MLB Player News
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Bo Naylor C | CLE
Guardians' Bo Naylor: Takes seat versus lefty
Naylor is out of the lineup Wednesday at Cincinnati.
Cam Gallagher will start at catcher and bat ninth with left-hander Andrew Abbott readying to toe the slab for the Reds. Naylor has slashed .222/.263/.278 in only 19 plate appearances versus southpaws this year.
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Jacob Stallings C | BAL
Marlins' Jacob Stallings: Heads to bench Wednesday
Stallings is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.
The playing time at catcher has been tilting in Stallings' favor of late, with the 33-year-old having started behind the dish in three of the previous four games. Stallings will give way to Nick Fortes on Wednesday, but even if one of the two emerges as the Marlins' clear-cut top option over the final six weeks of the season, neither is expected to deliver much meaningful fantasy value.
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Willson Contreras 1B | BOS
Cardinals' Willson Contreras: Out Wednesday with hip issue
Contreras (hip) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
He'll be on the bench for a second straight game while he manages a tight right hip. Despite Contreras being banged up, the Cardinals haven't called up another catcher from the minors, so the team is seemingly optimistic the hip issue isn't serious enough to send him to the 10-day injured list. Andrew Knizner will pick up another turn behind the plate Wednesday while Contreras turns his focus toward a return to the lineup at some point during this weekend's four-game series with the Mets.
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Blake Sabol C | BOS
Giants' Blake Sabol: Garners fourth straight start
Sabol will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Rays, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Sabol went 1-for-8 at the dish while starting each of the past three games in left field, but he'll shift behind the plate Wednesday while No. 1 backstop Patrick Bailey rests in the series finale. The Giants seem content to give Sabol a look as their primary left fielder against right-handed pitching while all of Mike Yastrzemski (hamstring), Mitch Haniger (forearm) and AJ Pollock (oblique) are on the injured list.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Sitting out Wednesday
Murphy is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.
Atlanta will go with Travis d'Arnaud at catcher as it tries to finish off a sweep of the Yankees. Murphy wasn't in the lineup for Monday's game either, as manager Brian Snitker continues to regularly alternate starts for his catchers.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Retreats to bench
Stephenson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians.
Stephenson is slashing a woeful .180/.254/.246 since the All-Star break, and his ongoing struggles at the dish appear to have resulted in him moving into more of a timeshare at catcher with Luke Maile. The two backstops have now alternated starts behind the plate over the past eight games.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Hits bench Wednesday
Moreno is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies.
Though he didn't start in his return from the injured list Sunday, Moreno was behind the dish for the first two games of the series in Colorado, going 1-for-8 with a double and an RBI. He should be locked in as Arizona's primary option behind the dish moving forward, but Moreno will give way to Jose Herrera for the day game after a night game.
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Ryan Jeffers C | MIN
Twins' Ryan Jeffers: Heads to bench Wednesday
Jeffers is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.
Jeffers will hit the bench after he went 4-for-21 with four walks while starting each of the last six games at either catcher or designated hitter. Though Jeffers appears to have at least temporarily emerged as the Twins' top backstop, Christian Vazquez will get the nod behind the plate for the series finale.