MLB Player News

Hedges went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Twins.

It was Hedges' 17th homer of the season, but his first since Aug. 22. The 24-year-old is batting just .211 this season, due in large part to a 28.9 percent strikeout rate, but his plus power has been enough to keep him viable at the shallow fantasy position of catcher.

Barnes got the nod behind the dish Wednesday, going 0-for-2 with a pair of walks in a 4-1 win over the Giants.

The 27-year-old has been on the short side of a catching platoon with Yasmani Grandal this year, but the latter's recent struggles at the plate could lead to more playing time for Barnes down the stretch, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. Manager Dave Roberts mentioned that he wants to see Grandal snap out of his current funk, but he added that he would play the best option as the Dodgers approach the postseason. Barnes is slashing a healthy .294/.413/.471 in 225 plate appearances, so he already has value in plenty of formats, but would be an easy top-10 option at the position if he were getting the majority of starts behind the plate.

Rupp went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in an 8-1 win over the Marlins on Wednesday.

Rupp has made just five starts in September and his playing time is going to continue to be limited with the Phillies looking to get Jorge Alfaro at-bats as they evaluate him with an eye toward next season. Rupp is a candidate to be traded this offseason with Alfaro and Andrew Knapp expected to split catching duties next season.

Grandal is out of Wednesday's lineup agains the Giants, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

He is hitting just .033/.189/.133 with one home run and 16 strikeouts in 30 September at-bats. Austin Barnes will start behind the dish and hit sixth.

Realmuto is out of the lineup against the Phillies on Wednesday.

Realmuto retreats to the bench following eight straight starts, including a two-hit game with a pair of doubles during Tuesday's loss. In his place, AJ Ellis will handle the catching duties.

Barnhart is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals.

Stuart Turner will step in as Barnhart sits after catching three straight games. Barnhart is off to a nice start to September (8-for-21 with eight RBI) and should continue to see the bulk of the work behind the plate for the Reds.

Contreras is starting behind the dish and hitting cleanup Tuesday against the Mets.

He struck out in a pinch-hit appearance Sunday, but this will mark his first start since Aug. 9, as the Cubs get their star backstop back from a hamstring injury in time to help with the playoff push. The Cubs will be able to give him at least a day or two off per week, as they are currently carrying five catchers on the active roster.

Nido was recalled from Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Nido will get his first taste of the majors now that Binghamton's season is over. The 23-year-old backstop slashed .232/.287/.354 with eight homers and 60 RBI in 102 games for the Rumble Ponies prior to his promotion. Nido -- who was featured in the Futures Game earlier in the year -- is known more for his contact skills (14.9 percent strikeout rate) and strong defensive profile, so he isn't expected to make much of a fantasy impact down he stretch. While he'll likely see an occasional start, this is primarily a learning opportunity for the Mets' top catching prospect.

Realmuto went 4-for-6 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in Sunday's extra-inning loss to the Braves.

With Dee Gordon getting a breather, Realmuto hit leadoff for the Marlins and gave the team's slugging outfielders plenty of run-producing opportunities. The 26-year-old catcher is now 10-for-28 (.357) over the last six games, pushing his OPS on the season up to a career-high .780.

Barnhart went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and five total RBI on Sunday during the Reds' 10-5 win over the Mets.

The backstop knocked two in on an eighth-inning double before leaving the yard in the ninth to drive in the other three. Barnhart will continue splitting time with Stuart Turner, though Devin Mesoraco (foot) may return before the end of the season to add another wrinkle to a typically uninspiring fantasy picture.