MLB Player News

Mesoraco went 1-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Monday's rout of the Rockies.

The homer was his first since May 28 and seventh of the season. Mesoraco has been alternating starts behind the plate with Kevin Plawecki over the last week, and the former Red's .221/.307/.426 slash line on the year isn't going to encourage manager Mickey Callaway to write Mesoraco's name on the lineup card any more often.

Contreras is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader with the Dodgers.

Contreras was excluded from the lineup the Cubs had posted Monday before that game was postponed due to rain. Manager Joe Maddon will stick with that same starting nine for Game 1 of the twin bill, but expect Contreras to check back in behind the plate for the nightcap. Chris Gimenez will catch for starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood in the afternoon contest.

Stallings was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.

Stallings didn't make an appearance during his one-week stay with the big club, so he'll head back to the minors for more consistent work. Jose Osuna will take his place on the active roster.

Contreras is not in the lineup Monday against the Dodgers.

Contreras will head to the bench for what appears to be a regular day off following a string of three straight starts. The backstop has just four homers on the season, but he's hitting a solid .276/.369/.434. Chris Gimenez will start behind the dish and hit eighth in his stead.

Mesoraco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco and Kevin Plawecki have alternated starts behind the plate over the last six games, and that timeshare seems likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future. While Mesoraco probably offers more appeal of the two from a fantasy standpoint thanks to his superior power, his checkered medical history probably makes the Mets reluctant to hand him a heavy workload at any point this season.

Murphy will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Rangers, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Murphy earned his way back to the big leagues after bashing 32 extra-base hits in 209 plate appearances at Triple-A Albuquerque and has continued his offensive surge with Colorado. He has already collected six hits -- two of which were doubles -- in 16 at-bats through four starts. Murphy will be behind the plate for the fourth time in six contests Sunday and looks like he may act as the Rockies' No. 1 catcher so long as he keeps impressing at the dish.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's win over the Cardinals.

In 12 games this month, Contreras is batting a solid .308 with a .400 on-base percentage. However, he has just one extra-base hit and no home runs so far in June. If the young catcher keeps making good contact at the plate, expect those numbers to climb as the month progresses.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Sunday against the Pirates, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

It's little more than a routine maintenance day for Barnhart after he was behind the plate for the first two games of the series. Curt Casali will serve as the Reds' catcher Sunday and bat seventh in the lineup.

Diaz went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Saturday's win over the Reds.

Diaz took Luis Castillo deep in the fourth inning to put the Pirates up 3-1, marking his second home run of the month and fifth of season. While Francisco Cervelli is locked in as the team's primary backstop, Diaz continues to produce in his limited opportunities, posting a .304/.350/.500 line through 34 games.

Realmuto went 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBI in Saturday's win over the Orioles.

Realmuto tormented Orioles starter Alex Cobb, producing an RBI single off the right-hander in the first inning before taking Cobb deep in the third (two-run) and sixth (solo) innings. The 27-year-old is now hitting an impressive .309/.371/.546 with nine homers, 26 RBI and 32 runs on the season, putting him near the top of every major hitting category among catchers.