MLB Player News

The Guardians optioned Naylor to Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Naylor has slashed just .143/.200/.238 through 90 plate appearances this season, so Cleveland will send him back down to the minors to get him back on track. The Guardians traded for Patrick Bailey to replace Naylor on the active roster and provide defensive help at catcher. Austin Hedges is also likely to continue making starts behind the plate, given Bailey's recent offensive struggles.

The Guardians acquired Bailey from the Giants on Saturday in exchange for left-hander Matt Wilkinson and the 29th pick in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Bailey was starting to see his playing time with the Giants trend down after beginning the season with just a .396 OPS through 89 plate appearances. The Guardians have also been fighting to get consistent production out of the catcher spot, as Bo Naylor has struggled to the tune of a .438 OPS over his first 28 games and will now head down to Triple-A following Cleveland's acquisition of Bailey. Although he hasn't produced much at the plate, Bailey's elite defense should allow him to at least work in a timeshare behind the dish with Austin Hedges.

Hedges went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 6-4 win over Minnesota.

Hedges was in the starting lineup as usual for starter Parker Messick, but the backup catcher has caught four of Cleveland's last seven games, going 5-for-14 with three extra-base hits, two RBI and four runs scored over that stretch. In addition to his role as the personal catcher for Messick, the right-handed-hitting Hedges appears to have become the choice whenever the Guardians face a lefty starter, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Hedges' production (123 wRC+, .801 OPS) dwarfs that of Bo Naylor (22, .438).

Herrera went 4-for-5 with a run scored in Friday's 6-0 win over the Padres.

Herrera logged his third multi-hit effort over seven games in May. He's batting .357 (10-for-28) this month while adding a 3:9 BB:K. For the season, the catcher is hitting .263 with an .837 OPS, four home runs, 10 doubles, 17 RBI, 22 runs scored and one stolen base across 38 contests. Herrera has settled in as the Cardinals' regular No. 2 hitter while splitting time between designated hitter and catcher.

Bailey isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Pirates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bailey has been starting to lose playing time recently, as Friday will mark his third missed start in San Francisco's last five games. Jesus Rodriguez will pick up a start behind the plate and bat ninth while Bailey sits.

Murphy isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers.

Murphy will stay put in the dugout to begin Friday's contest after going 1-for-6 with three strikeouts in Atlanta's last series against the Mariners. Drake Baldwin will start behind the plate, and Dominic Smith will work as the designated hitter.

Pages isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against San Diego.

Pages will get a breather after going 0-for-14 with five strikeouts over his last four games. Ivan Herrera will handle catching duties Friday while Nolan Gorman works as the DH, opening up third base for Cesar Prieto.

O'Hoppe (wrist) began catching off a machine, hitting on the field and running the bases Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

O'Hoppe seems to be making significant strides in his recovery from a wrist fracture he suffered in late April, though he said the biggest test will be catching full bullpen sessions and hitting against velocity. It's unknown when the Angels plan to advance him to that stage in his rehab, though the team still likely plans to bring him back before the end of the month. Travis d'Arnaud will continue to work as the primary catcher until then.

Ballesteros isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rangers.

Ballesteros will take a day to regroup after going 0-for-11 at the plate across his last four games. Michael Conforto will step in as the Cubs' designated hitter and bat second.

Teel (hamstring) will run the bases this weekend before beginning a rehab assignment next week if all goes well, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Teel's recovery from a right hamstring strain has come along slowly, but he's poised for a big step forward this weekend. Given how much time the young catcher has missed, Teel figures to require at least a handful of rehab contests before rejoining the active roster for the White Sox. When he does make it back, he'll be in line for the lion's share of the playing time behind the dish.