MLB Player News

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Giants.

Sanchez's slugging percentage has ballooned all the way up to .597 in 71 plate appearances thanks to an 11-for-28 stretch with six extra-base hits since July 15. If the catcher keeps hitting like this, it will be hard to take him out of the lineup even when Austin Hedges (concussion) returns from the DL.

Grandal is out of the lineup Sunday against the Braves.

Grandal is 8-for-24 at the plate since the All-Star break, and is the owner of three consecutive multi-hit games. He'll be rewarded for his efforts with a day off, giving way to Austin Barnes behind the plate.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.

With a .177 batting average since the beginning of June, Vazquez's hot start to the season has looked like a distant memory, and may have allowed Sandy Leon to carve out a larger portion in the timeshare at catcher. Leon will be behind the plate Sunday for the fourth time in six games.

Mesoraco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins.

Mesoraco is feeling healthy again after a back issue sidelined him for about two weeks, but the Reds will continue to act conservatively with his workload this season due to his extensive injury history. He'll sit Sunday for the third time in five days, affording Tucker Barnhart a start behind the plate.

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

On the heels of a three-hit performance Saturday, d'Arnaud will get the day off after starting the first two games of the series. Rene Rivera will take over behind the plate.

Realmuto is out of the lineup Sunday against the Reds, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

After back-to-back starts behind the plate, Realmuto will head to the bench for the afternoon series finale. A.J. Ellis will man the backstop in his stead.

Realmuto went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI during Saturday's win.

Realmuto is providing high-end numbers from the catcher position with a .305/.361/.475 slash line, 10 homers, 39 RBI, five stolen bases and 41 runs. He entered Saturday's game with the fourth-most plate appearances (328) among all catchers, so his hefty role also provides a high fantasy floor.

D'Arnaud went 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run during Saturday's win over the Athletics.

The backstop hasn't moved the fantasy needle outside of deep fantasy settings, and his .241/.302/.449 slash line isn't overly encouraging. Still, nine home runs, 31 RBI and 24 runs over just 205 plate appearances is serviceable production from the catcher position.

Rupp went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer, a walk and two runs Saturday against the Brewers.

Rupp's seventh home run of the year came in the eighth inning to fully erase what once was a seven-run deficit for the Phillies. Although he carries a weak batting average, his ability to hit an occasional homer gives him value in leagues that require two starting catchers.

Mejia, 21, is day-to-day at Double-A Akron with a hip strain, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

He has not played since Thursday, but it sounds like he may not require a stint on the 7-day DL for the RubberDucks. Mejia, the best catching prospect in the game, is hitting .320/.368/.525 with 10 home runs and five steals in 270 plate appearances. He has an exemplary 35:19 K:BB, despite being much younger than the typical player in the Eastern League.