MLB Player News

Stallings was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Francisco Cervelli is back to full health, so Stallings will head back to the minors after a four-day stay with the big club during which he failed to make an appearance. The 28-year-old, who is hitting .284/.333/.408 with Triple-A Indianapolis, will continue to serve as organizational catching depth.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies.

Mesoraco will stick on the bench for a third straight game as Kevin Plawecki, who went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's win, picks up another start behind the dish. The backstop is hitting just .220/.302/.381 through 74 games this season.

Plawecki went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Plawecki scored in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch, and he all but ended the game with his grand salami later in the inning. The backstop is still hitting just .218/.326/.374 this season, so he'll likely stick in a timeshare with Devin Mesoraco for the time being.

Perez went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's loss to the Blue Jays.

Perez did his part, launching a two-run shot in the first inning before mashing a solo blast in the fourth, but Kansas City still came up short 6-5. The veteran backstop is now over the 20-home run plateau for a fourth straight season, and after three multi-hit efforts in four games, his average (.237) -- while still disappointing -- is the highest its been in over two months.

Grandal is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Giants.

Grandal, who is hitting just .162/.279/.432 through 11 games this month, will head to the bench with a southpaw in Derek Holland toeing the rubber for the Giants. Austin Barnes will set up behind the dish and hit eighth in his stead.

General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that Sanchez (groin) is on track to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 24, DJ Eberle of the Times-Leader reports.

Sanchez will likely require a few outings with the RailRiders before returning to New York, but if all goes according to plan, he could be back in the big leagues before the end of the month. In recent days, Sanchez has ramped up his catching activity and resumed running, though he's not running quite at 100 percent yet.

Jansen is out of the lineup against Kansas City on Wednesday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Jansen will receive a breather after starting the past two days -- his first taste of action at the big-league level following a promotion Sunday. Over those two games, he went 3-for-7 with one run scored and a solo home run. Luke Maile will catch Marco Estrada and bat eighth.

Maldonado is out of the lineup versus Colorado on Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Maldonado will retreat to the bench after starting the past two games behind the plate. In his absence, Max Stassi will catch Gerrit Cole and hit eighth.

Ruiz went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and four RBI for Double-A Tulsa in its 10-6 loss to Corpus Christi on Tuesday.

It was the third multi-homer game of the campaign for Ruiz, whose 11 long balls are his most in any of his four seasons in the professional ranks. The switch-hitting Ruiz has paired the enhanced power production with improved plate discipline, as he's walked nearly as many times (22) as he has struck out (28). The 20-year-old has also drawn positive reviews for his receiving skills, offering optimism that he'll eventually be the Dodgers' long-term solution behind the plate.

Gomes is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest against Cincinnati, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Gomes will receive a standard day off for maintenance purposes after starting the past three games. In his absence, Roberto Perez will catch Shane Bieber and bat eighth in the order.