MLB Player News

Stewart (hamstring) resumed baseball activities Tuesday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stewart has been sidelined since the end of May, but it seems like he's finally progressed in his rehab, meaning that a rehab assignment may come in the next week or so barring any setbacks. Until he's ready for full action again, Elias Diaz will act as the backup catcher behind Francisco Cervelli.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Cardinals, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco will get his second night off in three days as the Reds continue to give him ample rest time in order to keep him healthy. Tucker Barnhart will assume catching duties in his stead.

Grandal is out of the lineup Monday against the Nationals, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

He has caught the last three games and is hitting .179 with a 42.9 percent strikeout rate over his last seven games. Grandal is very streaky, but his overall performance is typically excellent by catcher standards. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit sixth in his place.

Rupp is not in the lineup Monday against the Braves.

After collecting just three hits over his past 14 games, Rupp will head to the bench for the second time in three days. Andrew Knapp will assume catching duties for the evening.

Murphy (forearm) caught back-to-back games for Triple-A Albuquerque over the weekend, Nick Groke of The Denver Post reports.

This is a big step for the catching prospect, as it seems like he's nearly ready for full action with the big-league club. Murphy is scheduled to appear in another rehab game with the Isotopes on Tuesday, and if all goes well, it wouldn't be surprising to see him return to the Rockies by the end of the week.

Contreras is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

The recent timeshare between Contreras and Miguel Montero continues to take shape as the youngster will head to the bench again in favor of the veteran backstop Montero. Until Contreras becomes more productive at the plate, expect this timeshare to remain as the season trudges on.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Diamondbacks.

It appears that Realmuto is simply getting a scheduled day of rest against Braden Shipley and the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old has been solid at the plate again this year, slashing .295/.365/.428 over the first two months of the season. He also added his second stolen base of the season Saturday. A.J. Ellis will draw the start behind the plate.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco continues to receive ample time off this season and will again head to the bench while Tucker Barnhart draws the start in his stead.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Saturday's loss to the Rockies.

It was the third home run in three games for Hedges and his 11th of the campaign. The backstop sports an underwhelming .218 batting average and .270 on-base percentage, but his 11 homers, 28 RBI, 20 runs and .455 slugging percentage are moving the needle. Power is usually hard to mine from the catcher position, and not only is Hedges providing pop, but he's also playing regularly with 179 plate appearances this season.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Pirates.

D'Arnaud has raised his batting average from .190 to .241 over his last five starts, but the Mets still want to keep him fresh, so he will get a day off after starting the previous two contests. Rene Rivera will get the nod behind the plate in d'Arnaud's place.