MLB Player News

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI including a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Nationals.

The Marlins catcher is 4-for-8 at the plate to begin the season but also flashed his defensive skills Wednesday, gunning down Bryce Harper on a steal attempt and picking off Jayson Werth at second base. Realmuto's offense took a big step forward in 2016, but he may not have reached his ceiling yet.

Mesoraco (hip, shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Pensacola, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

The Reds can have Mesoraco rehab for up to 20 days with Pensacola, but they don't anticipate needing the full span. They want to see him catch full games on consecutive days before they activate him, however.

Gomes is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.

It looks to be just a routine day off for Gomes, who will get two full days to gear up for the weekend series with the Diamondbacks with the Indians off the schedule Thursday. Roberto Perez will receive the start at catcher and bat eighth in the order.

Maldonado went 1-for-3 with a pair of RBI in Tuesday's win over the Athletics.

The 30-year-old has started behind the dish for both of the Angels' games this season. Manager Mike Scioscia was vague when he discussed his two catchers' playing time during spring training, but early indications are that Maldonado will be seeing the lion's share of starts. Known for his defensive ability rather than his bat, the veteran catcher is only worth a look in deeper two-catcher formats.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

After catching two straight to open the 2017 season, Contreras will give way to Miguel Montero behind the plate for Wednesday's afternoon game with John Lackey pitching. Contreras hit a game-tying, three-run home run on Opening Day and reached base twice Tuesday, but he's also struck out four times in seven at-bats in the early going.

Gomes went 0-for-3 with a walk and scored a run while striking out twice against the Rangers on Tuesday.

After tearing up the Cactus League, Gomes is hitless through his first seven at-bats of the regular season. His backup, Roberto Perez, has yet to see the field, but will likely get his chance to produce soon. Although the team has committed to Gomes as its regular catcher, Perez is no slouch and is more than capable of stealing time behind the plate if he can produce in the batter's box.

Stephenson (wrist) will start 2017 at Low-A Dayton after missing a good chunk of the 2016 season.

The Reds' first-round pick in 2015, Stephenson's development was halted in its tracks last year. He played only 39 games for Dayton, hitting a paltry .216/.278/.324 there. The team doesn't have much organizational strength at the catcher spot in the minors, so if he catches fire at Dayton the Reds could move him up to High-A Daytona fairly aggressively.

Contreras will bat fifth and play catcher against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

After a strong Opening Day performance, Contreras will slide from seventh in the order to fifth during game two. The 24-year-old went 2-for-4 and launched a game-tying three-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday, and he should get more opportunities with runners on base at his new spot in the order.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Nationals.

He hit second in the order for the Marlins between Dee Gordon and Christian Yelich, a spot that should allow Realmuto to potentially top last season's 60 runs and 48 RBI (both career highs) if he's able to hang onto it. The 26-year-old is quietly moving into the upper tier of fantasy catchers given his potential for five-category contributions.

Leon went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Monday's 5-3 win over Pittsburgh.

Leon is a notorious candidate for regression in 2017 after posting an .845 OPS in 2017, more than 350 points higher than his career OPS over the first four seasons of his career. However, he's off to a good start as he tries to prove the doubters wrong.