MLB Player News

Casali (head) appears to have suffered no more than a bruise after getting hit with a back swing in Wednesday's loss to the Angels, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The 27-year-old's medical evaluation seemed to go reasonably well, with manager Kevin Cash reporting that "[Casali] seems to be okay, he's a little beat up." Casali sat in favor of Hank Conger for Thursday's series finale against the Angels and remains day-to-day.

Stephenson (wrist) has begun a rehab assignment in the Arizona Rookie League, RedsMinorLeagues.com reports.

Stephenson's development time has stalled because of the wrist injury, but the good news is that they expected him to take awhile, given that he was drafted from high school. The bad news for him is that the Reds drafted another catcher early this year in Chris Okey, who was taken in the second round, and Okey has already been promoted to Low-A Dayton, where Stephenson was playing prior to the injury.

Casali left Wednesday's game early after getting hit by a back swing, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Time reports.

Casali was hit by a back swing behind the plate earlier in the game, and was eventually forced to leave. He was 0-for-2 before being replaced by Hank Conger. The severity of the injury is currently unknown, but consider him day-to-day until more information is released.

Barnhart went 1-for-4 with a three-run blast in Wednesday's 5-3 victory over the Cubs.

Barnhart's homer off Trevor Cahill in the seventh, his third home run of the season, not only put Cincinnati back ahead but continued his personal hot stretch. In 14 games since June 18, the switch-hitting catcher is batting .348 (16-for-46) with eight RBI. On the current road trip, he is 8-for-20.

Stewart (knee) had an MRI done Wednesday which revealed "wear and tear" that could potentially require surgery, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Stewart was placed on 15-day DL Monday with hopes of returning shortly after the All-Star break. While his MRI revealed that his knee may require surgery, Stewart remains optimistic he can play through the injury. He had struggled in his five games prior to being placed on the DL, going just 2-for-15 from the plate. Expect an update when the club decides how to handle the situation.

Contreras will catch Saturday's game against the Pirates, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reports.

David Ross was placed on the 7-day disabled list due to a concussion Wednesday, so Contreras will move back behind the plate Saturday to catch for Jon Lester. Contreras has been moved around the diamond since coming up to the Cubs, making 11 starts behind the plate to go with seven appearances in left field and two appearances at first base. Not only has Contreras' versatility been valuable thus far, but he's been tremendous at the plate as well. He's slashing .300/.391/.617 with five home runs in his first 60 big league at-bats.

Stallings cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

It appears no teams were interested in picking up the 26-year-old who has struggled at both the Triple-A and major league levels this season, hitting .202 and .125 at those stops, respectively. Stallings will head back to Indianapolis to try to get back on track and serve as catching depth for the Pirates' organization.

Leon is out of Wednesday's lineup, the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reports.

This comes on the same day that it was reported Leon would be the primary catcher going forward, but of course he had caught the last three contests so he was due for a day off. Ryan Hanigan will start behind the dish and hit ninth Wednesday, but Leon is expected to get around four starts per week going forward.

Mejia, 20, is 10-for-29 (.345) in seven games since being promoted to High-A Lynchburg.

Mejia has continued to hit even with the jump in levels. He had a 30-game hitting streak earlier this year en route to tearing up Low-A. At that level he slashed .347/.384/.531 with seven home runs and 51 RBI in 60 games. The switch-hitting backstop still has some way to go as far as development behind the dish, but his bat should certainly draw rave reviews at this time, particularly due to his age.

Hedges remains hot at Triple-A El Paso, earning him his second straight Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors.

Over his past 10 games with El Paso, Hedges is hitting .425 with seven home runs and 21 RBI. The 23-year-old, who has always been known as a defensive-first catcher, is starting to look very comfortable at the plate. On the season in just 137 at-bats, Hedges is hitting a healthy .385 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI. Another positive sign in his numbers is his low strikeout rate (14.2%). In dynasty leagues, owners may have given up on Hedges as he struggled in his short stint with the Padres last season, so this might be the last chance to buy low. With the Padres considering trading Derek Norris at the trade deadline, Hedges could be catching in San Diego sooner rather than later.