MLB Player News

Hedges (back) is back in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

The backstop was scratched from the past two games due to back tightness, but it appears that he's healthy enough to catch once again. Hedges will bat eighth in his return to action.

Stewart was designated for assignment Wednesday.

This leaves the Braves with Kurt Suzuki and Carlos Perez behind the dish while Tyler Flowers (oblique) misses the first month of the season. Stewart will provide organizational depth at Triple-A if he clears waivers.

Stewart is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Nationals.

With Tyler Flowers (oblique) on the disabled list and Kurt Suzuki (hand) not expected back in the lineup until Friday, Stewart has temporarily taken over as the Braves' primary catcher, starting each of the past four contests. Manager Brian Snitker will give Stewart a much-needed rest for the Wednesday afternoon affair, allowing Carlos Perez to make his team debut behind the dish. Assuming Suzuki is ready to go Friday, it appears likely that Stewart will see only a couple of starts per week going forward.

D'Arnaud is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Phillies, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Kevin Plawecki gets his third start through the first five games of the season, as the Mets' backstop situation appears to be more of an even timeshare than some may have expected. D'Arnaud and Plawecki are each hitting above .300 in a tiny sample size, and both have always rated as above-average defensive options according to FanGraphs, so an even playing time split should continue until one player gains separation with his bat.

Hedges (back) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rockies.

Hedges was originally in the lineup, but he was a late scratch for the second straight game as he continues to deal with back tightness. A.J. Ellis will once again step into the lineup in his place, starting at catcher and hitting eighth.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Grandal will head to the bench for a breather after starting four out of the Dodgers' first five games behind the dish, including two straight. Austin Barnes will pick up the start at catcher in his place, hitting eighth.

Realmuto (back) will begin his rehab assignment Wednesday at High-A Jupiter, Craig Mish of Sirius XM reports.

Realmuto is working his way back from a back contusion suffered in mid-March. Early reports indicated that he would miss the first two or three weeks of the season. He's now targeting a return on April 19 or 20, which would put him right on the three-week mark. Chad Wallach and Bryan Holladay will continue to split catching duties in his absence.

Grandal went 3-for-6 with a double, a home run, two walks, two RBI and a pair of runs scored in Monday's 8-7 marathon loss to the Diamondbacks.

The slugging catcher flashed both of the hitting tools fantasy owners drafted him for (power and patience) in this one. Grandal has started four of the Dodgers' first five games of the season, so the offseason concerns regarding Austin Barnes stealing playing time against righties seem to have been overblown. The 29-year-old's hot start at the dish (7-for-16) may have something to do with that. Consider Grandal a strong play at catcher while he's seeing regular at-bats against righties in the heart of the order.

Hedges was scratched from Monday's lineup due to tightness in his upper back, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

With Hedges out, A.J. Ellis will start behind the dish for the Padres. The club didn't provide any information regarding the severity of the 25-year-old's injury, so consider Hedges day-to-day until further notice. Hedges has gone 1-for-11 (.091) over three games this season, with his only hit being a home run.

Realmuto (back) has resumed catching drills, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto continues to slowly work his way back from a back contusion that forced him to open the season on the disabled list. While the backstop's progress is encouraging, he remains a couple of weeks away from returning to action. In the meantime, Chad Wallach and Bryan Holaday will continue to split time behind the dish until Realmuto is healthy.