MLB Player News

Stewart will not return to the Pirates after the club elected to decline its $1.5 million option for the 2018 season, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Stewart played in 51 games for Pittsburgh in 2017, but he hit just .183/.241/.221 with no home runs and four RBI. He will look to latch on with another organization this winter, although it's unlikely that he will make much of a fantasy impact.

Wallach was claimed off waivers by the Marlins on Friday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Wallach spent six games with the Reds in 2017, going 1-for-11 at the plate with five strikeouts during a limited opportunity in September. Moving ahead, he will serve as organizational depth for the Marlins, and will likely begin next season with Triple-A New Orleans.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Game 5 of the NLCS against the Cubs on Thursday.

Grandal will head to the bench for the fourth time in this series as Austin Barnes is set to catch Clayton Kershaw and bat seventh in the lineup. Over the course of the postseason, Grandal is just 0-for-5 at the plate, with three walks and two strikeouts.

Contreras (forearm) is starting at catcher and batting fifth for Game 4 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Contreras took a pitch off his forearm in the eighth inning of Game 3, but the injury was never expected to keep him out of the Cubs' crucial Game 4 clash. He's 2-for-11 with six strikeouts in the NLCS, which the Dodgers lead 3-0.

Contreras, who injured his forearm in Tuesday's game, is expected to be ready for Game 4 on Wednesday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

He went 1-for-3 with a strikeout before being replaced by Alex Avila in the Cubs' 6-1 loss to the Dodgers, who now lead the NLCS 3-0. Contreras took a pitch off the forearm in the eighth inning of Game 3, but barring excessive overnight swelling, he will be back for the potential elimination game.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS against the Cubs on Tuesday, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Grandal is 0-for-7 in his career against Kyle Hendricks -- including an 0-for-3 performance in last year's NLCS -- so he'll open Game 3 on the bench as Austin Barnes draws another start behind the dish in his stead.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Game 2 of the NLCS against the Cubs on Sunday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Austin Barnes will serve as the Dodgers' backstop for the second consecutive day while Grandal sits out. Grandal has appeared in just one game during the 2017 postseason, in which he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cubs.

Austin Barnes will draw in behind the plate to catch Clayton Kershaw as the Dodgers begin the NLCS. The Dodgers are facing left-hander Jose Quintana, which could also have attributed to Grandal's absence from the lineup given his .233 average against southpaws this season.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the NLDS against the Diamondbacks on Monday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Grandal will stick on the bench for a second straight game as Austin Barnes draws another start behind the dish. Grandal went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts in his only postseason start this season, while Barnes has gone 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored, so it appears manager Dave Roberts is choosing to ride with the hotter bat.

Leon is starting at catcher and batting eighth in Sunday's ALDS Game 3 against the Astros, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Leon was positioned on the bench for Friday's Game 2, but he'll be slotted back into the starting lineup as the Red Sox square off against Brad Peacock and the Astros in their potential elimination game. The veteran backstop went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his Game 1 start.