MLB Player News

Barnhart is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Barnhart will get the day off after starting four consecutive games. Stuart Turner will serve as the Reds' backstop Wednesday while Barnhart gets some rest.

Hedges went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in a 12-4 rout of the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Hedges has broken out with 16 homers in 92 games in his first full season as a starter in the majors. The 24-year-old's .219 batting average has suppressed his fantasy value, but it is actually a marked improvement over the .161 mark he posted across 161 combined at-bats with the Padres in 2015 and 2016. Hedges has shown an ability to hit for average in the minors, so it isn't inconceivable to think that the youngster can develop into a top-tier fantasy catcher as he enters his prime years if he gets his strikeout rate closer to 20 percent (29.0 K percentage this season).

Grandal's lone hit in five at-bats was a two-run blast in Tuesday's win over the Pirates.

The 28-year-old has been flashing his power stroke lately with two doubles and three homers over his last six starts. Grandal continues to sit against southpaws and in day games following night games, but he has produced well enough (.262 batting average and 17 long balls) in a semi-regular role to remain relevant in most fantasy formats.

Contreras (hamstring) was seen doing agility drills on the field Tuesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The young backstop continues to slowly work his way back from a hamstring strain that has kept him on the shelf since Aug. 9. Contreras should start to ramp up his activity in the next week, and while he still has a ways to go in his recovery, he's headed in the right direction. Barring any setbacks, Contreras could be back with the Cubs sometime in mid-September. In the meantime, Alex Avila and Rene Rivera will split duties behind the dish.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks.

D'Arnaud will get the day off after starting five of the last six games at catcher. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the dish for him, batting eighth.

Hedges is out of Sunday's lineup against the Nationals.

He has started the last four games but will take a seat for the matinee prior to Monday's off day. Hector Sanchez starts behind the dish and will hit seventh.

Caratini was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

The Cubs claimed Rene Rivera off waivers Saturday to serve as the backup catcher, so naturally Caratini was optioned as a corresponding move. He has hit .268/.318/.415 with one home run in 44 big-league plate appearances in his rookie campaign. Look for him to be back up when rosters expand in September, but his playing time will be extremely limited.

Grandal is out of Sunday's lineup against the Tigers, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

He has started five of the last six games, but will take a seat in the day game. Austin Barnes, who will start behind the dish and hit eighth against righty Justin Verlander, leads all big-league catchers (minimum 100 plate appearances) with a 148 wRC+.

Grandal went 1-for-3 with walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 3-0 win over the Tigers.

The 28-year-old got off to a slow start in the month of August (.184/.295/.421 in 11 games), but he has picked things up in the power department over his last four contests with a double and two homers. Grandal now has 16 home runs on the campaign, and while his 7.4 walk rate is well below last year's 14.0 percent mark, he has replaced those free passes with base hits (.264 batting average compared to .228 last season). He will continue to see regular starts behind the dish against right-handed pitchers down the stretch.

Plawecki went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Saturday's win over Miami.

Plawecki should stick with the Mets for the remainder of the season after Rene Rivera was claimed off waivers by the Cubs. With Travis d'Arnaud likely to receive the bulk of starts behind the plate, Plawecki's fantasy value is likely to remain limited to cavernous settings. He projects start a couple of games a week to give d'Arnaud a breather, though.