MLB Player News

Stewart was placed on the 15-day DL on Monday with left knee discomfort.

The Pirates had been anticipating this move, as Stewart had been held out of the starting lineup on back-to-back days. The team also went ahead and claimed Eric Fryer off waivers from St. Louis, who will be activated Monday in a corresponding move. As long as the ailment doesn't turn out to be too serious, Stewart should be back with the Pirates shortly after the All-Star break when he's first eligible.

Rupp (elbow) went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Royals.

He clubbed a three-run homer in the first inning off Vordano Ventura, dispelling any concerns about his sore elbow, then came around to score in the eighth on a Freddy Galvis single. Rupp now has an nine-game hitting streak going, and his eight homers leave him one shy of last year's career high.

Rupp went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's 7-2 win over the Royals.

The homer was Rupp's eighth of the season, leaving him just one short of matching his total from last year. His .831 OPS ranks third among major league catchers with at least 150 plate appearances this season. There had been some talk of playing Carlos Ruiz more, but Rupp's bat is going to keep him in the lineup most days.

Stewart, who is out of the lineup Sunday, may be a candidate for the DL due to a lower leg injury, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Stewart is dealing with both knee and ankle ailments, which have effectively cost him two straight starts. If he does end up on the DL, look for Erik Kratz to become the primary backstop, while Jacob Stallings could once again get the call from Triple-A.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Sunday against the Nationals.

Barnhart collected the game-winning hit Saturday, so he'll be rewarded with a day off Sunday afternoon. Furthermore, Saturday marked his fourth start in a row, so the backstop was likely due for a regular day of rest. Ramon Cabrera will take over behind the plate for the afternoon matchup.

D'Arnaud is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Cubs, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.

D'Arnaud has been behind the plate for three straight contests, but will give way to Rene Rivera on Sunday afternoon. The 27-year-old backstop's bat is just starting to heat up when the Mets need it most, as d'Arnaud is 5-for-9 at the plate over his last three games.

Rupp (elbow) is back in the lineup Sunday against the Royals.

Rupp collected a pair of doubles in Friday's matchup, but also left that contest with a bit of elbow soreness after getting hit with a foul ball. The ailment kept him out of Saturday's contest, but he'll return to action on Sunday afternoon, batting fifth in the order.

Barnhart had a second big game in a row Saturday, going 3-for-4 with the game-winning RBI in the 10th inning against the Nats.

Barnhart also added a stolen base and got on base a fourth time via a hit-by-pitch. He's hitting the ball with a little more authority this year, raising his ISO from .074 to .108, but even with that improvement he's a low-end offensive catcher.

D'Arnaud had two more hits Saturday and is now 8-for-17 in his last six games

D'Arnaud is 10-for-32 since coming off the disabled list and pushing for more out of the eight spot. A few more solid games and manager Terry Collins may have no choice but to move him up in the batting order.

Grandal is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.

A.J. Ellis will catch for starter Scott Kazmir with Grandal on the bench following back-to-back starts. It's been a struggle for Grandal through the first three months, to put it nicely, with the 27-year-old managing a .182/.293/.347 line in 58 games. The silver lining is that his ISO is just four points lower than his mark from a year ago and Grandal has been pretty unlucky on balls in play (.205 BABIP).