MLB Player News

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud is sitting Thursday against the Phillies.

Anthony Recker will take over behind the plate with d'Arnaud out. He's hitting .107 in 28 at-bats. 

Rookie Travis d'Arnaud is the Mets' starting catcher. Has been since he got the call Aug. 17. But with John Buck still lurking on the bench, the Mets could have easily pulled the plug on d'Arnaud if he didn't produce right away.

So much for all that. The Mets traded Buck to the Pirates Tuesday, making Anthony Recker their only recourse at catcher. In other words, d'Arnaud is here to stay.

He hasn't done much with the bat yet, but six walks to six strikeouts in 21 at-bats is pretty good for a youngster. Considering he hardly played in the minors this year because a broken foot, I'm skeptical he'll get going in time to justify a roster spot in single-catcher leagues, where typically only 10 or 12 (depending on the size of the league) catchers are owned, but his upside certainly makes him intriguing in two-catcher formats.

With Miguel Montero and Eric Chavez back for the Diamondbacks Monday, the team had to option two players to the minors. Catcher Tuffy Gosewisch and third baseman Matt Davidson were the odd men out for the club, MLB.com reports. 

Gosewisch went 5 for 27 (.185) with one RBI over eight games and six starts. Davidson was 5 for 28 (.179) over 12 games and five starts. He had two runs driven in. 

Mets rookie catcher Travis d'Arnaud hit his first major-league homer during Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Tigers. It was a two-run homer off Rick Porcello in the fourth inning.

d'Arnaud came into Sunday's game with just one hit in his first six games (15 at-bats). He had one double, no RBI and six walks in that span.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is making his third consecutive start Thursday against the Diamondbacks. 

Mesoraco was supposed to split time with Ryan Hanigan once Hanigan returned from the disabled list, but that hasn't happened. Mesoraco is hitting .252/.309/.391 in 258 at-bats. 

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud is not in the team's starting lineup Wednesday against the Braves.

d'Arnaud has started the past four games, and is likely receiving a normal day of rest. John Buck will assume the starting role. d'Arnaud is hitting .091 in four games.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is in the team's starting lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Mesoraco will hit seventh against Pat Corbin. Mesoraco is hitting .247/.306/.386 in 251 at-bats. Mesoraco and Ryan Hanigan were supposed to split time once both players were healthy, but Mesoraco seems to be receiving the majority of the playing time. 

Reports of Travis d'Arnaud's promotion didn't seem like such a big deal at first, when he was expected to be up for just the few days John Buck was on paternity leave, but now that he's more likely to stick around through the end of the season, Fantasy owners should be aware of him.

Most publications rated Mike Zunino the best catcher prospect coming into the season, but d'Arnaud wasn't far behind. And between the two, he was considered the closer to being major league-ready. Most likely, the 24-year-old would have already established himself as the Mets' starting catcher if he hadn't broken his foot in mid-April. Unfortunately, because of that broken foot, he's played in only 20 games since. He saw plenty of pitches in those 20 games, drawing 11 walks in his last nine, but still, he's attempting make the most difficult transition in his career while still working his way into midseason form.

I think he could be a relevant Fantasy contributor down the stretch, but because of the obstacles he'll have to overcome in a short period of time, I wouldn't expect much more than Jason Castro-type numbers the rest of the way. Looking at my rankings, that would make d'Arnaud barely a top-12 option, so if you're already satisfied with your catcher in a one-catcher league, you can probably leave him for someone else. Of course, in two-catcher leagues, I'm guessing the race to add him is already decided.

The Mets optioned catcher Anthony Recker to Triple-A Las Vegas following Monday's game against the Twins, which means Travis d'Arnaud will remain on the roster as John Buck comes off his paternity leave. Mets manager Terry Collins said before Monday's game if d'Arnaud would remain on the major-league roster, then he likely would be the team's primary catcher.

Mets manager Terry Collins said Monday a decision about whether Travis d'Arnaud remains on the roster once John Buck returns from a paternity leave hasn't been decided. However, if d'Arnaud remains in the majors, then Collins said he's likely to take over as the starting catcher.

"I am sure if he’s here that would probably be one of the indications that we think he’s going to be the every-day guy," Collins said, per the New York Daily News. "You’ll only be able to tell if he’s going to be an every-day guy by getting him out there and getting experience."