MLB Player News

Smith will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to Friday's game against the Nationals, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Smith has pieced together a .269/.381/.605 slash line with 20 homers and 54 RBI over 61 games at Triple-A this season, earning him another chance to stick in the big leagues. He figures to share the catching duties with Russell Martin moving forward after Austin Barnes was demoted to Triple-A.

Barnes was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Barnes has been scuffling at the dish since the All-Star break, slashing .133/.206/.233 over nine contests. As a result, he'll take a trip to the minors with the hope of finding his stroke. The Dodgers will recall Will Smith from Triple-A prior to Friday's clash in a corresponding move. Russell Martin and Smith figure to handle the catching duties moving forward.

Murphy (knee) was added to the active roster at Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday, Melissa Lockard of The Athletic reports.

The 24-year-old has been out since tearing his meniscus in early May, but Murphy is now back and will presumably take over behind the plate for the Aviators against El Paso on Thursday. He will look to build on the strong .324/.402/.459 line he posted in 19 games with Las Vegas before going down with the injury. If he does that, Murphy, arguably a top-12 catching prospect in all of baseball, could get his first big-league callup in September.

Gallagher is not in the lineup Thursday against the Indians.

Gallagher is slashing .300/.440/.500 with four doubles and two RBI in seven games since the All-Star break. He'll sit for a second straight game Thursday as Meibrys Viloria gets another start behind the dish in this one.

Gomes is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rockies, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Gomes will take a seat on the bench for Thursday's afternoon contest after starting the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader and going 2-for-3 with a home run. In his place, Kurt Suzuki is starting at catcher and hitting sixth.

Casali (knee) isn't expected to return from the 10-day injured list before the end of July, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Casali is eligible to come off the IL on Friday, but since he has yet to resume baseball activities, he won't be ready to rejoin the Reds in the minimum amount of time. Meanwhile, fellow backstop Tucker Barnhart (oblique) is set to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville, putting him on track to beat Casali back from the IL. Assuming that's the case, Casali may have to settle for a reduced role once he's reinstated, likely at some point in August.

Barnhart (oblique) is slated to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Louisville.

Sidelined for more than a month with a strained right oblique, Barnhart will get the green light for the final phase of the recovery process after taking batting practice and catching the last few days without any renewed discomfort. Because of the time he's missed, Barnhart may need to catch a full game or two for Louisville before the Reds reinstate him from the 10-day injured list. Once he's back with the big club, Barnhart should take over as the Reds' clear top catcher with Curt Casali (knee) and Kyle Farmer (concussion) both stuck on the IL and seemingly further behind in their respective rehab programs.

The Twins promoted Jeffers from High-A Fort Myers to Double-A Pensacola on Thursday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Jeffers and pitching prospect Jhoan Duran will make the jump to the Southern League together after neither had much left to prove at Pensacola. The 22-year-old turned in a .256/.330/.402 slash line (120 wRC+) across 315 plate appearances at Fort Myers, with that production rendered more meaningful by the fact that he's a catching product. While not a top-shelf defender, Jeffers' quality arm and respectable receiving skills should allow him to stick behind the plate as he moves through the system.

Knizner went 1-for-3 with a home run, two walks, two RBI and an additional run Wednesday in the Cardinals' 14-8 win over the Pirates.

Knizner connected on his first career home run during the Cardinals' big nine-run second inning, which proved to be the difference in the high-scoring contest. The rookie has been working as the No. 2 catcher behind Matt Wieters lately, but Knizner will likely be optioned to Triple-A Memphis when Yadier Molina (thumb) likely returns from the 10-day injured list at some point in August.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

With the Pirates facing a quick turnaround for the series finale with St. Louis, Diaz will just be getting a routine breather for the final game of the homestand. Jacob Stallings will serve as the Pirates' catcher Thursday, working in a battery with Joe Musgrove.