MLB Player News

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto gets a rest in Saturday's game. Realmuto, who has 44 starts behind the plate this year, will be replaced by Jeff Mathis. 

Mathis is starting his fifth game and second in the last four. He'll bat seventh in the lineup. 

Rays catcher Curt Casali will get his first start of the season on Saturday.

Casali, who was just recalled from Triple-A Durham, is in the Rays' lineup, playing catcher and batting ninth. 

Casali will be playing his first MLB game since last Septemer 24. He played in 30 games with the Rays at the end of the 2014 season. He's hitting .205 with four home runs and 13 RBI at Durham this season.

The Rays have recalled catcher Curt Casali from Triple-A Durham, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Casali appeared in 30 games for the Rays in 2014, but has spent this season with Durham.

Casali was batting .205/.326/.348 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 32 games at Triple-A.

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto made sure his team would walk away with a win against the Rockies on Friday. With the Marlins leading 2-1, the rookie catcher blasted a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Marlins were victorious 5-1.

The home run was Realmuto's third of the season, and is only hit of the game. He owns a .433 batting average over his last eight games. 

After starting four straight games behind the plate, Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal will get a rest on Friday, as he is being held out of the starting lineup against the Padres. Grandal recently returned from a brief stint on the disabled list with a concussion, and has hit .237 (9 for 38) in the 12 games since his return.

He will cede the catching duties to A.J. Ellis with Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Dodgers.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has been taken off his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville after suffering a setback with his hip injury Wednesday, manager Bryan Price said Friday, per MLB.com. 

Mesoraco will return to Cincinnati for rehab work and will be reassessed after the team's road trip. Mesoraco, who hasn't caught since April 12, is trying to make the transition to the outfield.

"We thought he could transition back to the outfield and it hasn't gone as well as we had hoped from a physical standpoint," Price said.

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud has caught all 18 innings in the two games since returning from a seven-week trip to the disabled list. And, the young backstop has three hits, including two doubles, over the two contests. 

But, manager Terry Collins is planning on giving d'Arnaud a much-deserved rest on Friday.

"He's pretty sore ... but his presence in the lineup changes the look of things," Collins said, per ESPN.com. "It just spreads things out a little bit. He's dangerous. He can get a hit. He can hit a double. He can hit a homer. And, to be honest, for a guy that hasn't caught in a long time, I thought he's handled the ball behind the plate outstanding."

It's not clear if Kevin Plawecki, who has been dealing with dizziness due to clogged sinuses, will be available to catch Friday's series-opener against the Braves.

Indians catcher Roberto Perez drove in two runs during a 6-0 win Thursday against the Mariners. Both of his RBI came on a two-out single in the third inning.

Perez finished 2 for 3. It was his fourth multihit game, but first since April 29. He does have one home run and six RBI in his last six games.

Reds catcher/outfielder Devin Mesoraco experienced soreness a day after Wednesday's game with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Mesoraco went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts against Columbus. He's on a rehab assignment due to a hip injury. 

Mesoraco was already scheduled to have Thursday off due to a death in the family and will be re-evaluated on Friday. 

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said catcher Kevin Plawecki will receive more tests to determine why he's experiencing dizziness, according to ESPN New York. 

Plawecki was scratched Tuesday for dizziness and it appears those symptoms have yet to subside. He's hitting .211/.256/.312 this season.