this series and also take advantage of Monday's off day. Diaz will start at catcher and hit eighth.

Gomes is not in Saturday's lineup against the Braves.

He is the Nationals' primary catcher while Kurt Suzuki is out with an elbow injury. Gomes is hitting .161 with four home runs in nine games this month. Raudy Read will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs, a third run scored and a walk during a 17-8 victory over the Pirates on Friday.

The Cubs catcher went deep twice against Pirates starter Steven Brault in the first three frames. The first long ball gave Contreras a new career high in the homer category, and he set a new high-water mark in runs too. Contreras is batting .283 with 23 home runs, 62 RBI, 52 runs and one steal in 318 at-bats this season.

Stallings is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

Stallings went 2-for-4 with a solo homer Thursday and will receive a breather Friday afternoon. Elias Diaz will start behind the plate and bat eighth in the series opener.

Realmuto went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's victory over the Braves.

The 28-year-old catcher extended Philadelphia's lead with a two-run homer in the eighth inning. The long ball was his 25th of the season, good for fourth among all catchers, while he's slashing .279/.332/.504.

Stallings went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's victory over the Giants.

Stallings tacked on a key insurance run in the seventh inning with a solo homer to left, and Pittsburgh would come away with a 4-2 victory. The 29-year-old backstop has left the yard in two of his last three contests, though he sits with just six homers and 12 RBI over 64 games in 2019.