MLB Player News

Bart (groin) is being evaluated by the Giants on Friday to determine his next steps, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Bart has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento, and the Giants will see how their backstop is recovering from the left groin strain that has sidelined him since the middle of May. It's possible Bart could be activated in the early part of next week, but his status likely won't be updated until the weekend. It's also unknown if he'll return to a starting role with Patrick Bailey receiving most of the reps behind the plate while Bart has been out.

Gomes is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Giants, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Gomes will sit the first game of the three-game set versus the Giants as the 35-year-old continues to get every other game off. Tucker Barnhart will handle catching duties and hit ninth.

Bailey (neck) is starting behind the plate Friday against the Cubs, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Neck tightness kept Bailey out of the lineup Thursday, but the issue seems to have subsided ahead of Friday's contest. The 24-year-old backstop has been on a tear since earning a promotion from Triple-A Sacramento, slashing .309/.321/.545 across 58 plate appearances.

Nido was outrighted Friday to Triple-A Syracuse, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Nido appears willing to accept the outright assignment if he is not traded. The 29-year-old catcher passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment by the Mets this past Monday. He's a career .213/.249/.308 hitter in 805 plate appearances at the MLB level.

Salazar was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

After being sent down to Sugar Land on Monday, Salazar will return to the big leagues and replace Yordan Alvarez (oblique) on the 26-man roster after Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday. Salazar has gone 2-for-14 with a run scored over limited action with the Astros this season and he'll likely operate as an additional bat off the bench while drawing an occasional start behind the plate. His addition to the roster could be a sign Houston plans to give Yainer Diaz more time at DH while Alvarez is sidelined.

Diaz is starting at designated hitter and batting eighth Friday in Cleveland.

If you want to squint for a silver lining following the Yordan Alvarez (oblique) injury, it's that Diaz should see more opportunities in the DH spot. He's already been catching more of late and has a 1.029 OPS, with all three of his home runs coming in his last 35 plate appearances.

Haase isn't starting Friday against the Diamondbacks.

Haase's slump at the plate has begun to cost him significant playing time, as he's been phased out of the picture in left field and DH while splitting starts behind the plate with Jake Rogers. Rogers will start Friday and bat eighth.

Kirk is out of the starting lineup Friday against the Twins.

Tyler Heineman will catch and bat ninth versus the Twins and right-hander Sonny Gray. Kirk has posted a relatively disappointing .260/.350/.351 slash line with three home runs and 18 RBI through 51 games (177 plate appearances) this season for the Blue Jays.

Moreno is absent from the lineup for Friday's game againt the Tigers.

Moreno had been slated for a day off Thursday before that game got postponed, and the Diamondbacks have elected to use the opportunity to give him additional rest. Jose Herrera will catch Merrill Kelly in Moreno's place.

Rutschman went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Thursday's 6-3 victory over Milwaukee.

The 25-year-old is now batting .372 (16-for-43) with a .903 OPS over his last 11 games. Rutschman has played nearly every day in his sophomore campaign, serving as the DH when taking a break from catching duties. He's slashing .283/.399/.425 with eight homers, 21 runs scored and 28 RBI while tallying more walks (45) than strikeouts (38).