MLB Player News

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche and catcher Carlos Ruiz are back in the starting lineup Monday against the Cardinals, the team announced.

Asche was given the day off Sunday after starting the last nine games in a row for Philadelphia. He is hitting .305 with two home runs and three RBI in 59 at-bats this season.

Ruiz got Sunday off after starting the last two games in a row, pushing Cameron Rupp to the bench. Ruiz is hitting .196 in 46 at-bats. The Phillies are currently the underdogs (+135) against St. Louis.

Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez and catcher Martin Maldonado will return to the lineup Monday against the Reds, the team announced.

Ramirez will replace Hector Gomez at third, who gave Ramirez the day off Sunday. He is hitting just .197 with six RBI in 61 at-bats this season. Maldonado started five consecutive games before getting the day off Sunday. Maldonado is hitting just .167 in 24 at-bats.

The Brewers are currently the underdogs (+105) against Cincinnati.

Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt knows manager Fredi Gonzalez has tough decisions to make. One of those decisions has been slotting veteran A.J. Pierzynski in the starting lineup more often this season than originally expected. Bethancourt is rolling with the punches and still thinks he can earn a starting role, according to MLB.com.

"You've got to respect the manager's decision," Bethancourt said. "He puts whoever he wants in the lineup. So, I've just got to be ready and wait for my opportunity. If he says I have to earn it, I will do my best to earn it. I have no problem with that."

Gonzalez has an idea of what he wants to do with Bethancourt.

"We want to give [Bethancourt] an opportunity, but the other guy, you put him in there every single time, and he just keeps hitting," Gonzalez said.

Bethancourt is hitting just .147 with two RBI in 34 at-bats this season.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco and right fielder Jay Bruce are not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Mesoraco has seen just two plate appearances as a pinch-hitter in the last two weeks as he continues to deal with left hip impingement. Brayan Pena gets the call behind the plate and will bat eighth.

"Unless we get into a situation where we feel we need a player that can do more than solely pinch-hit, he'll continue to do his rehab in preparation to get back behind the plate," manager Bryan Price said Sunday, per MLB.com. "It will still be a few more days before we kick the tires on Devin getting down into the crouch and doing some catching work. At this point in time, he can still contribute as an offensive player. In the big picture, he replaced Chris Dominguez, and Chris was getting some limited opportunities to play as a pinch-hitter, but it can be a very valuable role."

Bruce has started each of the team's first 17 games in right field but will get his first break of the season Sunday. With Bruce on the bench, first baseman Joey Votto is the only player on the team to have started every gamethis season. Brennan Boesch will man right field and bat fifth in the team's matchup against righty Jake Arrieta.

The Reds are home underdogs (+105) Sunday.

Mets catcher and recent call up Kevin Plawecki delivered his first career major league home run on Saturday against the Yankees .

Plawecki, the Mets 2012 first-round draft pick, was called up mid-week following the fractured-finger injury to regular catcher Travis d'Arnaud.

Plawecki became the first player to hit his first MLB homer in a Subway Series game.

"It was a special day in many ways," Plawecki said.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was held out of the starting lineup again on Saturday against the Cubs.

Mesoraco has not been in the starting lineup since April 12 because of a left hip impingement, and has only made one pinch-hit appearance in that period. He remains hopeful of catching a bullpen session in the next few days, which could lead to his return as a starter. Mesoraco is hitting .091 (2 for 22) to start the season.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was not in the starting lineup Friday night against the Cubs, per MLB.com. Mesoraco has been out of the starting lineup since April 12 because of a left hip impingement, but made a pinch-hit appearance on Tuesday against Milwaukee. He is hoping to catch a bullpen in the next few days, per the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Brayan Pena batted seventh in his place again.

Cincinnati is an underdog (+100) at home against Chicago, per VegasInsider.com.

Reds speedster Billy Hamilton had been successful on all nine of his stolen bases this season until Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado threw him out in the sixth inning Thursday.

It marked the first time all year that a Cincinnati steal attempt was thwarted. The team was 17-for-17 before Hamilton was nailed.

Veteran A.J. Pierzynski is not supposed to be the starting catcher for the Braves. But maybe he is. Sort of.

The ambiguity is coming from Pierzynski himself, who seems to be wresting the job away from Christian Bethancourt. The former not only played Wednesday night, but also in an afternoon game Thursday.

Pierzynski has simply outperformed Bethancourt at the plate. His three-hit game Wednesday raised his average to .391 with three home runs, five RBI and an .826 slugging percentage. He's on a six-game hitting streak and is one start on the year behind Bethancourt, who was the declared starter before the season began.

"He's swinging it," Fredi Gonzalez told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "...He's not your normal prototypical catcher-backup guy that'll only catch 20, 30 games a year."

One regular has returned, but another is getting a day off Thursday for the Pirates.

Shortstop Jordy Mercer is back in the lineup against the Cubs after being sidelined since Monday with a rib injury. He hopes to bring a hotter bat - he is in a 1-for-15 slump

Meanwhile, starting catcher Francisco Cervelli is catching a break for a day game following a night game. Chris Stewart will squat behind the plate instead.