MLB Player News

Mesoraco (hip, shoulder) got knocked in the knee a couple of days ago in a game at Double-A Pensacola, and the team is monitoring his status with that in addition to his hip and shoulder before activating him from the DL, Zach Buchanan from the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

On the bright side, Mesoraco was able to catch a full game the day after the incident. On the down side, Mesoraco isn't hitting very well against Double-A pitching during his rehab assignment, with a .167/.268/.250 line over 41 plate appearances. While we can say stats don't matter on a rehab assignment, it's been over two years since Mesoraco has had a healthy season in the majors, so his performance off of his breakout 2014 season is far from guaranteed.

Rupp is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves.

Rupp has settled into a routine of starting two-to-three consecutive games before receiving a scheduled day of rest. After starting the team's past two contests, Rupp will head to the bench Sunday in favor of backup catcher Andrew Knapp.

Jackson is hitting .338/.358/.677 with six home runs for High-A Florida.

Jackson has moved back behind the plate as he's played seven games at catcher and nine at DH. The former first-round pick has been a disappointment in his minor-league career so far with just a career .753 OPS. However, it looks like a switch of organizations and positions my revitalize his career.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

After assuming catching duties for the Cubs' last three games, Contreras will be given a breather in the series finale, opening up a start for Miguel Montero. Contreras busted out of a 3-for-19 skid in a major way Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam and three runs scored in the victory.

D'Arnaud is still experiencing wrist pain and may remain out Sunday against the Nationals, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

D'Arnaud has been out since Thursday with a wrist injury, but has made a couple appearances as a pinch hitter since then. Although his health is good enough for him to hit, he may not be quite ready to resume his catching duties. If d'Arnaud remains out Sunday, Rene Rivera will likely get the nod to start behind the dish.

Grandal is out of Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

Grandal is a switch hitter, but the Dodgers are going with right-handed Austin Barnes behind the dish in a lineup that includes just one left-handed hitter (Joc Pederson) against southpaw Robbie Ray. Grandal is hitting .250/.377/.432 with two home runs through 44 at-bats.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and three runs in Saturday's win over the Reds.

With the Cubs trailing in the second inning, Contreras hit a grand slam to give the team a lead it would never relinquish. Although he's off to a slow start in the power department, it's likely just a matter of time until he picks it up in that area.

Stephenson is off to a decent start at Low-A Dayton, hitting .265/.357/.449 with two homers and 14 RBI in 56 plate appearances.

The important part is that Stephenson, the Reds' first-round pick in the 2015 draft, has stayed healthy so far after only playing 39 games at Dayton last year. He's still just 20 years old, so there's plenty of time for him to develop.

D'Arnaud (wrist) is not in the Mets' lineup Saturday against the Nationals.

It will be the third straight start missed by d'Arnaud after he hit his hand on a bat while throwing during Wednesday's game. Rene Rivera, who is starting behind the plate Saturday, will likely continue receiving the lion's share of catching duties.

D'Arnaud was scratched from the Mets' lineup for Friday's game against the Nationals after having difficulty throwing, Marc Carig of Newsday reports.

The Mets will be hoping that this is nothing more than a little soreness for their starting catcher. D'Arnaud has had a respectable start to the season at the plate so far, slashing .263/.349/.526 to go along with two home runs.