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Rafael Flores C | PIT
Pirates' Rafael Flores: Taking seat Saturday
Flores isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Detroit.
Flores will move to the bench after going 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in Friday's series opener. Henry Davis will handle catching duties and bat ninth.
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Eduardo Valencia C | DET
Tigers' Eduardo Valencia: Reaches five times in win
Valencia went 2-for-2 with three walks, a double and three runs scored in Friday's 8-7 win over the Pirates.
Valencia was dialed in at the plate Friday, and he set a new season high with the three walks as well as reaching base five times overall. The rookie has been a revelation with a .350/.391/.617 slash line across 128 plate appearances. It remains to be seen how Detroit will manage both Valencia and Dillon Dingler behind the plate in 2027, but Valencia has seemingly earned a role, perhaps as a more frequent DH option.
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Carter Jensen C | KC
Royals' Carter Jensen: Launches two homers in loss
Jensen went 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and a strikeout during Friday's 12-9 loss to the Guardians.
Jensen recorded his second multi-homer game of the month and first since Sept. 2. The 23-year-old catcher blasted a two-run homer in the second off Gavin Williams to tie the game and launched another two-run shot off Hunter Gaddis in the eighth to tie the game again. Over his last 30 games, Jensen is slashing .300/.392/.691 with 11 homers and 25 RBI in 126 plate appearances.
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Austin Hedges C | CLE
Guardians' Austin Hedges: Cracks sixth homer
Hedges went 1-for-3 with a solo homer, two runs and a walk during Friday's 12-9 win over the Royals.
Hedges launched his first long ball since Aug. 24 on Friday. The 34-year-old took Noah Cameron deep in the second inning to extend the lead. The catcher extended his on-base streak to eight games. This year, Hedges is batting .249/.328/.380 with six homers and 25 RBI in 245 plate appearances.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Three knocks in win
Smith went 3-for-4 in Friday's 2-0 win over the Giants.
Smith's trio of singles Friday accounted for his third multi-hit effort over his last seven games. The catcher is batting .458 (11-for-24) in that span. For the season, he's hitting .259 with a .782 OPS, 10 home runs, 34 RBI, 34 runs scored, nine doubles and no stolen bases over 72 contests.
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Nick Fortes C | TB
Rays' Nick Fortes: Smacks solo homer
Fortes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday in a 2-0 win over the Phillies.
Fortes made a rare start versus southpaw Cristopher Sanchez, taking the left-hander yard in the second inning. Liam Hicks has taken over as Tampa Bay's primary backstop since the trade deadline, likely leaving Fortes with scant playing time in the playoffs. Through 294 at-bats, Fortes is hitting .262 with six homers, 35 RBI, 12 walks and 33 runs scored.
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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Out of lineup Friday
Raleigh is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.
Jhonny Pereda will step in behind the plate to catch for starter Bryce Miller, as Raleigh sits amid an 0-for-12 stretch. Raleigh is wrapping up one of the most disappointing follow-ups to an MVP-caliber season in recent memory, as he's slashing just .179/.294/.369 across 520 plate appearances in 2026.
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Liam Hicks C | TB
Rays' Liam Hicks: On bench Friday
Hicks is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies.
Hicks will give way to Nick Fortes behind the plate against lefty Cristopher Sanchez, which is the norm for Tampa Bay against southpaws. The 27-year-old Hicks is enjoying a breakout campaign, and he's been even better by OPS with the Rays (.804) than he was with the Marlins to begin the year (.795).
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Dalton Rushing C | LAD
Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Returns from IL
The Dodgers reinstated Rushing (elbow) from the injured list Friday.
Rushing hasn't fully recovered from his elbow soreness, which stems from a partial UCL tear that will keep him from catching for the rest of the year, but the Dodgers will bring him back to serve as a left-handed bench bat. The 25-year-old has been fairly successful when healthy, slashing .249/.332/.466 with 12 homers, 36 RBI and 37 runs scored across 250 plate appearances. However, his restrictive role will likely keep him from being much of a factor during Los Angeles' final regular-season series and the postseason. Alex Freeland was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Exiting starting lineup
Stephenson is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in Toronto.
It's a routine day off for Stephenson, who has exceeded 100 starts at catcher this season for the second time in his career. Jose Trevino will be behind the dish in Friday's series opener.