MLB Player News

Contreras is not in the Cubs' Thursday lineup.

Though he came up with a big pinch-hit double Wednesday, Contreras receives his second straight day out of the starting lineup, with Miguel Montero taking his place to catch John Lackey. Contreras should be back in action Friday.

Barnhart is behind the plate and batting eighth for the Reds on Thursday.

He's giving Devin Mesoraco a breather. Barnhart has ceded the majority playing-time role to Mesoraco as the Reds continue working the latter back into the fray following his injury absence.

Mesoraco is not in the Reds' lineup Thursday.

The backstop, who hit his first home run since 2014 on Wednesday, will get another day of rest as Cincinnati monitors his workload in the early stages of his return from the disabled list. The Reds still want to make Mesoraco their starter eventually, but the path there will be gradual. Tucker Barnhart replaces him in the lineup, batting eighth.

Realmuto went 2-for-5 with a triple, a walk, four RBI and two runs in Wednesday's win over the Rays.

He did all that while hitting leadoff, a little change of pace that busted Realmuto out of an 0-for-10 stretch over his last three games. The 26-year-old has been providing a strong batting average, but this game was an exception in terms of counting stats, as he came in with just nine RBI and nine runs over 22 contests.

Mesoraco went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs against the Pirates on Wednesday.

The homer was the oft-injured backstop's first since Sept. 23, 2014 -- and that one was his 25th of that season. Mesoraco's now 3-for-12 with a couple walks since returning from the DL, and this should serve as a reminder of the top-end fantasy potential he once possessed -- and may still. His playing time may be spotty as he gets eased back in, especially early on, but if Mesoraco can stay healthy and work his way into true No. 1 duty, he could return significant fantasy value.

Rupp is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Phillies manager Pete Mackanin will give Rupp a routine day off after the 28-year-old handled catching duties for each of the previous three games. Andrew Knapp will step in behind the plate and bat eighth in the lineup for the Phillies.

D'Arnaud (wrist) is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Braves, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

D'Arnaud aggravated a wrist injury Tuesday and was pulled early in that contest, so it's not too surprising that manager Terry Collins will hold the backstopper out of the lineup a day later. Rene Rivera will receive the nod behind the dish, catching for Jacob deGrom. The Mets are viewing d'Arnaud as day-to-day for now, but a trip to the disabled list could become a more realistic possibility if he's still hurting once the weekend arrives.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The writing was on the wall for Barnhart's starting opportunities to take a hit after Devin Mesoraco was activated from the disabled list last Thursday, and now that Barnhart is out of the lineup for the second day in a row, it appears as though he's settled into backup duties behind the plate. With a .269 average, three RBI and five runs in 75 plate appearances, Barnhart hasn't offered much value outside of two-catcher leagues this season, and his fantasy utility will only take a further hit now that his starts will become more scarce.

Contreras isn't included in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

Contreras will get a breather after spending the last three games behind the plate. Miguel Montero will handle the catching duties, serving as the battery mate for starting pitcher Jake Arrieta while batting seventh in the order.

Realmuto is hitting out of the leadoff spot Wednesday against the Rays, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 26-year-old is hitless in his last three starts, but with Dee Gordon getting the night off, Realmuto will top the order for the time being. He'll likely return to his lower positioning once Gordon re-enters the lineup, but for now, Realmuto could have more opportunities to score runs batting ahead of the heart of Miami's lineup.