MLB Player News

Barnhart will not start the afternoon portion of Friday's doubleheader against Pittsburgh.

Curt Casali will start behind the plate in the day's first game, with Barnhart presumably set to return to the lineup for the nightcap. He's struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .188/.278/.313.

Smith isn't in Thursday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

Smith started in the past three games and went 2-for-8 with three runs, two RBI and five walks during that time. However, he'll give way to Austin Barnes behind the plate Thursday.

The Padres are considering calling up Campusano sometime this month, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

While San Diego recently acquired two catchers -- Jason Castro and Austin Nola -- in separate trades, Nola's ability to play the infield could make it easier for the team to carry another backstop. Campusano has yet to advance to the Double-A level in the minors, but he has impressed enough at the team's alternate training site to potentially warrant a late-season callup. Lin notes that the 21-year-old hit two home runs in the presence of general manager A.J. Preller at the University of San Diego (where non-active players in the team's 60-man player pool are training) on Tuesday.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in an extra-inning win over Arizona on Wednesday.

The Diamondbacks chose to pitch to Smith -- rather than try to set up a double play -- with the winning run on third base and one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, and the backstop made them pay with a game-winning single to left field. The walkoff hit was the third for Smith in only 75 career games. In contrast to his disappointing .208 batting average this season, Smith has notched a .302 xBA and owns the highest walk rate (22.9 percent) along with the fifth-best Whiff% (12.4 percent) in the league among players with at least 50 plate appearances while striking out only 10 times.

Stallings is not in Thursday's lineup against the Cubs.

Stallings had been swinging a hot bat all season, but he has a 36.4 percent strikeout rate, albeit with an 18.2 percent walk rate, over his last five games. John Ryan Murphy is starting at catcher and hitting ninth.

Realmuto went 0-for-2 with two walks, a steal and a run scored Wednesday as the Phillies defeated the Nationals 3-0.

Realmuto went hitless on the day but still managed to make an impact offensively by drawing two walks and scoring the game-deciding run in the fourth inning. The two-time All-Star possesses a .263/.349/.535 slash line and is leading all catchers with nine home runs and 26 RBI.

Barnhart went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and a walk during Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Cardinals.

The 29-year-old's 414-foot, two-run shot during the fifth inning tied the game at 3-3, allowing the Reds to win via a walkoff single from Joey Votto in the ninth. Barnhart has a .188/.278/.313 slash line with two homers, eight RBI and 19 strikeouts in 72 plate appearances.

Contreras went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Pirates.

Contreras slotted in second in the order with Kris Bryant out of the lineup, and the Chicago catcher responded. It's been a rough go of it so far for Contreras, as he entered the night batting under .200. The three-hit effort bumped his average up to .216, and perhaps it will get him going at the plate for a sustained period of time.

Nola is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Angels.

Nola made his debut with the Padres on Monday and went 1-for-3 with a run and a walk. Jason Castro, a fellow trade acquisition, will start behind the plate and bat ninth Wednesday for the Friars.

Caratini is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Caratini has been filling a quasi-everyday role for the Cubs this season, often serving as the team's designated hitter on days when he's not catching for a resting Willson Contreras. After Jose Martinez was acquired from the Rays on Sunday, however, Caratini doesn't look like he'll have a clear path to at-bats at DH any longer. If he's only getting two or three starts per week, Caratini will be tough to justify holding, even in leagues that start two catchers.