MLB Player News

Contreras (thigh) will return to the lineup for Monday's game against the Dodgers, catching and batting fifth.

Contreras sat for two straight games with a minor thigh issue, though he did appear off the bench Sunday. He'll be involved from the start this time around and will look to build on his .238/.333/.512 slash line.

Garver isn't starting Monday's game against the Rangers.

Garver went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer in Sunday's win over the Royals. Ben Rortvedt will take over behind the dish and bat ninth.

Barnhart went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs Sunday in the Reds' 13-12 win over the Cubs in 10 innings.

Barnhart's long ball was his third of the season and one of five on the day for the Reds. Cincinnati values Barnhart mainly for his skills as a game caller, but he's been a surprising contributor to what has been one of the majors' most potent lineups through the first month of the season. The 31-year-old is holding down a .918 OPS, 168 points better than his next-best mark (in 2017) for any season of his career.

Bethancourt signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Monday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The 29-year-old catcher is expected to report to the Pirates' affiliate in Indianapolis ahead of the start of the Triple-A season this week. Once a highly-touted prospect while coming up in the Atlanta organization, Bethancourt owns a meager .222/.252/.316 slash line over 489 career plate appearances in the majors. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2017 with the Padres.

Higashioka went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two strikeouts in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Tigers.

Higashioka had gone hitless with two walks and three strikeouts in his last eight plate appearances, but he put the Yankees on the board with his double in the second inning Sunday. The 31-year-old has continued to split time behind the dish with Gary Sanchez early in the season, but manager Aaron Boone has indicated that the starting catcher will be determined on a game-to-game basis. Higashioka has slashed .265/.375/.706 with four home runs, seven RBI and six runs in 14 games this year.

Garver went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Sunday's win over the Royals.

Garver entered this game in a woeful 2-for-21 slump (with 12 strikeouts), but this game could provide him a much-needed confidence boost. It's worth noting three of Garver's last four hits have gone yard, but that's not sustainable on a long-term basis. The struggles have been real for the backstop, as he's only hitting .185 with a .682 OPS this season.

Heim was removed from Sunday's game against the Red Sox in the top of the eighth inning with an apparent injury, Chris Halicke of SI.com reports.

Heim was hit under the mask while blocking a ball in the dirt Sunday and was visited by trainers afterward. The backstop wanted to stay in the game, but the trainers removed him from the contest. The exact nature of Heim's injury isn't yet clear, and it's unknown whether he'll be forced to miss additional time.

Realmuto (hand) is starting Sunday's game against the Mets.

Realmuto had been out of the lineup for the last two games due to left hand soreness, but he'll start behind the plate and bat fourth Sunday. He's gone 5-for-11 with a double, two RBI and a run across his last four games.

D'Arnaud will require surgery to address the torn ligament in his left thumb he sustained in Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

An extended absence was already expected for d'Arnaud after he was placed on the 60-day injured list Sunday, but the fact that he'll need surgery to address the injury means he won't be ready to go when first eligible for reinstatement in early July. Instead, Atlanta is targeting a late-season return for d'Arnaud, but even his availability for September would seem to be up in the air at this stage. William Contreras was recalled from the alternate site to replace d'Arnaud on the active roster, and the rookie is likely to serve as Atlanta's primary backstop for the balance of the season unless the team elects to address the catcher position through the trade market.

Murphy is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels.

Murphy had started each of the Mariners' last three games, with two turns coming at catcher and one at designated hitter. He appears to have forced his way into a timeshare behind the dish, but he'll take a seat Sunday in favor of Luis Torrens.