MLB Player News

Barnhart will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Marlins.

With Devin Mesoraco (knee) hurting again and considered day-to-day, Barnhart will check in behind the plate for the fourth time in five games. Even if Mesoraco doesn't require a trip to the disabled list for his latest injury setback, the Reds aren't eager to give him a heavy workload over the final two months of the season, so he and Barnhart should roughly split the starts behind the plate the rest of the way.

Mesoraco (knee) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.

Mesoraco was lifted from Saturday's contest after tweaking his knee in the sixth inning. With a scheduled off-day upcoming on Monday, the Reds will hold their starting catcher out of the lineup in order to give him ample time to rest his injured knee. Tucker Barnhart will fill in behind the plate and bat eighth.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Realmuto has been red-hot of late -- collecting eight hits in his past four contests -- but he'll get the day off as the Marlins square off against Luis Castillo and the Reds. A.J. Ellis takes over behind the plate, batting second.

Mesoraco tweaked his knee in Saturday's game against the Marlins, but the club doesn't think it's serious, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Mesoraco was removed before the bottom of the sixth. With an afternoon game Sunday and an off day Monday, it would seem like a perfect opportunity for the Reds to give him some light rest, even if the injury proves to be as minor as the club expects. As such, consider him day-to-day and don't be surprised if Mesoraco isn't in Sunday's lineup.

Hedges (concussion) is expected to return from the 7-day disabled list Sunday.

While the move won't be made official until Sunday, Hedges' return will be a boon to the Padres' lineup. Fellow catcher Luis Torrens is a Rule 5 pick, so his roster spot will likely be safe upon Hedges' return. Hedges has popped 13 home runs in 243 at-bats this season and should resume regular catching duties upon his return.

Realmuto went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 7-4 win over the Reds.

He's now set a new career high with 12 homers, and Realmuto is hitting a robust .385 (15-for-39) since the All-Star break with three home runs and eight RBI in 10 games. The 26-year-old catcher may not hit double-digit steals again in 2017, but he's otherwise proving he hasn't yet reached his fantasy ceiling.

Rupp went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs Friday against the Braves.

Rupp crushed his 10th homer of the campaign and he's been on a major streak as of late, as he's left the yard five times over his past eight starts. However, the fact that his playing time is sporadic makes it difficult to use him outside of NL-only formats as well as leagues that require two starting catchers.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup Friday against the Mariners, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

D'Arnaud will get Friday night off after catching Thursday's contest and going 0-for-4 on the evening. Rene Rivera will pick up a start behind the dish in his stead.

Grandal is not in the lineup Friday against the Giants, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Grandal started the past three games behind the dish, so he'll head to the bench for a night off. Austin Barnes will replace him for the evening, batting sixth.

Hedges (concussion) will catch five innings in an Arizona Rookie League game Saturday, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

Hedges cleared all concussion tests a while back, but lingering effects of the foul ball that hit him in the catcher's mask stuck around to keep him on the shelf longer. It seems like he's nearing a return, however, and if all goes well Saturday, he could slot back into the Padres' lineup for Sunday's series finale.