MLB Player News

Stallings cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

It appears no teams were interested in picking up the 26-year-old who has struggled at both the Triple-A and major league levels this season, hitting .202 and .125 at those stops, respectively. Stallings will head back to Indianapolis to try to get back on track and serve as catching depth for the Pirates' organization.

Hedges remains hot at Triple-A El Paso, earning him his second straight Pacific Coast League Player of the Week honors.

Over his past 10 games with El Paso, Hedges is hitting .425 with seven home runs and 21 RBI. The 23-year-old, who has always been known as a defensive-first catcher, is starting to look very comfortable at the plate. On the season in just 137 at-bats, Hedges is hitting a healthy .385 with 14 home runs and 41 RBI. Another positive sign in his numbers is his low strikeout rate (14.2%). In dynasty leagues, owners may have given up on Hedges as he struggled in his short stint with the Padres last season, so this might be the last chance to buy low. With the Padres considering trading Derek Norris at the trade deadline, Hedges could be catching in San Diego sooner rather than later.

Grandal is not in the lineup Wednesday, JP Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports.

This is a routine day off for Grandal, who had caught the previous four games. A.J. Ellis will be behind the plate batting eighth for Wednesday's game.

D'Arnaud is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Marlins.

D'Arnaud has started back-to-back games and five of the last six contests for the Mets, but will take a seat in favor of backup Rene Revera for the afternoon contest.

Rupp is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Braves.

Rupp has started three straight for the Phillies, but will get the day off for the afternoon contest directly following a night game. Carlos Ruiz will man the backstop in his stead.

Stallings has been designated for assignment by the Pirates, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old Stallings has struggled this season between Triple-A Indianapolis and the big leagues. Stallings has always had struggles with his bat as he moved through the ranks in the minor leagues. Steven Brault took Stallings' spot on the Pirates' roster.

D'Arnaud hit his first home run as part of a 3-for-4 game with two runs scored and two RBI in Monday's win over the Marlins.

After hitting 12 home runs in just 67 games, d'Arnaud needed 24 to get on the board in 2016. This marks just his fourth extra-base hit in 89 plate appearances, so he's going to need to get into an extended hot streak before we can really believe his power is back to where it used to be. After hitting .268/.340/.485 last year, his batting line is just .268/.326/.341 in 2016.

Realmuto went 4-for-4 with a run scored and a walk in Monday's loss to the Mets.

Realmuto now has a seven-game hitting streak, with four of those games including multiple hits. This marks Realmuto's second four-hit game in the past month as he continues to establish himself as one of the best hitters for contact at the catcher position. His batting average his now up to .325, behind only Wilson Ramos among qualified catchers.

Maldonado got the start behind the plate Monday and went 1-for-3 with a solo shot in a 1-0 win over the Nationals.

The two teams combined for just seven hits all game and Maldonado's was the only one that wasn't a single. Playing time remains scarce for the Brewers' backup catcher but two of his three homers on the season have come in the last eight days, which might encourage manager Craig Counsell to put Maldonado's name on the lineup card a little more often.

Diaz (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment Monday for High-A Brandenton, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

If Diaz were healthy, there's a good chance he'd be with the Major League club at the moment, as both Francisco Cervelli (hand) and Chris Stewart (knee) are on the disabled list. Instead, the team had to claim Eric Fryer off waivers to ensure positional depth. That being said, the Pirates will likely keep a close eye on the 25-year-old's rehab assignment, as he could be an option for the team following the All-Star break. He has yet to play this season, however, so a somewhat lengthy rehab assignment could be on tap.