MLB Player News

Murphy went 1-for-5 with a two-run double and a run in a win over the Angels on Thursday.

Murphy collected his sixth and seventh RBI over the last five games -- including his fifth in the last two -- with his third-inning two-bagger. The backstop did strike out in three other plate appearances, but he's been an asset for the Athletics and fantasy managers since the All-Star break with a .279/.380/.651 slash line, four doubles, four home runs, 11 RBI, seven walks and nine runs across the last 12 games.

Stephenson underwent surgery Thursday to stabilize a fracture in his right clavicle, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

According to Rosecrans, the procedure is designed to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort in Stephenson's right shoulder, but his timeline for a return shouldn't be affected. The Reds placed Stephenson on the 60-day injured list earlier this week, making him ineligible to return until the final two weeks of the season.

Contreras went 2-for-8 with a walk, a double, a solo home run and two runs scored across both games of Thursday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

Contreras did his damage early in the matinee, taking St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas deep in the first inning. The catcher, who perhaps surprisingly didn't leave Chicago before the trade deadline, now has 15 home runs and an .835 OPS this season. He should be primed for a strong finish to the year in a familiar environment, though the 41-63 Cubs may opt to mix in some rest days.

Perez went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and an additional RBI in a 7-3 win against the Red Sox on Thursday.

Perez gave Kansas City the lead with his RBI single in the fifth inning and later extended it in the seventh with a controversial three-run home run that went off the padding at the base of the left-field foul pole. The 32-year-old has batted a mediocre 7-for-28 since returning from a thumb injury July 29, though four of those hits have left the yard. Perez's 15 home runs tie him for the MLB lead at catcher despite significant missed time and is slashing .215/.253/.458.

Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Thursday's 6-0 win over the Guardians.

Maldonado's playing time is on the decline with Christian Vazquez joining the Astros at the trade deadline. That didn't matter Thursday, as Maldonado hit a two-run double and a solo home run for his third multi-hit effort in his last nine games. The veteran catcher is slashing .178/.242/.356 with 11 homers, 33 RBI, 27 runs scored and 11 doubles through 80 contests. Still, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Maldonado to receive much more than two starts a week with a more productive catcher in Vazquez around to handle the starting role.

D'Arnaud went 1-for-4 with a run scored in a 6-4 loss to the Mets on Thursday.

The catcher missed one game with a stomach illness. D'Arnaud has gone 7-for-38 (.184) in his last 10 contests, though he hasn't produced an extra-base hit since July 6. He has a .251/.298/.431 slash line with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 39 runs scored and 15 doubles in 70 games overall, though he'll likely continue to share catching duties with William Contreras.

McCann (oblique) went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in Thursday's 6-4 win over Atlanta.

McCann was out for just under four weeks with a left oblique strain. The catcher wasn't able to make much of an impact in his return. It's expected he'll be eased back into action in a timeshare with Tomas Nido. Neither catcher has done much at the plate this year, so it wouldn't be surprising to see a near-even split of duties continue for a while. McCann's slash line is down to .176/.242/.282 through 95 plate appearances after his empty batting line Thursday.

Gomes isn't starting the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Cardinals.

Gomes didn't take the field during the first game of Thursday's twin bill, and he'll remain on the bench for the nightcap. P.J. Higgins is starting behind the plate while Willson Contreras serves as the designated hitter.

Jansen isn't starting Thursday's game against the Twins.

Jansen started the last four games and went 1-for-13 with two RBI and two strikeouts. Alejandro Kirk will start behind the dish while Cavan Biggio enters the lineup at second base Thursday.

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game at Cleveland.

Vazquez made his first start for Houston on Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, and he'll take a seat for Thursday's series opener. Martin Maldonado will work behind the plate versus the Guardians.