MLB Player News

Hedges is not in Thursday's lineup for the series finale against the Reds, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Following four straight starts behind the plate, Hedges will get a day off for Thursday's matinee while Luis Torrens draws the start in his place. Since coming off the 7-day concussion disabled list July 29, Hedges is 8-for-29 with two home runs and three RBI.

Mesoraco was reinstated from the paternity list Thursday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco was placed on the paternity list Monday, and the Reds have started Tucker Barnhart twice and Stuart Turner once in his absence. Now back in the fold, look for Mesoraco to draw the regular starts in relief of Barnhart, provided his nagging knee issues from the last few weeks don't continue to pose a problem.

Manager Joe Maddon said after Wednesday's game that Contreras (hamstring) will likely go on the 10-day DL, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

It's a right hamstring injury for Contreras, who pulled up lame a few steps short of the first-base bag in the eighth inning. He is expected to undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of the injury, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports, but it sounds like the Cubs are already resigned to being without Contreras for a stretch. Alex Avila should take over primary catching duties in his absence.

Contreras exited Wednesday's game in the eighth inning with an apparent leg injury.

Contreras slowly left the game with a trainer after pulling up holding his hamstring while running to first base. The severity of the injury is unclear at this point, but more should be known following Wednesday's game. He looked to be in some serious pain following the injury, and even mild hamstring injuries usually sideline players for around two weeks, so a trip to the DL appears to be a strong possibility.

D'Arnaud is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rangers.

The catcher will retreat to the bench after starting the past two games behind the plate while Rene Rivera takes over in his place. Since the All-Star break, d'Arnaud is hitting .295/.328/.393 with one home run and eight RBI.

Barnhart went 2-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Padres.

It was his fourth homer of the year, and second in 21 games -- along with his second multi-hit performance -- since the All-Star break. Barnhart's workload seems to be catching up to him, as he's hitting only .238 (15-for-63) over that stretch, but hopefully Devin Mesoraco will come back refreshed after his stint on the paternity list.

Hedges went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Reds.

The 24-year-old catcher continues to show that last year's power display for Triple-A El Paso wasn't just a product of a friendly hitting environment, as Hedges now has 15 homers in 83 games for the Padres this season. His .228 batting average and .707 OPS leave a lot to be desired, but he's still got plenty of time to improve on those numbers as his career progresses.

Barnes (hand) is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

He took a foul ball of his hand in Sunday's game, but his absence from Tuesday's lineup could simply be a matter of him being the No. 2 catcher, and Yasmani Grandal getting a start against righty Zack Godley, which is not unexpected. Continue to consider Barnes day-to-day for now.

Grandal (back) is starting behind the dish and hitting fifth Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

As expected, Grandal is back in action after missing one game with a sore back. He is hitting .279/.311/.519 with eight home runs over his last 129 at-bats.

Rupp will start at catcher and bat eighth Tuesday against the Braves.

With Andrew Knapp (hand) landing on the 10-day disabled list earlier Tuesday, Rupp looks bound to handle primary catching duties for the Phillies until Knapp is cleared to return. Rupp will collect his fifth start in six games Tuesday after going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and RBI in Sunday's series finale against the Rockies.