MLB Player News

Plawecki, who had his first two extra base hits of the season Saturday, is in the lineup Sunday against the Padres.

Plawecki sat Friday for Rene Rivera but will play in a day game Sunday following a night game Saturday. With Travis d'Arnaud sidelined for a while longer due his rotator cuff injury, Plawecki has a golden opportunity to grab a hold of the catching job. If he falters and d'Arnaud is out long-term, the Mets could explore the trade market - possibly Jonathan Lucroy - to obtain a starting catcher.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Sunday against the Brewers.

Barnhart was behind the plate for the first three games of the series, but will sit for the afternoon finale. Ramon Cabrera will man the backstop in his stead.

Rupp could see his playing time cut back a little with manager Pete Mackanin considering giving Carlos Ruiz some additional starts, Bill Whitehead of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Rupp has been getting the majority of the starts behind the plate thus far, but Ruiz has outproduced him. Ruiz is unlikely to see regular playing time as Mackanin believes he needs to keep him fresh with days off, but the timeshare behind the plate could become more evenly split if Rupp doesn't get his bat going.

D'Arnaud (shoulder) suffered a setback Saturday, as he experienced discomfort when he tried to throw for the first time and had to be shut down, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

Manager Terry Collins said Saturday's development was "pretty discouraging," and while d'Arnaud had already started hitting Thursday, he's clearly not ready to work on the defensive aspect of his rehab. He will continue hitting for now, and more information regarding a timetable for further activity should become available in the coming days, but Collins' comments suggest that d'Arnaud won't be returning soon. Kevin Plawecki should remain the primary catcher for the Mets for the foreseeable future.

Rupp is out of the lineup Saturday against the Marlins.

He has been seeing the bulk of the starts at catcher for the Phillies, but that has not translated into much fantasy production. Carlos Ruiz will start at catcher and hit fifth Saturday.

Realmuto is out of the lineup Saturday against the Phillies.

He has started six games in a row, so Realmuto was due for a day off. Jeff Mathis will start at catcher and hit eighth Saturday.

Maldonado is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's tilt with the Reds, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Maldonado got the start behind the plate for the Brewers on Friday night, as they opted to give Jonathan Lucroy the night off. He went 0-for-1 on the night, but reached base three times (two walks and a hit-by-pitch).

Mesoraco (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Saturday.

Mesoraco will undergo shoulder surgery next week to repair a torn labrum and it's possible he could miss the remainder of the season. With the recovery process expected to span roughly four months, at the minimum, the Reds will shift Mesoraco to the 60-day DL to free up a 40-man roster spot.

Rupp entered Friday leading all hitters with the highest average exit velocity (97.5 mph) on batted balls in play this season, Glenn Sattell of MLB.com reports.

Giancarlo Stanton led the league with a 98.5-mph average last season, putting Rupp in good company. Exit velocity alone does not mean Rupp is in Stanton's stratosphere as a player, but it is a positive attribute in his skill set. Other factors, such as launch angle, play an important role in batted-ball outcomes. According to Rob Arthur of FiveThirtyEight, the best hitters have exit velocities above 90 mph and launch angles around 25 degrees. Rupp is averaging around 10 degrees with his launch angle this season.

Plawecki will play a reserve role in Friday's matchup with the Padres.

Plawecki, who has been handling catching duties behind the plate while Travis d'Arnaud is on the DL, will sit out Friday's series opener in San Diego. He will be replaced by Rene Rivera in the lineup. The Mets will be facing a right-hander, so this move is not all that surprising. Look for Plawecki to return to his catching role Saturday.