MLB Player News

Contreras is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.

Contreras continues to underperform at the plate, as he's hitting just .231 with no extra-base hits over 26 at-bats in June. He'll take a seat Sunday with Miguel Montero drawing the start.

Diaz reached base four times Saturday, going 3-for-3 with a walk.

He's hitting .367 in 30 at-bats with a homer and eight RBI. The Pirates have been forced to use him regularly with both Francisco Cervelli (concussion) and Chris Stewart (hamstring) on the disabled list and so far the results have been encouraging. The 26-year-old has improved at the plate in recent minor-league seasons and seems capable of batting somewhere in the .270 range as a major leaguer. With both Cervelli and Stewart prone to injury, Diaz could find himself with ample playing time throughout the summer and beyond.

D'Arnaud is out of the lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

Although the doubleheader is the likely reason for d'Arnaud's absence, the catcher could likely use some rest after starting the past four games behind the plate. In his place, Rene Rivera will catch for Robert Gsellman.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup Friday against the Dodgers.

This marks the second straight game that Mesoraco will watch from the bench. The Reds really seem to be taking things very cautiously with the oft-injured catcher, although he also has just two hits in his past 21 at-bats. Tucker Barnhart will assume catching duties for the evening in his place.

Realmuto is not in the lineup Friday against the Pirates, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Despite collecting hits in each of the last three games, Realmuto will head to the bench for a breather Friday. A.J. Ellis will draw the start in his stead, batting eighth. Realmuto is enjoying a nice year at the dish, slashing .291/.359/.439 in 51 games.

Diaz is not in the lineup Friday against the Marlins.

Diaz is expected to pick up most of the starts while both Francisco Cervelli (concussion) and Chris Stewart (hamstring) are sidelined, but the young backstop will get a night off after two consecutive starts. Jacob Stallings will assume catching duties for the evening.

Contreras is not in the Cubs' lineup Friday against the Rockies, Bruce Miles of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

The backstop continues his timeshare with Miguel Montero, who'll receive pitches from Mike Montgomery. Contreras has struggled to build on his exciting 2016 stint, batting just .248/.317/.404 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 180 plate appearances this season.

Hedges went 1-for-4 with two RBI during Thursday's loss to Arizona.

Hedges has started 49 of 61 games for the Padres, which means he's one of the busier catchers in the league. It's a huge boon to his counting stats and fantasy value. While Hedges' .211 batting average and .261 on-base percentage are category anchors, 11 home runs and 30 RBI are top-tier numbers for a backstop.

Hedges is batting fifth and catching Thursday against the Diamondbacks, Jack Magruder of FanRagSports.com reports.

The backstop received a breather Wednesday in favor of Luis Torrens. Hedges resurfaces Thursday to catch Clayton Richard. He's batting only .211/.261/.439 with a .296 wOBA in 185 plate appearances, but his 11 home runs help him stand out as at least a top No. 2 catcher in a volatile player pool.

Diaz is batting eighth and catching Wednesday against the Orioles.

With Francisco Cervelli (concussion) landing on the disabled list, Diaz seems to be in line for most of the innings behind the plate for the foreseeable future. Although the Pirates called up Jacob Stallings from the minors to provide depth, Diaz's 6-for-20 performance thus far this season along with his status as the team's catcher of the future should afford him ample opportunities to show the club how well he can perform in a full-time role.