MLB Player News

Sanchez (foot) is expected to join Triple-A El Paso on Thursday for a rehab assignment, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

This is seemingly the last step in Sanchez's recovery before he's able to rejoin the Padres. The rehab assignment will likely last through the weekend, making Tuesday a possible return date for the backstop.

Hedges is not in the Padres' lineup Thursday.

The backstop takes a seat as Luis Torrens takes his place. Hedges is batting just .216/.277/.448 on the year in 138 plate appearances but is tied for first with Salvador Perez among backstops with eight home runs heading into Thursday games. He should be back in action Friday.

Rupp is not in the Phillies' lineup Thursday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The backstop will give way to Andrew Knapp, who's batting eighth. Rupp is batting .256/.346/.444 in 104 plate appearances this season, with his scorching .306/.375/.500 May performance in 40 at-bats correcting his early struggles.

Contreras is back in the Cubs' lineup Thursday, batting fifth and catching.

Contreras took a seat Wednesday for the second time in three games yet returns to the order as Jon Lester's personal catcher. He's losing a few more starts per week to Miguel Montero than expected this season, but he's an elite fantasy option when he does suit up.

Grandal went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Giants.

That two-bagger came in the first inning against Johnny Cueto, and it provided all the scoring the Dodgers would need in this game. Grandal has hit safely in each of his last nine starts, and when you add in his pinch-hitting appearances, he's sporting a spectacular .425 average with a dozen RBI over his last 11 games. He's third among catchers in RBI with 20 and fourth at the position in batting average (among those who qualify for the league lead) at .287.

Mesoraco (hamstring) is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Although his initial removal from Sunday's bout seemed to be precautionary, this marks the second consecutive game Mesoraco will miss due to the ailment. It's unclear if the Reds are just being overly cautious with the catcher or if there's actually a bigger issue at hand, but more information should be disclosed relatively soon. Tucker Barnhart will fill in for him behind the plate once again.

Contreras is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Reds.

Despite collecting a pair of hits in Tuesday's contest, Contreras will head to the bench for his second day off in three games. Miguel Montero will slot in behind the dish in his stead.

Murphy (forearm) threw Tuesday and is close to taking batting practice once again, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

His recovery process is taking a bit longer than initially expected, but there seems to be a return on the horizon for Murphy. No firm timetable for his return has been revealed, although things should clear up as he progresses further.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's matinee against the Astros, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

It appears to be a routine day off for Realmuto, his second in the last four games. A.J. Ellis will start behind the backstop in his place.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Austin Barnes will step in behind the dish as Grandal sits following back-to-back starts. With hits in nine straight games, and 16 hits in total so far in May, Grandal has raised his average nearly 90 points (to .291) since the end of April. Expect Grandal to return to the lineup for Wednesday's series finale.