MLB Player News

Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Marlins.

It's a rare sight to see Maldonado -- who is known for his defensive abilities -- lead the Angels' offense on a given day, but he did just that against Dan Straily. A career .223 hitter, the 30-year-old has been offering more from an offensive standpoint this season, batting .271 with three homers and 12 RBI in 42 games. While those numbers aren't forcing owners in standard leagues to rush to the waiver wire, those in two-catcher formats could certainly do worse.

Mesoraco is out of Saturday's lineup against the Phillies, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

He has received 16 at-bats over the last week, and has a home run and 4:3 K:BB over that stretch. Tucker Barnhart will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Grandal went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in Friday's 4-0 win over the Cubs.

Grandal's two-bagger drove home Corey Seager and was the slugging backstop's 16th RBI in May. The 28-year-old catcher has been knocking the cover off the ball during the month, as Friday's production brought his May line to .362/.405/.594. He's been making impactful contact as well, with the double representing his 12th extra-base hit of the month.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's win over the Angels.

The catcher continues to enjoy another strong season at the plate, collecting hits in 15 of his last 18 games to push his slash line on the season to .307/.366/.447. Fantasy GMs expecting another useful contribution in steals might be disappointed by Realmuto's 1-for-2 performance on the basepaths so far, but otherwise the 26-year-old is ahead of last year's career-best pace in every category.

Sanchez is not in the starting lineup Friday against the A's.

It's the second time in the past three games that Sanchez heads to the bench, though it may be due to his unimpressive numbers against left-handed pitching (.167/.318/.167). Look for the catching phenom to be back behind the plate Saturday while Austin Romine takes over in his stead.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup Friday against the Pirates.

The 28-year-old catcher returned from the disabled list Wednesday, but he'll get a night off after failing to pick up a hit since his activation. Rene Rivera will catch Jacob deGrom on Friday night.

Gallagher is slashing .243/.310/.320 through 31 games with Triple-A Omaha in 2017.

Gallagher's minor-league career .235 batting average isn't what the Royals expected when selecting him in the second round of the 2011 draft. Although the catcher remains on the 40-man roster, Gallaher's highly unlikely to make his MLB debut any time soon. He'll continue to work through his first season at Triple-A while providing the organization with depth in case of an emergency situation.

Murphy (forearm) could begin a rehab assignment next week, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

No word has come forth as to how many rehab games the catching prospect will play, but the Rockies will likely play things by ear as he completes each contest. Murphy has been out since spring training due to a hairline fracture in his forearm, and although his recovery has taken longer than expected, it seems like a return is on the horizon.

McCann (hand) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

John Hicks has been recalled to take McCann's spot on the roster ahead of Friday's doubleheader against the White Sox. McCann suffered a laceration on his left hand after being hit by a pitch Thursday, and while there's still no report of any injury beyond that, he'll still require a DL stint. Alex Avila should see the bulk of the starts behind the plate in McCann's absence, but the upcoming schedule should ensure some starts for Hicks as well.

McCann exited Thursday's game against the Astros with a left hand laceration.

The 26-year-old was hit on the left hand by a Mike Fiers offering earlier in Thursday's contest and was visibly bleeding as he left the field. The timing of his injury is particularly unfortunate for the Tigers, who have a doubleheader on tap for Friday followed by a day game Saturday. According to John Wagner of the Toledo Blade, catcher John Hicks will be called up from Triple-A Toledo to add catching depth for at least Friday.