MLB Player News

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's loss to the Nationals.

Contreras supplied half of his team's offense when he took Washington starter Stephen Strasburg deep in the fourth inning. Contreras batted fourth in this one after a brief stint as the leadoff hitter on Monday. The young catcher was batting just .209 in early May, but he's now up .252 to go along with a .763 OPS.

Grandal went 2-for-3 with a solo home run during Wednesday's loss to the Angels.

Grandal's bomb tied the game in the top of the ninth inning, but unfortunately, the Angels walked it off in the bottom half. The backstop sports a .268/.322/.464 slash line with 10 homers, 30 RBI and 28 runs and should remain a rock-solid option in the majority of fantasy settings.

Perez went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Tigers.

He's putting the finishing touches on a monster June that's seen Perez hit .359 (28-for-78) with five homers, 13 runs and 18 RBI in 21 games. The 27-year-old now has an .857 OPS that's more than 100 points better than his previous best for a full season, and if he can avoid wearing down in the second half he's poised for a career year.

Barnes spelled Yasmani Grandal behind the dish Tuesday, going 0-for-3 in a win over the Angels.

While Barnes didn't contribute to the box score, he has been effective in a backup role this season (.278/.398/.478 in 40 games). The veteran backstop only receives a start or two per week, but he could gain deep-league value in the event Grandal goes down to injury.

Gomes is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.

The Indians will go with Roberto Perez behind the plate for the second time in the series while Gomes rests. With Gomes delivering a .196/.268/.235 line in June, the Tribe has opted to go with more of a timeshare behind the plate, which will probably continue until Gomes busts out.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco will get the day off after starting the past two games behind the plate. In his place, Tucker Barnhart mans the catching duties while batting eighth.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Realmuto gets the day off after starting the past five games, going 4-for-16 with one home run and three RBI during that span. In his place, A.J. Ellis will catch and bat seventh in the order.

Caratini has been called up by the team Wednesday, Buster Olney of ESPN reports.

The 23-year-old has been tearing it up with Triple-A Iowa this season, hitting .343/.384/.539 with eight home runs and 54 RBI in 68 games. Caratini has steadily progressed each year, going from Low-A ball to the Cubs in just over two years. While he has a promising bat, particularly for a catching prospect, Caratini's defense is well behind starter Willson Contreras. To clear room on the roster, the team designated catcher Miguel Montero for assignment prior to Wednesday's game against the Nationals. Moving forward, Caratini will serve as Contreras' backup behind the plate.

D'Arnaud went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Marlins.

It's his first multi-hit performance since June 12. Despite a .232 (16-for-69) batting average on the month, d'Arnaud has been supplying some power, hitting four homers in June to give him nine on the year.

Grandal is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Angels, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Grandal will head to the bench for a breather after starting three consecutive games for the Dodgers. Austin Barnes will draw his third start in the Dodgers' last six contests..