MLB Player News

Gomes went 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Tuesday's 6-0 win over the Padres.

Gomes connected for a two-run home run in the second inning, his fifth of the season, then added an RBI single in the eighth. The big game pushed his average up to .309 to go along with a strong .898 OPS. Meanwhile, Tucker Barnhart is batting only .200 with a .450 OPS. At this rate, Gomes could secure a larger share of the playing time behind the plate, though both catchers will continue to see the field with Gomes looking like the preferred option against lefties.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said that Grandal was removed from Tuesday's 7-0 loss to the Blue Jays due to back spasms and is considered day-to-day, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before leaving.

The backstop was replaced by Seby Zavala in the loss. Grifol believes that Grandal could catch in an emergency, and the skipper doesn't think that the team will have to make a roster move. Even so, Grandal will most likely sit out Wednesday's series finale.

Bart (groin) said he might be available off the bench Tuesday against the Cardinals, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Bart is not in the Giants' starting lineup Tuesday after making an early exit from Monday's series opener versus the Cardinals due to right groin tightness. He underwent an MRI that fortunately ruled out any structural damage. Blake Sabol is getting the start at catcher and batting eighth Tuesday, but this should not be an extended absence for Bart.

Manager Dave Roberts said Smith (concussion) is slated to take live batting practice Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

After taking part in agility work Tuesday, Smith will take what appears to be another step forward in his recovery from a concussion by facing pitching. The Dodgers don't plan to activate Smith for the team's three-game series in Pittsburgh, but he could be ready to return from the 7-day injured list ahead of Friday's series opener versus the Cardinals in Los Angeles.

Bart (groin) isn't in the Giants' lineup Tuesday against the Cardinals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Bart was removed from Monday's contest due to right groin tightness, and he will be held out Tuesday as well. In his absence, Blake Sabol will take over behind the plate and bat eighth.

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers have now alternated turns behind the dish for the eighth consecutive game, with both backstops drawing four starts apiece. Manager Rocco Baldelli hasn't indicated whether this trend will continue for the balance of the season, or if it's merely a byproduct of Jeffers swinging a hotter bat early on to earn some extra opportunities. Entering Tuesday, Jeffers holds a 269-point edge over Vazquez in OPS, though Jeffers' .471 BABIP and 31.2 percent strikeout rate suggests he's a candidate to regress sooner or later.

Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Astros, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bethancourt appears to have settled in as the Rays' preferred starter behind the plate, but like most catchers, he'll still be subject to at least a couple days off per week. Francisco Mejia will form a battery with starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen on Tuesday while Bethancourt heads to the bench.

Barnhart is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres.

Barnhart will be on the bench for the second straight game, with both absences coming with the Cubs facing left-handed pitchers. Though Yan Gomes has logged 25 more plate appearances this season, Barnhart appears to have taken hold of a strong-side platoon role at catcher. Twenty-six of Barnhart's 28 plate appearances to date have come versus right-handed pitching, while Gomes has made only 31 of his 53 plate appearances against righties.

Kirk is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox.

Danny Jansen is handling catching duties and Brandon Belt is serving as the Blue Jays' designated hitter, closing off Kirk's two avenues to playing time. Kirk is most likely just receiving a breather after he started at either catcher or DH each of the previous three days.

Nido is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals.

Even though the Mets were off Monday, Nido will take a seat for the second straight game, as rookie Francisco Alvarez draws another turn behind the dish. Since Alvarez was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on April 7, Nido has taken on the bulk of the starts by virtue of his defensive acumen, but the veteran's anemic .281 OPS on the season could make it difficult for him to justify hanging on to the No. 1 role. Alvarez (.148/.148/.259 slash line in 27 plate appearances) hasn't stood out at the plate since being called up, either, but he'll be rewarded with another start after slugging a home run in Sunday's 5-4 loss to the Giants.