MLB Player News

Jackson is hitting .338/.358/.677 with six home runs for High-A Florida.

Jackson has moved back behind the plate as he's played seven games at catcher and nine at DH. The former first-round pick has been a disappointment in his minor-league career so far with just a career .753 OPS. However, it looks like a switch of organizations and positions my revitalize his career.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

After assuming catching duties for the Cubs' last three games, Contreras will be given a breather in the series finale, opening up a start for Miguel Montero. Contreras busted out of a 3-for-19 skid in a major way Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam and three runs scored in the victory.

Sanchez (biceps) took swings Saturday for the first time since landing on the DL, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

The swings were both off a tee and in "tee and toss," and the catcher was also able to throw from 60 and 90 feet earlier Saturday. Per manager Joe Girardi, the next steps for Sanchez will be to take part in batting practice and throw from 120 feet, as the Yankees believe the lingering effects of the biceps strain could be more of an issue for when he throws rather than swinging. There's still no firm timetable for his return and the club will likely play it cautiously with its prized prospect, but Sanchez could progress to rehab games once he's gotten some batting practice sessions under his belt.

D'Arnaud is still experiencing wrist pain and may remain out Sunday against the Nationals, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

D'Arnaud has been out since Thursday with a wrist injury, but has made a couple appearances as a pinch hitter since then. Although his health is good enough for him to hit, he may not be quite ready to resume his catching duties. If d'Arnaud remains out Sunday, Rene Rivera will likely get the nod to start behind the dish.

Perez was scratched from Saturday's lineup against the Rangers with a stiff neck, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports.

News regarding the severity of the ailment should be available in the near future, but consider Perez day-to-day heading into Sunday's game against Texas. With Perez sitting out, Drew Butera will get the nod to start behind the plate.

Grandal is out of Saturday's lineup against the Diamondbacks, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports.

Grandal is a switch hitter, but the Dodgers are going with right-handed Austin Barnes behind the dish in a lineup that includes just one left-handed hitter (Joc Pederson) against southpaw Robbie Ray. Grandal is hitting .250/.377/.432 with two home runs through 44 at-bats.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and three runs in Saturday's win over the Reds.

With the Cubs trailing in the second inning, Contreras hit a grand slam to give the team a lead it would never relinquish. Although he's off to a slow start in the power department, it's likely just a matter of time until he picks it up in that area.

Stephenson is off to a decent start at Low-A Dayton, hitting .265/.357/.449 with two homers and 14 RBI in 56 plate appearances.

The important part is that Stephenson, the Reds' first-round pick in the 2015 draft, has stayed healthy so far after only playing 39 games at Dayton last year. He's still just 20 years old, so there's plenty of time for him to develop.

D'Arnaud (wrist) is not in the Mets' lineup Saturday against the Nationals.

It will be the third straight start missed by d'Arnaud after he hit his hand on a bat while throwing during Wednesday's game. Rene Rivera, who is starting behind the plate Saturday, will likely continue receiving the lion's share of catching duties.

McCann went 1-for-3 and hit his fourth home run of the season in a loss to the Twins on Friday.

McCann is tied for second in home runs among MLB catchers. He's hitting just .162 this season, and as a career .241 hitter, he's probably not going to be a great contributor in batting average, but he did hit 12 home runs in just 344 at-bats last season, so he could make a push for 20 home runs with more regular playing time in 2017.