MLB Player News

Mesoraco exited Tuesday's game against the Brewers with a bruised right wrist.

Mesoraco was hit by a pitch in the second inning Wednesday, but remained in the game until the sixth inning. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative so it looks to be a day-to-day injury for the 29-year-old, although he could be held out Wednesday with the Reds' off day Thursday providing potential for an additional day of rest.

Hedges is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.

Hedges is just 1-for-17 over his last five games, so he'll head to the bench to clear his head while A.J. Ellis picks up a start behind the dish.

D'Arnaud underwent successful Tommy John surgery Tuesday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

The embattled catcher now will move his focus to the lengthy rehab process ahead of him. D'Arnaud will likely be out until the early portion of 2019, meaning that Kevin Plawecki (hand) should get the bulk of the starts behind the plate once he's also healthy.

Realmuto (back) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports. He is starting at catcher and batting fifth against the Yankees, according to Frisaro.

Realmuto has been sidelined all season with a back contusion, but he's been cleared to return after getting through a minor-league rehab game over the weekend with no issues. The backstop will immediately settle into the heart of the Marlins' order, as he's hit a respectable .290 over the past two seasons while also contributing 28 homers and 20 stolen bases over that stretch. Chad Wallach was optioned to the minors in a corresponding move.

Wallach was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Wallach split time with Bryan Holaday behind the plate to start the season, but the 26-year-old could only produce four hits in 31 at-bats (.129 batting average). With J.T. Realmuto returning from the disabled list, Wallach is no longer needed on the big-league roster, so he'll retreat to the minors to act as organizational depth.

Barnhart is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic Cincinnati reports.

Barnhart will head to the bench for a breather after starting each of the previous three games behind the dish and going 3-for-11 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Devin Mesoraco will pick up the start at catcher and hit sixth.

Ruiz went 2-for-5 with two home runs in Monday's game for Double-A Tulsa.

This was a much-needed slump buster for one of the game's top catching prospects, as the two home runs represented his first two extra-base hits of the season. He is now hitting .225/.262/.375 through 42 plate appearances, although he has had some bad luck on balls in play (.226 BABIP). His strikeout rate (16.7 percent) remains elite, and he is the second-youngest hitter in the Texas League (behind Fernando Tatis), so there is no cause for concern. Ruiz turns 20 in July.

Grandal homered and knocked in five runs in a 2-for-4 game Monday against the Padres.

Grandal extended his hit streak to six games and already has three games in 2018 with a double and a home run. His batting line sits at an absurd .372/.460/.651 as he continues to put an otherwise sluggish Dodgers squad on his back.

Knizner is 11-for-29 (.379) with six RBI, four extra-base hits, three walks and three strikeouts at Double-A Springfield.

The 22-year-old is building off a stellar season from last year, where he slashed .324/.371/.462 across 51 games at Double-A Springfield. Knizner has actually decreased his strikeout rate this year (13.4 percent to 10.3 percent) while dramatically increasing his ISO (.138 to .231). Knizner has also looked solid behind the plate, which is the main area where he is said to lag behind Carson Kelly. If he keeps hitting this well, Knizner will rise fast through the rest of the Cardinals' system, and he could surpass Kelly as the heir apparent to Yadier Molina.

Realmuto (back) could return Tuesday against the Yankees, Craig Davis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Realmuto has been out since the start of the season with a back contusion. He is with the team Monday in New York but wasn't activated prior to Monday's game. He'll be evaluated by the team and could be back Tuesday. The 27-year-old has hit .290 over the past two seasons, and his 20 stolen bases are eight more than any other catcher over that time span.