MLB Player News

Casali went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Tuesday's 10-5 loss to the Dodgers.

The third-year catcher continues to alternate starts with offseason acquisition Hank Conger, although both backstops are currently hitting below the Mendoza line. The gopher ball Tuesday was Casali's second of the season, and only his fourth extra-base hit overall in 51 at-bats.

Nicholas was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Nicholas was seeing fairly regular playing time as the backup catcher, making two consecutive starts on Monday and Tuesday and extending his hitting streak to five games. However, with Bobby Wilson returning from Detroit via trade on Tuesday, Nicholas' services were no longer needed at the major league level.

Moore was designated for assignment by the Indians on Wednesday.

After being added to the 40-man roster at the beginning of May, Moore did not make it into a game during his brief tenure in the big leagues. Prior to being called up, Moore was hitting just .156 in the minors with two home runs and five RBI. The Indians brought back Chris Gimenez, which made Moore surplus to the team's demands, even with Roberto Perez heading to the disabled list with a broken thumb.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with an RBI and run in Tuesday's win against the Diamondbacks.

Realmuto batted leadoff for the first time in his career, filling in for the suspended Dee Gordon. Manager Don Mattingly's lineup experiment paid off when the catcher doubled and scored in the first inning. Realmuto is batting .485 during an eight-game hitting streak. With most catchers these days hitting at the bottom of lineups and being limited in at-bats, Realmuto's value should skyrocket if he captures the leadoff role for good.

Diaz (elbow) underwent elbow debridement surgery this week and is expected to miss seven-to-nine weeks, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The young catching prospect has been battling elbow issues since late in spring training, and while it looked for a while like he might have been able to avoid surgery with just rest and rehab, the Pirates opted to go the surgical route this week. Fortunately, the procedure he underwent was a debridement rather than Tommy John, so the club is optimistic that Diaz will be able to return in early July.

Plawecki is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Braves.

Plawecki will be held out in favor of Rene Rivera with the Mets playing a day game following a night game. A day off could do Plawecki some good, as he tallied only three hits over his last six starts and is hitting just .176 on the season.

Barnhart is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Jamie Ramsey of the Reds' front office reports.

Barnhart started the last five games behind the plate, but he will get the day off Wednesday with the Reds and Giants playing a day game following a night game. Ramon Cabrera will get the start Wednesday in Barnhart's place.

Rupp said work he did on his swing path this offseason has been paying off for him at the plate, Joe Harris of MLB.com reports.

Rupp said he made an alteration to his swing, "working more down towards the ball." He is hitting .250/.274/.417 with a home run in 60 at-bats while splitting time behind the plate with Carlos Ruiz. He has benefited from a .359 BABIP thus far and his strikeout rate has jumped nearly 10 points compared to last season, so Rupp's average may be headed downward despite the improvements to his swing.

Stassi (wrist) will join Triple-A Fresno on Tuesday, Angel Verdejo Jr. of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Manager AJ Hinch indicated Stassi will play every other day, so it looks as though the club will play it cautiously with the catcher after suffering a fracture in the spring. It remains to be seen whether he'll stay in the minors or join the major league club once healthy, but he'll likely need a decent length rehab after sitting out six weeks.

D'Arnaud (shoulder) will not likely come off the disabled list when he's first eligible to return, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

All d'Arnaud has done since going on the disabled list is rest and receive treatment on his shoulder, so he seems to be a ways away from returning to the field considering he hasn't even progressed to baseball activities yet. A timetable for his return should become clearer once he is able to begin throwing and using his shoulder for baseball activities. Kevin Plawecki should see most of the starts while d'Arnaud is on the shelf.