MLB Player News

Sanchez was removed from Saturday's game in the third inning after he was hit in the mask by a foul ball.

Sanchez went 0-for-2 and was replaced behind the plate by Luis Torrens. He will likely undergo concussion testing in order to yield a more firm diagnosis, though it appears the early exit was a precautionary measure by the team. Saturday's start was his first since July 29, as Austin Hedges has reassumed primary catching duties.

Grandal left Saturday's game against the Mets with back spasms, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Grandal lasted seven innings in Saturday's win, going 1-for-4 with a double before he was replaced behind the plate by Austin Barnes. The team will likely let him rest for Sunday's series finale prior to Monday's well-timed travel day, but expect a more succinct evaluation by the team in due time.

Hedges is out of the lineup Saturday against the Pirates.

After starting the last four games, Hedges takes a seat in favor of Hector Sanchez, who is hitting sixth. Hedges is hitting .235 with five home runs and a 33:3 K:BB in 98 at-bats since the start of June.

Mesoraco (knee) is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cardinals.

It will be Mesoraco's first start in a week -- he has been limited to just one pinch-hitting appearance so far in August due to a knee injury. Mesoraco has battled hamstring and shoulder issues as well over the course of the season and hasn't looked much at all like the player we saw break out in 2014, slashing just .218/.318/.406 in 51 games.

D'Arnaud is not in Saturday's lineup against the Dodgers, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

D'Arnaud will get Saturday afternoon off after going 0-for-3 in Friday night's game. Rene Rivera will start in his place, hitting eighth.

Contreras went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI during Thursday's loss to the Diamondbacks.

The backstop has been a fantasy force over his past 25 games with nine homers, 27 RBI, 16 runs and a .340/.415/.681 slash line. That pace is obviously unsustainable, but Contreras has also settled into the heart of the lineup and should continue to see plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. He's close to locking himself into mention among the top-tier fantasy catchers, if he hasn't already.

Mesoraco (knee) could be back in the lineup within the next "48-to-72 hours" according to manager Bryan Price, The Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports.

Mesoraco has been out since Saturday with a knee injury that will force him to miss at least a couple more games. It doesn't appear as though the injury will warrant any sort of trip to the disabled list, but the catcher could miss a week of action by the time he comes back. In his place, Tucker Barnhart sets up behind the plate for Thursday's contest against the Pirates.

Grandal is out of the lineup against the Braves on Thursday.

Grandal receives a day off after two straight starts behind the plate, going 1-for-8 with five strikeouts during those games. In his place, Austin Barnes draws the assignment of catching Alex Wood, while batting sixth.

Mesoraco (knee) will miss his fourth straight game during Thursday's contest with the Pirates.

Mesoraco hasn't been a part of the starting lineup since Saturday when he exited the game against Miami due to knee injury. There hasn't been much word concerning Mesoraco's timetable, so he should be considered day-to-day moving forward. Tucker Barnhart will continue to draw the starts at catcher in his stead.

D'Arnaud is not in Thursday's lineup against the Rockies.

D'Arnaud gets a day off after catching the previous four games, going 6-for-16 with one RBI during that span. In his place, Rene Rivera sets up behind the plate, batting eighth.