MLB Player News

Garver is not starting Friday against the Royals, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Garver left Wednesday's game against the Yankees after taking a foul ball off his mask. He avoided a concussion but remains out of the lineup, with Willians Astudillo getting the call behind the plate.

Barnhart is not in the lineup against the Cubs on Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Barnhart will retreat to the bench for a standard day off after going 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts during Wednesday's loss to the Dodgers. Curt Casali will handle the catching duties and hit seventh in the order.

Jansen is on the bench Friday against the Yankees.

Jansen has had the edge in playing time behind the plate in September, but he hardly has a monopoly on the position. He's made six starts there this month, with Luke Maile starting four times and Reese McGuire receiving three starts. Maile will take his turn Friday.

Plawecki is out of the lineup against the Red Sox on Friday.

Plawecki will receive a breather after starting the first game of Thursday's doubleheader versus Miami. In his place, Tomas Nido will catch Noah Syndergaard and bat ninth in the order.

Leon is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Leon will sit for the second straight game as he is 0-for-25 with one walk in his last 12 games. Blake Swihart will start behind the plate and bat ninth as the Red Sox continue to utilize a heavy rotation at catcher, with Christian Vazquez now back in the mix as well.

Perez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Twins.

Perez took Alan Busenitz deep in the sixth inning to record his 25th home run of the season. He's now hit four home runs in his past 10 games and is on pace to surpass his 27 long balls from the 2017 season. While his batting average (.235) and on-base percentage (.274) are poor, Perez has produced strong counting stats relative to others eligible at catcher.

Nido went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader victory over the Marlins.

Nido's homer was the first of his career in the major leagues, as he sparked the Mets' offense in the fifth inning with the solo shot. He now has at least one hit in five of his last six starts, and he owns a .188 batting average with nine runs and eight RBI over 73 plate appearances in 2018.

Plawecki is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki will take a seat for the second half of Thursday's doubleheader after catching all nine innings in the first game, going 0-for-1 with a pair of walks and a run scored in the 4-3 win. In his absence, Tomas Nido will set up behind the dish and hit eighth.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Mets, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Realmuto will retreat to the bench for Game 2 of Thursday's twin bill after catching all nine innings during the first game, going 0-for-2 with a pair of walks in the process. Chad Wallach will set up behind the dish and hit eighth in his place.

Garver (head) is not in the lineup against the Royals on Thursday, LaVelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune reports.

Garver will receive a day off after leaving Wednesday's game following a shot to his catching mask in the second inning. Though he appears to have sidestepped any sort of concussion-related symptoms, manager Paul Molitor will refrain from thrusting him back into the lineup Thursday night. In his absence, Chris Gimenez will handle the catching duties and bat ninth.