MLB Player News

Knizner is slashing .333/.381/.436 with four doubles and four RBI over his first 43 plate appearances at Triple-A Memphis.

Knizner had received a callup to the Redbirds in mid-May after Yadier Molina and Carson Kelly both went down with injuries at the big-league level. He's subsequently proven worthy of the promotion on his own merits. The young backstop has exceeded the impressive .324 average he'd generated with Double-A Springfield, and he's come within striking distance of the .412 on-base percentage and .467 slugging percentage that made up the remainder of his line. Knizner has been impressive with the bat at every professional stop thus far, and even though Molina presently blocks his path to the big leagues, it isn't inconceivable that he could eventually surpass Kelly as the veteran's heir apparent.

Kelly was sent down to Triple-A Memphis on Monday, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports.

With Yadier Molina expected to return from injury Tuesday, the Cardinals were expected to make a move. Kelly made the most sense, as he's struggled mightily at the plate through 12 games, recording just two hits in 25 at-bats and striking out six times.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a run scored during Sunday's victory over the Mets.

Contreras was driven in by Ben Zobrist during the seventh inning to provide a key insurance run. The Cubs' backstop has reached base in each of the last eight games and finished the month of May hitting .273 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

Grandal went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Rockies.

Grandal added insurance to the Dodgers' lead with his home run in the ninth inning off Wade Davis. It was his ninth homer of the season and first in two weeks. He'll look to use this performance to get his bat going again, as he stumbled to a .347 slugging percentage in May after starting the season with a .566 mark in April.

Plawecki will start at catcher and bat cleanup Sunday against the Cubs, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

With a .303 slugging percentage for his career, Plawecki hardly profiles as an ideal middle-of-the-order hitter, but the Mets' lack of healthy right-handed power bats apparently made the backstop one of the more palatable cleanup options against Cubs southpaw Jon Lester. The lineup assignment could provide Plawecki with more RBI chances than he might normally receive out of his usual spot in the lower half of the order.

Mesoraco experienced tightness in his hamstring following his start Saturday against the Cubs and is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

The Mets didn't recall an extra catcher from the minor-league ranks prior to Sunday's contest, indicating that the hamstring issue isn't much of a concern for Mesoraco. With the Mets off the schedule Monday, Mesoraco will benefit from two full days of rest and could be ready to check in behind the plate for Tuesday's showdown with the Orioles.

Casali went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Padres.

Acquired via trade with the Rays on Thursday, Casali was making his first start in a Reds uniform. He homered in his first at-bat with his new club and later added a single. The 29-year-old did flash some pop during his days in Tampa Bay, but he will likely be limited to two or three starts per week behind Tucker Barnhart in Cincinnati, limiting him to NL-only consideration.

Barnhart is out of Saturday's lineup against the Padres.

Since the start of May, Barnhart is hitting .287/.340/.402 with one home run in 87 at-bats. Curt Casali is starting behind the dish and hitting seventh.

Barnes went 1-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs scored in Friday's win over the Rockies.

Yasmani Grandal got the night off against left-hander Tyler Anderson, allowing Barnes to make his second start of the week. The 28-year-old has been unable to reproduce the breakout numbers he posted in 2017, which has limited his fantasy utility in the first third of the season. Barnes is still receiving occasional starts as a backup at both catcher and second base, so the opportunity is there for him to rebound if his bat wakes up as the weather heats up.

Grandal is out of Friday's lineup in Colorado.

He has cooled off a bit, hitting .171/.286/.257 with one home run and 12 strikeouts over his last 10 games (35 at-bats). Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit seventh.