MLB Player News

Grandal is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Diamondbacks on Monday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Grandal will stick on the bench for a second straight game as Austin Barnes draws another start behind the dish. Grandal went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in his only postseason start this season, while Barnes has gone 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored, so it appears manager Dave Roberts is choosing to ride with the hotter bat.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Game 2 of the NLDS against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Grandal is hitting just .233 in 86 at-bats against southpaws this season -- compared to his .250 average against right-handed pitchers -- so he'll head to the bench as righty-hitting Austin Barnes draws the start against lefty Robbie Ray. Barnes will start behind the dish and bat seventh in his stead Saturday, though Grandal will likely be back in the starting lineup for Game 3.

Glenn agreed to a minor-league deal with the Mets on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old played in just 20 games this year at Triple-A Las Vegas, slashing .234/.321/.340. Dunn also struck out in 30.2 percent of his plate appearances. The Mets currently have decent depth at catcher, so it's likely he will stay at Triple-A in a similar role next season.

Perez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Perez will return to the Diamondbacks rather than test the minor-league free agent market. He posted his best season to date in 2017, hitting .279/.365/.424 in 80 games with Double-A Jackson while drawing praise as one of the best defensive catchers at that level. The 25-year-old will continue his climb to the majors next season, likely starting the year out with Triple-A Reno.

Murphy went hitless in four at-bats following his September callup.

The catching prospect saw little playing time down the stretch with the Rockies in the thick of the playoff race -- a disappointing finish to a disappointing season. Expected by many to move into the starting catcher role at some point in 2017, he wound up getting hurt during spring training and struggling at the plate in the minors. Heading into 2018, Murphy still looks like a candidate to assume full-time catching duties, but he'll need to show that this past season was simply a fluke and not a sign of things to come.

Diaz is not starting against the Nationals on Sunday.

The rookie is slumping his way into the offseason, getting four hits in his last 32 at-bats. Diaz's receiving skills continue to need work, but he remains the likely backup to starter Francisco Cervelli in 2018. Given Cervelli's penchant for landing on the disabled list, Diaz could see significant playing time next year.

Hedges is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.

Hedges' rough offensive season will come to an end, as he'll be replaced in the starting lineup by Rocky Gale. The 25-year-old will finish the year with a .214 average and 29.3 percent strikeout rate in his 120 games played.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

D'Arnaud will find himself positioned on the bench for the final game of the regular season. Tomas Nido will fill in behind the plate in his stead.

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

After starting the past two games, Contreras will get the day off as the Cubs close out the regular season against Deck McGuire and the Reds. Alex Avila will take over behind the plate, batting sixth.

D'Arnaud is out of Saturday's lineup against the Phillies, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

He has done his best to salvage what had been a mediocre year over the first five months, as he is hitting .333/.373/.741 with six home runs in his last 54 at-bats. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and hit fifth.