MLB Player News

Diaz's solo homer ignited a ninth-inning rally in a 6-5 win over the Marlins on Wednesday.

With just two home runs to his credit, the catcher's offensive production has fallen off a cliff since 2018. An undisclosed viral infection delayed his season's start and it's possible that he never fully recovered. Whatever the case, Diaz's disappointing campaign includes a slash line of .254/.306/.325 in 291 plate appearances and his platoon role for 2020 is not guaranteed.

Mejia (oblique) played catch up to 90 feet and participated in defensive and agility drills Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Manager Andy Green indicated that Mejia is still on track for a return this year as long as he continues to progress. The 23-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain Aug. 30. He is hitting .263 with eight homers in 205 at-bats this season.

Barnhart is not in Thursday's lineup against the Phillies.

He is 2-for-11 with two walks and three strikeouts in four September games. Curt Casali will start behind the dish and hit sixth.

Barnes will be called up to the Dodgers on Friday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

With Will Smith thriving as a major-league starter and Russell Martin set as his backup, Barnes is likely to take the role of third catcher and occasional utility player. The 29-year-old has struggled mightily with the big club this season, hitting .198 with five homers in 207 at-bats. However, he performed well after being sent down to the minors, slashing .264/.375/.540 with six long balls and 17 RBI in 23 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Contreras went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's victory over the Mariners.

Contreras was activated from the injured list before the game and wasted no time picking up where he left off, launching a 450-foot moonshot to left center field in the second inning. The 27-year-old ended up missing 27 games with a hamstring injury suffered in early August. He remains one of the best hitting catchers in the game, compiling a .279/.369/.537 slash line with 20 homers and 58 RBI in 344 plate appearances this season.

Smith isn't starting Tuesday's game against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Smith is in line for the night off after going 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Monday's series opener. Russell Martin will handle the catching duties and bat eighth.

Castillo was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Tuesday.

Castillo will head to the waivers after being kicked off the 40-man roster. The backstop has put together a .250/.310/.408 slash line with six homers and 24 RBI over 58 games this season at Triple-A New Orleans.

Heineman had his contract selected from Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday.

Heineman played 48 games with New Orleans this season, slashing .341/.397/.622 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI. He'll have a chance to make his major-league debut after spending the last eight years in the minors.

Contreras (hamstring) is catching and batting sixth Tuesday against Seattle.

As expected, Contreras has been activated from the 10-day injured list and will immediately enter the starting nine. He's set to catch for Jon Lester in his first game back from a hamstring injury.

Contreras (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against Seattle, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The move hasn't been made official just yet, but skipper Joe Maddon stated that Contreras will return for Chicago's only game against the Mariners. He's been on the injured list since Aug. 4 due to a right hamstring strain.