MLB Player News

Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos is back in the starting lineup after serving as a pinch-hitter Saturday, while catcher Alex Avila is not in the starting lineup for a second straight day.

Castellanos managed an RBI single in his only at-bat Saturday to extend his hitting streak to six games. He has hit .282/.341/.462 with one home run and four RBI in 39 at-bats.

Avila entered Saturday's blowout loss in the seventh inning to play three innings at first base, just his second career appearance at the position. He has hit .190/.414/.333 in 21 at-bats. James McCann, who is 2 for 15 after going hitless in four at-bats Saturday, is behind the plate for a second straight game.

The Tigers are favorites (-135) against the White Sox Sunday, per VegasInsider.com.

Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun was slotted in the leadoff position in the team's starting lineup on Saturday, the first time in his career he's batted leadoff. 

The Brewers' lineup had other major changes on Saturday. Martin Maldonado will bat seventh and catch, in just his fourth game of 2015. Regular catcher Jonathan Lucroy replaces Adam Lind at first base. 

"Trying to do something different, getting [Braun] sparked," Roenicke said to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He's had better at-bats, but just to get his mind off some things and maybe on something else. Then also, I think he is swinging the bat better. He's just not getting hits. Put him in a little different atmosphere. Hopefully he can get on base for us and have the other guys drive him in."

Hector Gomez gets the start at second base, batting sixth. He replaces Scooter Gennett. 

Logan Schaefer is in center field, batting eighth. It will be his first start of the season.

Catcher Devin Mesoraco is not in the Reds' lineup for Saturday's game at St. Louis. 

Mesoraco was questionable with a hip injury. Brayan Pena will start in his place, batting seventh and catching. 

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz and left fielderBen Revere were not in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's game at Washington. 

Cameron Rupp got the start at catcher, batting eighth. Darin Ruf got the call in left, batting sixth. 

Marlins catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia told reporters he doesn't agree with manager Mike Redmond's decision to start J.T. Realmuto over the last three games, according to the Palm Beach Post.

"Am I mad? Yeah I'm mad, I want to play," Saltalamacchia said. "I'm not going to hurt this team. I'm not going to be the reason that causes a distraction.

"No hard feelings whatsoever. I want to win. My job is to help the team win so whatever I can do to help is what I'm going to do."

Realmuto was promoted from Triple-A New Orleans on Monday, and is hitting .286 (2 for 7) in three games. Saltalamacchia is off to a slow start, batting .091 (2 for 22) with with one home run in seven games (six starts).

"It's six games in. Six games in is a really tough sample to go off of," Saltalamacchia said. "I've never been in this situation before so it's a little different. Come to the ballpark every day ready to play, do what I can to make the team better, be ready whenever I'm called upon."

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is expected back at some point over the weekend against the Cardinals, according to MLB.com. Mesoraco took part in batting practice, but was not included in the lineup on Friday. He has been sidelined since Saturday with inflammation in his left hip. Manager Bryan Price told reporters he's listed as day to day, and is available to pinch-hit on Friday, per the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"He has a little bit of inflammation in there, so we have to be sensitive to that and don't want to aggravate it and set him back any further, but he's available to hit," Reds manager Bryan Price said, per MLB.com. "If we had to put him back there, we could, but we have other alternatives now with Tucker Barnhart here."

The Reds recalled Tucker Barnhart and optioned catcher Kyle Skipworth down to Triple-A Louisville on Friday.

Barnhart batted .313 with three doubles and two RBI in 16 at-bats this season in the minors. Skipworth has yet to appear in a game this season for the Reds.

With catcher Travis d'Arnaud receiving the night off, the Mets moved center fielder Juan Lagares into the No. 2 hole in New York's lineup against the Marlins on Friday, per ESPN. Lagares is hitting .231/.268/.231 with three RBI in 10 games.

D'Arnaud has assumed the No. 2 hole after the Mets placed David Wright on the disabled list. Anthony Recker will take his spot behind the plate for the night and will bat eighth. D'Arnaud is hitting .294 (10 for 34) with a double, a triple, a home run and eight RBI in nine games.

The Pirates recalled catcher Chris Stewart from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 15-day disabled list prior to Friday's game against Milwaukee, per the team's official website. Tony Sanchez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to clear roster space for Stewart's arrival.

Stewart injured his hamstring on March 9, which caused him to start the year on the DL. He batted .333 (6 for 18) with two RBI in five total rehab games between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis.

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto is in the starting lineup for the second straight day, batting seventh in his team's game against the Mets.

Realmuto drew his first start of the season Wednesday and responded by going 2 for 3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. He's getting rewarded with another start Thursday, so Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be available off the bench for a second straight game.

"There’s no doubt Salty’s been grinding, the idea is to give him a couple of days just to kind of regroup and we’ll go from there," manager Mike Redmond said, per the Palm Beach Post. "J.T. is a guy that has played a lot in the minor leagues. With young guys you want to be careful not to sit them on the bench for an extended period of time. So we’ll try to get him in there as much as we can. We’ll see how we go from there."

The Marlins are slight underdogs (-102) against the Mets Thursday.