MLB Player News

Grandal is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rockies.

Grandal will not be in the starting lineup for the third time in the last five games, as the Dodgers will go with A.J. Ellis at catcher Wednesday. Both Ellis and Grandal are hitting less than .200 from the plate this season, but Grandal has especially struggled recently, with only 11 hits since the start of May.

Hedges (hand) played in an extended spring training game and is expected to return to Triple-A El Paso within the week.

Hedges had yet to play in any sort of game situation this season as he is recovering from a broken hamate bone in his hand. The Padres will have no reason to rush him to the majors upon his return to Triple-A, as the big club has three catchers on the roster in Derek Norris, Christian Bethancourt and Hector Sanchez, but if he has a hot start for El Paso, he could find himself in the majors in the second half of the season.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Monday's matchup with Colorado.

Grandal is just getting a routine day off, as he's started behind the dish the last three games. A.J. Ellis will get the start at catcher and bat eighth Monday. The 27-year-old will likely be back in the lineup Tuesday.

D'Arnaud is still a week away from catching in a rehab game, Marc Craig of Newsday reports.

D'Arnaud isn't expected back until late June and will not rejoin the team without catching some rehab games first. The 27-year-old is hitting .196/.288/.261 with one RBI in 46 games this season.

Stewart went 2-for-4 and scored a run in Sunday's loss to the Angels.

Sunday's contest marked Stewart's third straight start while Francisco Cervelli deals with a foot injury. Despite the team losing Sunday's contest, Stewart's performance was mildly relieving to the Pirates, as it put an end to his hitless streak of 13 at-bats. However, with a three-game series against the Mets and their dominant pitching staff on the horizon, it won't be a performance that's easy to replicate.

D'Arnaud (shoulder) will serve as the DH for High-A St. Lucie on Sunday night, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.

This is good news for both fantasy owners and the Mets, as the team has struggled to get offense from the catcher position in the absence of d'Arnaud. Although the backstop will be able to log some at-bats in the minors, he remains without a timetable to return to throwing, which is the next major step in his recovery. He'll likely need a few starts at catcher in the minors before a realistic return estimate can be determined.

Barnes was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Barnes owns a .306/.413/.375 slash line in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but that was enough to earn him a promotion after left fielder Carl Crawford was designated for assignment Sunday. Barnes will provide the Dodgers with speed over power, as he has 12 stolen bases and zero home runs over 37 games for Oklahoma City. The 26-year-old can play infield, outfield, and even be used as an emergency catcher, so he could find himself with occasional starts due to his versatility. In the meantime, Howie Kendrick is expected to be the main beneficiary in terms of the reps at left field Crawford will leave behind.

Contreras went 1-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games for Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Even more impressive, Contreras has driven in at least one run in seven straight games. He has 39 RBI in 176 at-bats at Iowa this season and is slashing .335/.428/.585. With David Ross set to retire at the end of the season, Contreras should be with the Cubs -- possibly as the regular starter -- in 2017.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Braves.

With Clayton Kershaw taking the hill Saturday, A.J. Ellis will take over catching duties in place of Grandal. The switch-hitting Grandal has struggled mightily at the dish over the past month, slashing a meager .113/.210/.268 with 23 strikeouts and nine walks.

Rupp went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, and solo home run in the Phillies win over Milwaukee on Friday night.

Rupp has been in a timeshare behind the plate, but he has been more productive with a .279 average, three home runs, and 11 RBI which appears to be winning him more playing time. He has some reasonable upside so more consistent playing time could move him up on fantasy depth charts.