MLB Player News

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

The recent timeshare between Contreras and Miguel Montero continues to take shape as the youngster will head to the bench again in favor of the veteran backstop Montero. Until Contreras becomes more productive at the plate, expect this timeshare to remain as the season trudges on.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

It appears that Realmuto is simply getting a scheduled day of rest against Braden Shipley and the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old has been solid at the plate again this year, slashing .295/.365/.428 over the first two months of the season. He also added his second stolen base of the season Saturday. A.J. Ellis will draw the start behind the plate.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco continues to receive ample time off this season and will again head to the bench while Tucker Barnhart draws the start in his stead.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Saturday's loss to the Rockies.

It was the third home run in three games for Hedges and his 11th of the campaign. The backstop sports an underwhelming .218 batting average and .270 on-base percentage, but his 11 homers, 28 RBI, 20 runs and .455 slugging percentage are moving the needle. Power is usually hard to mine from the catcher position, and not only is Hedges providing pop, but he's also playing regularly with 179 plate appearances this season.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Pirates.

D'Arnaud has raised his batting average from .190 to .241 over his last five starts, but the Mets still want to keep him fresh, so he will get a day off after starting the previous two contests. Rene Rivera will get the nod behind the plate in d'Arnaud's place.

Grandal went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Friday's win over the Brewers.

The catcher's ninth-inning home run extended the game and allowed the Dodgers to win in extras. It was just Grandal's sixth long ball of the season, putting him on pace to finish closer to the mid-teen power we were used to prior to his 27-homer outburst last season. The decreased power has been offset by a .282 batting average, but that is being inflated by a career-high .351 BABIP. Assuming his average dips back down to its usual level and his power isn't what was expected, Grandal will still hold standard-league value based on the general lack of productive options at the catcher position.

Rupp is out of Saturday's lineup against the Giants, Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com reports.

He is hitting .241/.313/.414 with three home runs over his last 17 games (58 at-bats), which makes him relevant in standard leagues, given the dearth of useful options at the catching position. Andrew Knapp will start behind the dish and hit seventh.

Diaz went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and six RBI against the Mets on Friday.

A last-minute replacement for starter Francisco Cervelli (illness), Diaz smacked both a three-run double and three-run dinger. He's better known for defense, but his offense has improved over his last several seasons of minor-league play. Although he's stuck behind Cervelli and Chris Stewart on the depth chart, his stock is on the rise and he figures to see a tick up in playing time, especially with Stewart on the disabled list. Diaz remains the team's long-range catcher of the future.

Hedges went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 8-5 win over the Rockies.

The homer was his second in as many starts and 10th of the season in 51 games. Hedges' .216/.269/.438 slash line on the season isn't very appetizing from a fantasy perspective, but if he continues seeing the bulk of the action behind the plate, he has a shot at breaking Mike Piazza's franchise record for home runs in a season by a catcher (22).

Mesoraco is out of Friday's lineup against the Braves.

He has essentially been splitting time evenly with Tucker Barnhart of late, and is in the midst of an 0-for-15 funk over his last five games. Barnhart will catch Bronson Arroyo and hit eighth.