MLB Player News

Sanchez isn't in the Padres' lineup for Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against Philadelphia.

Sanchez went 0-for-3 with a run scored during Game 1, bringing his batting average down to just .195 on the season. Austin Nola will start behind the dish for Game 2 and bat eighth.

Vazquez will sit Saturday against the Athletics.

Vazquez has made 19 more starts behind the plate than Ryan Jeffers this season, but the pair has had a much more even split in recent weeks. Vazquez continues to struggle offensively, posting a .551 OPS for the year and a .433 OPS over his last 22 games.

Langeliers will sit Saturday against the Twins.

Langeliers has handled a heavy workload this season, sitting tied for fifth with 68 starts behind the plate and starting seven more games as the designated hitter. The arrival of fellow catcher Tyler Soderstrom may cut into his at-bats down the stretch, however. Langeliers caught while Soderstrom served as the DH in the first game of the second half Friday, but it will be Soderstrom behind the plate and Seth Brown at DH on Saturday.

Stephenson isn't in the Reds' lineup Saturday against the Brewers.

After going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts during Friday's contest, Stephenson will get a breather Saturday. Luke Maile will take Stephenson's place behind the dish and bat ninth.

Naylor will sit Saturday against Texas.

Naylor kicked off the second half by going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, but his reward will be a trip to the bench. The Guardians have been hesitant to start him against southpaws, so it will be Cam Gallagher who gets the nod against Andrew Heaney.

Jansen will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Jansen opened the second half behind the plate but will turn things over to Alejandro Kirk on Saturday. Both backstops have dropped off at the plate this season after excellent production last year, though Jansen's 101 wRC+ (the product of a .227/.281/.459 slash line) beats Kirk's 78 wRC+ by a wide margin.

Knizner (groin) will not be activated from the injured list Saturday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Despite being cleared to return Friday, Knizner will remain on the injured list through Saturday as the Cardinals contemplate keeping three catchers on the active roster. With Willson Contreras firmly in the starting spot, a decision to cut down to two backstops would send either Knizner or Ivan Herrera down to Triple-A Memphis. Knizner is slashing .227/.254/.418 through 115 plate appearances this season.

Naylor went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 12-4 loss to the Rangers.

Naylor was heating up just before the All-Star break and kept it going Friday with his second career homer. The catcher is 6-for-11 with five RBI over his last three contests. Through 60 plate appearances this season, he's slashing .218/.283/.364 with two long balls, seven RBI and nine runs scored. If Naylor can hit more consistently, he may be able to take a more definite edge in playing time over Cam Gallagher -- the two backstops have mostly worked in a platoon so far.

Bailey went 1-for-5 with one RBI, a stolen base and one run scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Pirates.

Bailey was effective on both sides of the stolen-base equation Friday, as he also threw out Tucupita Marcano in the third inning. Bailey's theft was the first in his career, and as a catcher, he shouldn't be expected to run frequently. He's also slashing .290/.320/.483 with five home runs, 27 RBI, 15 runs scored, 11 doubles and a triple over 41 contests, though he's hitting a light .167 in July.

Soderstrom, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier in the day, went 0-for-3 with a walk in his big-league debut Friday against the Twins.

Soderstrom didn't slot in at either catcher or first base, instead filling the designated hitter role in his big-league debut. The 21-year-old is expected to provide some solid power numbers in time, and he should be in line for regular opportunities given his ability to fill up to three positions.