MLB Player News

Perez is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Tigers.

Perez is presumably getting a routine maintenance day in the series finale after catching 10 innings Monday and another full game Tuesday. Freddy Fermin will start behind the plate and bat seventh for the Royals on Wednesday.

Casali remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Casali has now started in just two of the Reds' last 10 games, and he's recorded just one hit in 22 at-bats dating back to April 19. The 34-year-old appears to have slipped to third on the Reds' depth chart at catcher behind Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile.

Nola is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Nola has hit just .103/.212/.103 in May over 29 at-bats, and he continues to see his playing time decrease. Brett Sullivan is starting behind the plate and hitting ninth against the Nationals on Wednesday.

Kirk is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Now on the bench for the fourth time in six games, Kirk looks like he'll be stuck in a part-time role between catcher and designated hitter until he can begin to catch fire at the plate. Though he's getting on base at a strong .353 clip thus far in 2023, Kirk isn't hitting the ball with much authority, as his ISO of .090 is down 40 points from last season. Since Danny Jansen remains the superior defender behind the plate, he'll likely continue to get the bulk of the starts at catcher at Kirk's expense.

Higashioka will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Orioles.

Higashioka is behind the plate for the fifth time in six games, with his increase in playing time coinciding with top backstop Jose Trevino's recent move to the 10-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. Though Higashioka is capable of popping the occasional home run, his high strikeout rates have made him a batting-average drain throughout his time in the majors. The 33-year-old should be on the fantasy radar only in AL-only leagues or in mixed leagues that start two catchers.

Murphy is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Murphy will get a day of rest for the series finale against the Dodgers. Travis d'Arnaud is getting the start behind the plate and will hit cleanup with Murphy out of the lineup.

Smith went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in Tuesday's 8-1 victory versus Atlanta.

Smith plated the game's first run with a single in the first inning and knocked in two more with a two-out double in the second. The 28-year-old had been in a mild slump coming into the contest, going 2-for-14 over his previous five games. As a whole, Smith has been among the league's most productive catchers on the campaign, slashing .310/.406/.552 with seven homers, 25 runs, 27 RBI and a stolen base. He's also drawn 21 walks and struck out just 12 times over 143 plate appearances, giving him a 1.75 BB/K -- the top mark among all major-leaguers with at least 100 trips to the dish.

Alvarez continues to develop at a rapid pace in the majors, and the 21-year-old is making a strong case to stay with the Mets even when the team's other catchers get healthy, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez had a slow start at the plate after being called up in early April, but through 16 games in May he's slashing .271/.364/.604 with four doubles and four homers, and his work with the pitching staff and defensive chops behind the plate are also growing by leaps and bounds. He's currently being backed up by Gary Sanchez, but sometime in the next few weeks both Tomas Nido (vision issues) and Omar Narvaez (calf) figure to get healthy. Alvarez is the only one of the four with minor-league options remaining, but with the Mets finally beginning to meet expectations -- the team saw a five-game winning streak snapped Tuesday -- continuity and performance could well be prioritized ahead of organizational depth, keeping the youngster in the big leagues.

Sabol will start at catcher and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Twins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Sabol will pick up his third straight start at a different spot, after previously manning left field in Monday's series opener and serving as the Giants' designated hitter in Tuesday's 4-3 win. He'll get a turn behind the dish in the finale Wednesday while Patrick Bailey rests after starting each of the past four games. Though top backstop Joey Bart (groin) was recently placed on the injured list, the Giants appear content to give Bailey the bulk of the work behind the plate while Sabol continues to serve as a more versatile bench piece.

Bailey is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bailey will get a breather for the series finale after he started behind the plate in each of the Giants' last four games while going 3-for-13 with a home run, a walk and three RBI. Though Blake Sabol will draw the nod at catcher Wednesday, Bailey appears set to receive a look as the Giants' primary backstop until Joey Bart (groin) is ready to return from the injured list.