MLB Player News

Realmuto hit his second homer of the year as part of a 2-for-4 evening with two runs scored against the Dodgers on Thursday.

Not a week ago, he was hitting .188; in the span of five games, Realmuto's racked up 10 hits in 19 at-bats, raising that average nearly 100 points to .284. That's April sample sizes for you. The 25-year-old catcher has been a workhorse early on, appearing in 18 of the Marlins' 21 games so far -- an amount of playing time that should keep him quite relevant across the majority of fantasy formats.

Grandal is out of the lineup Wednesday against Miami, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

The Dodgers are taking on lefthanded starter Justin Nicolino on Wednesday, which has resulted in the decision to start A.J. Ellis behind the plate. As a switch-hitter, Grandal is a far better hitter from the left side of the plate (.167 against lefties, .296 against righties), so Wednesday's matchup against Nicolino provides Los Angeles with an ideal opportunity to give Grandal a day off.

Nicholas is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Nicholas made three consecutive starts and collected hits in each of the past two; however, the 27-year-old will get the day off in favor of Bryan Holaday. Nicholas is hitting .240 since being called up in mid-April and is pushing Holaday for the starting role.

Hedges (hand) will undergo surgery on his hand and will be out four-to-six weeks, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Hedges was originally given a timetable of six-to-eight weeks, but apparently things are better than initially expected, which could allow the catcher to return a bit sooner. Hedges was performing well with Triple-A El Paso, batting .333 with two home runs, so if he can return to that form and prove that his bat is on par with his defense, he could get the call to the big leagues once he's healthy.

Rupp is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice reports.

This appears to be a regular say off for Rupp despite the fact that he's holding a modest six-game hit streak. Carlos Ruiz will catch and bat fifth with him out of the lineup.

McCann (ankle) went 0-for-3 with two walks Tuesday for Triple-A Toldedo in the first game of his rehab assignment.

Nice start, but he was the designated hitter and still hasn't squatted behind the plate for more than a bullpen session. McCann is expected to be behind the dish Wednesday for Toledo, so Thursday morning will tell the tale about fatigue and relative readiness for return to the Tigers.

Casali is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Hank Conger's defensive woes have given Casali every chance to win the starting catcher job outright, but Casali has both not thrown out anyone this season (0-for-4) and is hitting just .146 on the season while striking out 21 times in 41 at-bats. Casali will be replaced by Conger in the lineup Wednesday.

Barnhart collected two hits -- including a double -- and scored a run in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Mets.

the 25-year-old doesn't play everyday, but he's been very productive to start the young season. He's got an impressive .355/.412/.419 slash line and will likely find his way into the lineup more often if he keeps hitting.

Contrary to a previous report, Hedges has a hamate bone fracture, and will miss six-to-eight weeks, MLB.com's AJ Cassavell reports.

It was originally reported as a hand contusion, but the injury ended up being more serious. Hedges' defensive skills are unquestioned, but he still needs to show he can be even a mediocre hitter in the big leagues. He was off to a good start prior to the injury, slashing .333/.385/.583 with two home runs in 10 games at Triple-A, and could get recalled this summer once he is healthy, especially if Derek Norris gets traded.

Sanchez had his contract purchased by the White Sox on Tuesday, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The White Sox needed a catcher after placing Kevan Smith (back) on the disabled list, allowing Sanchez to join the big league roster. He hasn't been hitting all that well with Triple-A Charlotte, posting a rough .143 batting average, although he does have two home runs in 30 plate appearances to his credit. Despite this, Sanchez will likely serve as the backup catcher behind Dioner Navarro until Smith or Alex Avila return from their respective injuries.