MLB Player News

Realmuto is out of the lineup Sunday against the Dodgers, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

In an effort to both give his top backstop a rest and hand A.J. Ellis a start behind the plate in Los Angeles against his former team, manager Don Mattingly will hold Realmuto out of the lineup in the series finale. Realmuto was an on-base machine during the first three games of the series, going 3-for-10 with three walks, two runs and an RBI.

Rupp is out of the lineup Sunday against the Pirates, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

After starting four of the past five games behind the dish, Rupp will give way to backup Andrew Knapp in the series finale. Rupp has enjoyed a productive May with three homers, 10 RBI and a .295 average over 44 at-bats, making him a useful lineup option in most deep leagues.

Mesoraco went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two runs and two RBI in Saturday's win over the Rockies.

After missing the previous game with a hamstring issue, Mesoraco clubbed his second home run of the year as part of a big sixth inning that helped the Reds pick up a victory. Although he doesn't start every day, his .289/.400/.474 slash line is extremely valuable from the catcher position.

Realmuto went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run in Friday's 7-2 loss to the Dodgers.

Realmuto has hit safely in each of his last eight starts and is proving that last season's .303/.343/.428 line was no fluke. The young backstop is exceeding each of those numbers thus far this season (.309/.356/.441) and has also seen a reduction in strikeout rate (18.3 percent to 16.4 percent) and corresponding increase in contact rate (80 percent to 82 percent). Considering the relative lack of catcher depth fantasy-wise, he's one of the more valued assets at the position in all formats.

Mesoraco (hamstring) is starting at catcher and hitting eighth Saturday against the Rockies, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

He missed three straight games before making a pinch-hit appearance Friday. Mesoraco is hitting .265/.375/.382 with one home run in 40 plate appearances this season.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Friday's loss to the Brewers.

Contreras is slashing just .229/.295/.390, numbers that are all down from his strong 2016 rookie season. However, his 19 RBI puts him fifth among MLB catchers, so he's still delivering some value in a stacked Cubs lineup.

Rupp went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer Friday against the Pirates.

His fourth bomb of the year came off Tony Watson and broke open a Phillies victory in the ninth inning. Rupp's now slashing .255/.343/.468 and is proving to be a strong fantasy option at the catcher position.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Marlins.

The 28-year-old will get what looks like a routine breather after starting back-to-back games and four of the last five. Austin Barnes will take over behind the dish and bat fifth against lefty Justin Nicolino. Grandal has hit safely in each of his last 10 starts, raising his average more than 70 points over that span.

Mesoraco (hamstring) is out of the lineup Friday against the Rockies.

The news comes as no surprise considering Mesoraco is being considered for a stint on the disabled list. The oft-injured catcher has been held out for the past three games and again gives way to Tucker Barnhart behind the plate in Friday's matchup.

D'Arnaud (wrist) went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in his first rehab appearance Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old caught seven innings in addition to putting together a solid night as a hitter. It's unclear how long the Mets need to see d'Arnaud down at High-A before activating him off the disabled list, but the general sense is that the club will bring him off the DL next week.