MLB Player News

Stallings had his contract purchased from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stallings was cast off the 40-man roster over the offseason since he was blocked by Francisco Cervelli (concussion), Chris Stewart (hamstring) and Elias Diaz in the catching pecking order, but with Cervelli and Stewart both sidelined with injuries, Stallings will return to the big leagues to provide catching depth. More likely than not, the 27-year-old will play second fiddle to Diaz behind the plate, although Stallings was 6-for-15 in a brief cup of coffee with Pittsburgh last season, so he could pick up his fair share of starts if he hits like that this time around as well.

Hedges is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.

Hedges has three home runs over the past week, but he'll head to the bench for a night off after four straight starts. Luis Torrens will take over behind the plate in his place.

Rupp is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Braves, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

It seems like Rupp has moved into more of a timeshare with Andrew Knapp at this point, with the two backstops alternating starts over the past week. It's unclear if this is how manager Pete Mackanin plans to deploy the two of them going forward, although Rupp's .222 batting average certainly isn't pressing the issue for more playing time.

Barnhart has hit .284/.433/.766 in 67 at-bats since late April.

The switch-hitting catcher has slowly been losing playing time ever since former All-Star Devin Mesoraco made his 2017 debut off the disabled list in late April. However, since then, Barnhart's batting average on the season has increased from .250 to .268 with an on-base percentage increase from .297 to .333. He remains the backup catcher in Cincinnati for the time being, but either the competition or the extra rest time has allowed him to produce better than what he did over the first month of the season.

D'Arnaud accounted for the final run of Tuesday's 10-8 loss to the Rangers with a ninth-inning solo homer, his only hit in five at-bats on the evening.

While d'Arnaud isn't sitting on particularly shiny numbers, especially that .231 average, there's some hope to be found in his batting line. The 28-year-old catcher has a horribly low .217 BABIP despite dispensing line drives and hard-hit balls at the highest rates of his career, and his .253 ISO is easily a career best. There's hope yet for his long-suffering fantasy owners.

Stewart (hamstring) resumed baseball activities Tuesday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stewart has been sidelined since the end of May, but it seems like he's finally progressed in his rehab, meaning that a rehab assignment may come in the next week or so barring any setbacks. Until he's ready for full action again, Elias Diaz will act as the backup catcher behind Francisco Cervelli.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Cardinals, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco will get his second night off in three days as the Reds continue to give him ample rest time in order to keep him healthy. Tucker Barnhart will assume catching duties in his stead.

Grandal is out of the lineup Monday against the Nationals, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

He has caught the last three games and is hitting .179 with a 42.9 percent strikeout rate over his last seven games. Grandal is very streaky, but his overall performance is typically excellent by catcher standards. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit sixth in his place.

Rupp is not in the lineup Monday against the Braves.

After collecting just three hits over his past 14 games, Rupp will head to the bench for the second time in three days. Andrew Knapp will assume catching duties for the evening.

Murphy (forearm) caught back-to-back games for Triple-A Albuquerque over the weekend, Nick Groke of The Denver Post reports.

This is a big step for the catching prospect, as it seems like he's nearly ready for full action with the big-league club. Murphy is scheduled to appear in another rehab game with the Isotopes on Tuesday, and if all goes well, it wouldn't be surprising to see him return to the Rockies by the end of the week.