MLB Player News

Stallings had a game-winning RBI single as a pinch hitter in the 11th inning in Friday's 6-5 victory over the Nationals.

Recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sept. 13, Stallings came through with the game-winning hit in what was his first at-bat since returning to the big league club. The 22-year-old has slashed .222/.222/.333 in a scant nine major league at-bats in 2016 and is essentially on the roster to serve as the third catcher for the balance of the campaign.

Realmuto cranked a solo home run during Thursday's loss to the Braves.

Realmuto's seventh-inning blast was his 11th on the year, marking a new career high and pushing his overall line to a strong .308/.349/.437 over 490 at-bats. The 25-year-old backsto has taken a massive step forward in his second full season in the majors, posting a .786 OPS on the year -- nearly 100 points better than his performance last season -- while chipping in double digit homers and steals.

Maldonado is not in the lineup Friday against the Reds.

Maldonado has acted as the primary catcher since Jonathan Lucroy's departure, but the 29-year-old will take the evening off to get some rest before the final week of the season. Andrew Susac will slot in behind the dish to replace him.

Grandal went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double and five RBI in Thursday's win over the Rockies.

Grandal was the hero Thursday, as he launched a solo home run to start the Dodgers' comeback after they went down early, then smacked a grand slam in the seventh inning that gave his team the lead for good. Grandal has had a career year in 2016, as he has now set personal bests in hits (86), homers (27), RBI (69) and slugging percentage (.491).

Hedges was recalled from Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

Long known as one of the best young defensive catchers in professional baseball, it has taken awhile for Hedges to develop himself into a competent hitter. It remains to be seen how much of his 2016 production should be attributed to the advantageous hitting conditions of the Pacific Coast League, but on paper it looks to be a breakout campaign. Hedges hit .326/.353/.597 with 21 home runs and a 15.3 percent K-rate in 334 plate appearances with El Paso. He has a chance to be the Padres' starting catcher heading into 2017, and if a fragment of his offensive production carries over against big league pitching he could be useful in a wide range of formats next year. Look for him to start a handful of games down the stretch, offering the potential for a home run or two by season's end.

Hedges will be recalled from Triple-A El Paso, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Hedges and five others will be rewarded with callups with El Paso's long postseason run coming to an end Tuesday night. He's no longer a prospect after playing in 56 games with the Padres a year ago, but the 24-year-old Hedges is still developing and he took a major step forward offensively this season (.326/.353/.597, 21 homers). With elite skills behind the plate, Hedges profiles as the possible Opening Day catcher in 2017, but it's not entirely clear how much he'll play over the remainder of this season.

Maldonado homered, a solo shot, in a 2-for-4 game Tuesday against the Pirates.

Maldonado is in the majors for his excellent defense, not his bat, but he has been showing some solid power this season. He tied a career high with his eighth home run Tuesday and is now slugging .351 despite just a .194 batting average. Unfortunately, Maldonado has managed an OPS over .700 just twice in five MLB seasons and is unlikely to provide much fantasy value aside from running into the occasional home run.

Stewart (knee) underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Given that the Pirates had ruled him out for the season, Stewart decided to get a head start on his recovery process and undergo surgery prior to the end of the campaign. The recovery time for this procedure is typically 6-to-8 weeks, so as long as everything goes as planned, the veteran backstop should be back in time for spring training.

Grandal (elbow) is in the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants.

Grandal will return to action Monday after missing the last couple games with his elbow injury. He will be behind the plate and hit seventh in the Dodgers' batting order.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Braves, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

D'Arnaud has spent plenty time on the bench of late, and that will again be the case Monday, as Rene Rivera will start for the fourth time in six games.