MLB Player News

Realmuto (back) will embark on a rehab assignment with High-A Jupiter on Saturday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Realmuto made his return to game action Wednesday at extended spring training, but he'll get his first taste of action with a full-season affiliate this weekend. No word as to how long he'll stay with the Hammerheads has come forth, but it seems like he'll be back with the Marlins sometime next week.

D'Arnaud (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Friday.

This move comes as no surprise, as d'Arnaud is expected to miss the remainder of the season now that he needs Tommy John surgery. The embattled catcher will look to rehab in advance of a return sometime during the 2019 season. With Kevin Plawecki (hand) also on the disabled list, Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido will handle duties behind the plate for the Mets.

D'Arnaud (elbow) will miss the entirety of the 2017 season after deciding to undergo Tommy John surgery Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

A lengthy absence was expected for d'Arnaud, who was diagnosed with a partial tear of his right UCL on Wednesday. Now it's confirmed that he'll elect to have surgery, which will keep him out for the entire year. Tommy John recovery times aren't quite as lengthy for position players as for pitchers, so d'Arnaud could be back at the start of next season. In the meantime, with Kevin Plawecki also on the disabled list with a broken hand, Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido will share catching duties in New York.

Barnhart is not in the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.

Devin Mesoraco will get the start behind the plate for the second time in three games, though Barnhart's role doesn't appear to be under any immediate threat. The 27-year-old has been a bright spot in an otherwise struggling lineup, hitting .276/.417/.448 through 37 plate appearances.

Monell signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Monell would be an unlikely candidate to receive much playing time, even with Travis d'Arnaud (elbow) and Kevin Plawecki (hand) set to miss significant amounts of time. The 32-year-old has a career .161/.230/.196 line through 35 career major-league games and was last seen hitting .165 in the Korean Baseball Organization. His likely role will be to fill in as a minor-league depth piece while Tomas Nido and Jose Lobaton are needed in the majors.

Plawecki, who will be placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday after being diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left hand, won't require surgery and could be sidelined as little as 2-to-3 weeks with the injury, Steve Gelbs of SportsNet New York reports.

Plawecki was fortunate to only sustain a minor fracture to his hand after being hit by a pitch in Wednesday's win over the Marlins, so it doesn't appear that an extended absence will be in store for the backstop. However, since Plawecki is due to miss more than the minimum 10 days and fellow catcher Travis d'Arnaud (elbow) is out indefinitely with a torn UCL, the Mets could look outside the organization to address their depth at the position. The Mets are expected to add Jose Lobaton to the 40-man roster Friday to complement recent Triple-A callup Tomas Nido behind the plate, but don't be surprised if the team also puts in a waiver claim for another veteran catcher in Miguel Montero, who the Nationals designated for assignment earlier this week.

Plawecki will be placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday after being diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his left hand, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

Plawecki had been hit in the hand by a pitch Wednesday, but initial X-rays returned negative, suggesting a lengthy absence wouldn't be in store for the backstop. However, a follow-up MRI revealed the hairline fracture, making Plawecki the second Mets catcher to hit the DL this week after Travis d'Arnaud (elbow) was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear that will sideline him indefinitely. Tomas Nido has already been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to provide depth behind the plate, and it's expected the Mets will add veteran Jose Lobaton to the 40-man roster to provide another presence behind the plate. Neither Lobaton nor Nido are viewed as starting-caliber catchers at the MLB level, so the team could be active on the trade market in pursuit of an upgrade at the position with both Plawecki and d'Arnaud likely due to miss more than the minimum 10 days.

Plawecki broke his hand after being hit by a pitch Wednesday, the New York Post reports.

Initial reports held that Plawecki had avoided a broken hand, but it now appears that he was not so lucky. Assuming that this latest report is accurate, Plawecki will be out for an extended period. That's bad news for the Mets, who are already set to miss Travis d'Arnaud for a long time with a partially torn UCL. Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido are set to split catching duties in New York while the team's two primary catchers are sidelined.

Contreras is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Contreras will receive a standard maintenance day following a pair of starts behind the plate. In his place, Victor Caratini will catch Kyle Hendricks and bat sixth in Thursday's matinee. Over the course of the first two weeks of the 2018 campaign, Contreras is slashing .326/.408/.488 with six extra-base hits and one RBI.

Grandal went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and a pair of RBI in Wednesday's loss to the Athletics.

Grandal was the only Dodger bat to do significant damage to Oakland starter Daniel Mengden in a rough loss. The 29-year-old owns a .625 slugging percentage despite tallying just four extra-base hits so far, which is a reminder of the strict platoon that limits him to starts against right-handed pitchers. Grandal won't see as many plate appearances as traditional starting backstops, but he should provide enough pop (49 homers over the last two seasons) to help out fantasy owners at the catcher position.