MLB Player News

Grandal is out of Wednesday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

After starting the last five games, Grandal takes a seat against southpaw Robbie Ray. Austin Barnes gets the start behind the dish, hitting seventh.

Contreras (hamstring) was doing catching drills behind the plate prior to Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports.

Contreras was able to go through drills at his position for the first time since landing on the disabled list a few weeks ago. He was also out doing another round of agility drills, and appears to be passing all the tests while working his way back from the hamstring injury. Contreras is expected to need another couple weeks before he's ready to rejoin the team, while Alex Avila and Rene Rivera continue to man the position in his stead.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup Wednesday against Cincinnati.

D'Arnaud will retreat to the bench in favor of Kevin Plawecki, who is set to catch Rafael Montero and bat fifth in the order. Since Aug. 17, d'Arnaud is hitting .281/.324/.375 with one RBI and five runs scored.

Jackson will be one of eight Braves prospects to take part in the Arizona Fall League this year, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The team's 19-year-old phenom, Ronald Acuna, headlines the group, but Jackson -- the Braves' No. 13 fantasy prospect -- has had a solid season in his own right, slashing .272/.333/.502 with 14 homers in 66 games at High-A before taking a step back with a .241/.305/.379 line in 23 games for Double-A Mississippi. His defense in his first season back behind the plate has been erratic at best, but the organization will be patient with the 21-year-old given the offensive potential in his bat if he can stick at catcher.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Game 1 of the Indians' doubleheader Wednesday against the Yankees.

Roberto Perez will handle the catching duties in the day's first game, but it's fully expected that Gomes will be behind the dish for the nightcap Wednesday. Gomes still retains the top spot on the depth chart at catcher, but those hoping for him to reemerge as a high-end fantasy option this season have been sorely disappointed. He's batting just .221 on the campaign, though his .307 on-base percentage represents more than a 100-point upgrade from his dismal 2016 season.

Stassi (hand) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

A hand injury landed Stassi on the disabled list last week, but the ailment doesn't appear to be anything overly serious as he's already set to begin a minor-league rehab stint. Barring any setbacks, it's looking like Stassi may be ready for activation when first eligible Sept. 4. When he does return, he isn't expected to see much playing time with Evan Gattis and Brian McCann splitting duties behind the dish.

Mejia will get some reps at third base in the Arizona Fall League, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Mejia was listed as an infielder when preliminary AFL rosters were released, and it wasn't a mistake. The 21-year-old will indeed play some third this fall, but it's not the beginning of a full-time positional switch; the Indians are just trying to enhance Mejia's defensive versatility. Maintaining catcher eligibility will be big for Mejia's fantasy value, but it's looking like Mejia's bat will profile just fine at any position (.300/.349/.499 this season) if a move out from behind the plate is necessary at some point down the line.

Narvaez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins.

Narvaez will head to the bench for a second straight contest as he and Kevan Smith continue to split time behind the dish. Narvaez has started nine of the last 13 games at backstop, so he appears to be in line for the majority of starts down the stretch.

Sanchez won't play Tuesday after the Yankees' game versus the Indians was postponed due to rain, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The two sides will make up the contest Wednesday as part of a doubleheader. Look for Sanchez to be behind the plate for one of the games, and he could even start both contests if the Yankees elect to deploy him at designated hitter.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.

Despite going 4-for-4 with a double and a homer in Monday's series opener, Vazquez will head to the bench after starting two of the last three games behind the dish. In his place, Sandy Leon will draw the start at catcher, batting ninth.