MLB Player News

D'Arnaud went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in a win over the Blue Jays on Friday.

The hot-hitting veteran snapped a 1-1 tie with infield single in the fifth inning, plating the two runs that would ultimately prove to be the final margin of victory for the Rays. It's been a momentous July for d'Arnaud, who's driven in 18 runs with the help of nine extra-base hits (three doubles, six home runs) while drawing starts at both catcher and first base.

Contreras went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a solo home run and a second run scored for Double-A Mississippi on Friday.

Promoted to the Southern League a little over a month ago, Contreras had some initial struggles at the new level but has gone 12-for-26 with a sharp 4:2 BB:K over his last eight games, homering in both of the last two contests. The 21-year-old remains the most exciting catcher in the Atlanta system from a fantasy perspective, although he has some real-life competition from the club's 2019 first-round pick, defensive whiz Shea Langeliers.

Hedges went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Giants.

Hedges delivered a game-tying solo shot off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija in the fifth inning, but that was the only run the Padres managed to plate. Hedges has gone 6-for-18 with two homers, six RBI and two doubles in his last six games, dating back to July 7. For the year, the catcher has a .195/.260/.344 batting line with eight homers, 29 RBI and 18 runs scored in 66 games while splitting time with Francisco Mejia behind the dish.

Thaiss went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's loss to the Orioles.

Thaiss launched his second career home run, a two-run shot off Asher Wojciechowski to put the Angels on the board in the fifth inning. Despite getting the start, the 24-year-old has struggled to land a consistent spot in the lineup. Through 30 at-bats, Thaiss is hitting just .133/.212/.367.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in Friday's 3-2 win over the Tigers.

Murphy provided the biggest hit of the night for the Mariners with his game-tying homer in the seventh inning helping to set the stage for Mallex Smith's walkoff single in the ninth. Murphy is up to 10 homers, 24 RBI and 15 runs scored in 42 games this season. He has hit safely in his last six games, going 8-for-22 with a homer and three doubles in that span.

Contreras went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Brewers.

More noteworthy than the empty box score was the fact that Contreras batted first for the first time all season. The slugging catcher previously hadn't batted any higher than fourth, but Chicago manager Joe Maddon decided to mix up his lineup against Milwaukee lefty Gio Gonzalez. It remains to be seen whether Contreras will get more time in the leadoff spot. If he does, the 27-year-old could see an uptick in runs but a decrease in RBI.

Mejia isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.

Mejia will head to the bench after picking up a pair of base knocks Thursday night. Austin Hedges draws the start behind the dish and is set to bat eighth with Mejia out of the mix.

Narvaez isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

Narvaez will head to the bench after going 3-for-16 with two RBI over his last four contests. Tom Murphy is slated to handle the catching duties and bat fifth in Narvaez's absence.

Perez isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Royals.

Perez is in line for another day off, his second in the last three games. Kevin Plawecki is set to handle the catching duties and will bat eighth in Perez's absence.

Manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM on Friday that Smith will be the Dodgers' primary catcher moving forward.

The 24-year-old will be given a day to get acclimated -- he's out of the lineup Friday -- before taking over as the No. 1 backstop, after the Dodgers decided to move on from Austin Barnes as the primary option. Smith has hit 20 homers with a 130 wRC+ with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, and he tacked on three additional homers during a prior stint with Los Angeles earlier this season. The rookie looks like a worthwhile add in virtually all two-catcher formats.