MLB Player News

Barnhart isn't starting Saturday against the Cardinals.

Barnhart got the starting nod behind the dish during the past two games and went 1-for-6 with two walks and two strikeouts. Curt Casali will handle the catching duties Saturday.

Murphy is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.

Murphy will head back to the bench after four consecutive starts behind the dish. Austin Allen will get his routine start at catcher in Murphy's absence Saturday.

Narvaez isn't starting Saturday against the Pirates.

With southpaw Derek Holland on the mound for the Pirates, Narvaez will take a seat for the second game of the series. Manny Pina will serve as the starting catcher Saturday.

D'Arnaud went 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Phillies.

He took Aaron Nola deep in the third inning to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead, and the team would pile on nine more runs from there. The veteran catcher remains locked in at the plate, and d'Arnaud is slashing .344/.369/.623 with four homers and a whopping 17 RBI through 15 games.

Grandal went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 10-1 win over the Cubs.

Grandal returned to the lineup after missing three games with a back injury and hit his second homer of the season. He slotted in at second in the batting order while Yoan Moncada sat due to leg soreness. Grandal is slashing .235/.349/.368 over 83 plate appearances.

Caratini went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Friday's 10-1 loss to the White Sox.

While he didn't get the start, Caratini wound up supplying the Cubs' only extra-base hit of the night and scoring their only run after entering the game in the sixth inning as manager David Ross emptied his bench in the rout. Caratini is now slashing .302/.373/.377 through 59 plate appearances, but his backup role behind Willson Contreras continues to limit his production -- he has only three runs and seven RBI and is still looking for his first homer of the year.

Gomes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and one strikeout in Friday's loss to the Marlins.

Gomes has seen inconsistent playing time this season while splitting time with Kurt Suzuki behind the dish, but he blasted his first home run of the year -- and the 100th of his career, becoming the first Brazilian-born player to reach that mark -- in the second inning Friday. Gomes carries a .687 OPS with six RBI over 10 games this season.

Smith (neck) could return to the Dodgers' lineup Sunday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Smith has been dealing with neck inflammation that warranted a trip to the injured list, but he took at-bats and worked behind the plate at the team's alternate training site Friday. If he feels good afterward, manager Dave Roberts is hoping he'll be able to return Sunday, the first day he's eligible to be activated. Once he's back in action, Smith should again split time behind the plate with Austin Barnes.

Stassi (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stassi took a foul ball off the knee Thursday and suffered a right knee contusion that forced him out of the contest. The injury is serious enough to warrant a stay on the injured list, and it's unclear whether he'll have to spend longer than the minimum of 10 days sidelined. Jason Castro could see the bulk of the action at catcher if he's fully healthy, but Anthony Bemboom could see a slight uptick in playing time as well.

Grandal (back) returns to the lineup Friday against the Cubs, catching and batting second.

A stiff lower back sidelined Grandal for the last three games, though the issue evidently wasn't particularly serious. He's still yet to get going at the plate this season, as he's hitting .222/.346/.317 while posting a career-worst 33.3 percent strikeout rate.