MLB Player News

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Nationals.

The veteran catcher has caught fire at the plate now that he's fully healthy for the first time in a few years. Murphy has hit safely in five straight games, batting .500 (9-for-18) during that heater with two doubles, three homers, seven runs and seven RBI. His surge has allowed Drake Baldwin to get more rest while serving as Atlanta's primary DH, and Murphy should continue to see regular playing time as the team tries to keep its key players fresh for the playoffs.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 1-0 win over Philadelphia.

McCann, who had struck out twice against Phillies starter Andrew Painter, homered on the first pitch of the eighth inning off reliever Jonathan Bowlan. He reached low for a sweeper down in the zone for his fifth home run of the season. As the backup catcher, McCann gets a couple of starts per week, but as the Diamondbacks battle for a postseason berth, manager Torey Lovullo may be tempted to get starting catcher Gabriel Moreno's bat in the lineup as much as possible. That could result in Moreno slotting in at DH and McCann working behind the dish.

Bernal went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-6, extra-inning win over the Dodgers.

After a 1-for-5 debut Tuesday, Bernal delivered his first big-league homer in his second game. The 22-year-old got the start at designated hitter Wednesday, but he's expected to see a decent share of playing time at catcher over the remainder of the campaign, though the Cardinals also have Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages capable of playing behind the dish. Bernal hit .278 with an .831 OPS at Triple-A Memphis this year prior to his promotion.

Jensen went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs and a walk in Wednesday's 9-6 loss to Miami.

It was Jensen's first multi-homer game of the year and the second of his career. The catcher is picking up steam in the power department, going yard four times in his past six outings. Through 521 plate appearances, Jensen is slashing .226/.313/.426 with 21 homers, 26 doubles, 64 RBI and 63 runs scored this year.

Smith isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Smith went 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored Tuesday during his first game back from the injured list, and he'll retreat to the bench Wednesday as the Dodgers look to ease him back into action. Hunter Feduccia will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth.

Heineman is not in the Angels' starting lineup against the Yankees on Wednesday.

Heineman will get a breather after going 2-for-6 with a double and two runs scored over the first two games of the series. Travis d'Arnaud will start behind home plate and bat ninth while forming a battery with southpaw Reid Detmers.

Ruiz passed concussion protocol following his removal from Wednesday's game against Atlanta, Danielle Allentuck of The Washington Post reports.

Ruiz was pulled from the game after taking a foul tip off his mask in the fourth inning. Although he managed to avoid suffering a concussion this time around, the 28-year-old backstop's history of concussions/head injuries could cause the Nationals to err on the side of caution and sit him down for another game or two. Harry Ford would benefit from extra playing time during any games Ruiz may have to miss.

Diaz is not in the Astros' starting lineup against the White Sox on Wednesday.

Diaz will be on the bench for the second time in three days while Christian Vazquez starts behind home plate and bats ninth. Diaz has gone 11-for-37 (.297) with two home runs, five RBI and five runs scored over his last 12 appearances.

Dingler is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Eduardo Valencia is making the start behind the plate and batting fifth for Detroit. Over his last 22 games dating back to Aug. 7, Dingler is hitting .107 with a .307 OPS across 91 plate appearances. He has just two extra-base hits and no home runs during that span.

Kelly is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Brewers.

Kelly started at catcher in the first two games of the series, so he will get a break during Wednesday's tilt. Miguel Amaya will be behind the dish and will bat ninth for the Cubs.