MLB Player News

Leon is not in Saturday's lineup against the Tigers, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Leon will take a seat Saturday after starting Friday's game and is now 7-for-41 with 13 strikeouts over his last 12 games. Blake Swihart will start behind the plate for Boston, batting ninth.

Barnhart is not starting Saturday against the Pirates.

Barnhart is hitting a modest .249/.329/.353 with five home runs through 81 games this season. Curt Casali will draw the start behind the plate in his absence.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup versus the Yankees on Saturday.

Mesoraco will occupy a spot on the bench after going 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI during Friday's series-opening win. In his place, Kevin Plawecki will catch Steven Matz and bat sixth.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Cardinals.

Contreras will receive a breather after going 1-for-4 with a solo home run and three strikeouts during Friday's loss. In his place, Victor Caratini will catch Tyler Chatwood. Expect to see Contreras back behind the plate for Game 2.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Cardinals.

Contreras also struck out three times, so it was a mixed effort. The 26-year-old catcher went deep in the All-Star Game Tuesday and now has eight home runs this season. He'll have to get rolling to match the 21 long balls he recorded in 2017, but he certainly has the talent to get hot in a hurry.

Murphy had surgery on his right wrist Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Murphy will hit the shelf after undergoing surgery on his right hamate bone. The Athletics hope he'll be healthy enough to return to minor-league action before the end of the season.

Gomes is out of the lineup against Texas on Friday, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Gomes will take a seat for the series finale while Roberto Perez is set to handle the catching duties. Look for Gomes to return to the starting lineup Saturday.

Moore's contract was selected by the Rays on Friday, Juan Toribio of The Athletic Tampa Bay reports.

The Rays will need a second catcher with Wilson Ramos out with a strained hamstring. Moore has spent parts of eight seasons in the big leagues but has appeared in just 96 games and none since 2016. He has a .197/.237/.303 line overall and is unlikely to be used in anything other than a backup role while he remains with the team.

Stephenson went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI for High-A Daytona in its 9-6 win over Bradenton on Thursday.

The hit and RBI totals matched career highs for the 21-year-old backstop, who is now slashing .282/.361/.451 across 391 plate appearances on the season. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Stephenson is quite large for a catcher, but his big frame hasn't hindered him too much defensively thus far in his development. The Reds will continue to bring the 2015 first-round pick through the system slowly and likely won't prepare him for a role with the big club until 2020.

Caratini went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's win over the Cardinals.

Caratini got the start for Willson Contreras and made it count, as he recorded his first three-hit game of the season. Contreras figures to catch most days, but Caratini will spell him on occasion, and the 24-year-old could also see some time at first base and in the outfield for the Cubs in the second half.