MLB Player News

General manager Sandy Alderson said Plawecki (hand) will probably be sidelined for at least another two weeks, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Plawecki recently resumed throwing, but according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, his grip strength still hasn't improved, leaving him at least a couple of weeks away from rejoining the Mets. An updated timetable for his return should emerge once he's able to ramp up his activity. In the meantime, Tomas Nido and Jose Lobaton will split duties behind the dish.

Contreras is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies.

Contreras plays very frequently for a catcher -- this marks just his fifth absence so far this season. He's hitting a solid .264/.350/.418, though the fact that he has just one home run is disappointing for his fantasy owners. Victor Caratini will get the start behind the plate Tuesday.

Realmuto went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Monday's win over the Phillies.

He's now hit safely in nine straight games and 10 of 11 since coming off the disabled list, giving Realmuto a robust .357/.426/.667 slash line. He'll cool down eventually, but his consistent spot near the top of the Marlins' order should allow the 27-year-old to remain one of the few reliable fantasy assets in the team's lineup.

Hedges was removed in the second inning of Monday's game against the Giants due to elbow tendinitis, Dennis Lin of The Athletic San Diego reports.

Hedges' elbow was bothering him early in the game, so he was replaced by A.J. Ellis in the second inning. He shouldn't be forced to miss significant time and will be considered day-to-day moving forward.

Nido will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Padres, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Despite having their top two backstops in Kevin Plawecki (hand) and Travis d'Arnaud (elbow) on the disabled list, the Mets have thus far resisted looking outside the organization for help at catcher. That has allowed Nido to stick on the active roster for the past three weeks, with the 24-year-old working in a timeshare with veteran Jose Lobaton behind the plate. Both players have hit under .150 during their stints with the Mets, however, so it will be difficult to rely on either for much aid even in NL-only formats, especially while the duo continues to split time in relatively even fashion.

Hedges is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mets.

Hedges exploded with a three-hit, five-RBI performance Saturday, with the latter figure matching his total from his first 22 games of the season combined. He'll be rewarded with an off day in the series finale, affording backup A.J. Ellis a turn behind the plate.

Plawecki (hand) has resumed throwing, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

While this is encouraging news for the backstop, he still hasn't been able to catch since suffering a hairline fracture in his left (catching) hand earlier in the month, leaving his potential return timetable up in the air. The Mets will continue to use a combination of Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido behind the dish until Plawecki is healthy.

Grandal is not in the lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Giants, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Grandal has been the primary catcher for the Dodgers this season, starting 18 of the team's first 25 games behind the plate. Austin Barnes will start the afternoon game in his place, though it's likely both catchers get a start in one half of the doubleheader. Grandal is hitting .316/.409/.566 this season, so expect him to hold onto his starting job for a while.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Saturday against the Twins, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He has received the bulk of the starts behind the dish so far this season, hitting .233/.318/.384 with two home runs and a decent 20:10 K:BB in 73 at-bats. Devin Mesoraco will start at catcher and hit eighth in his place.

Perez was designated for assignment by the Braves on Friday.

With Tyler Flowers returning from the disabled list, the Braves no longer needed Perez's catching services in the big leagues. The 27-year-old played sparingly due in part to a hot start from veteran Kurt Suzuki, but also due to a lowly 3-for-21 (.143) batting line in his limited opportunities. He'll now be exposed to waivers with a demotion to the minors likely to come wherever he may wind up.