MLB Player News

Grandal is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Boston.

After starting the last two games, Grandal will get a day off as A.J. Ellis fills in behind the plate and bats eighth. Grandal is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, going 9-for-22 with seven RBI in that span.

Rupp went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in a 5-4 victory over the Padres on Friday.

The homer was Rupp's 13th of the season. Manager Pete Mackanin praised Rupp after the game, telling CSN Philadelphia that the changes he made to his approach at the plate to stay on top of the ball have helped propel his 2016 breakout. Rupp does have a .331 BABIP this season, which is much better than past seasons, but some of that increase may not be luck given the change to his approach and the hard contact he has been making. His average exit velocity of 95.1 mph is the third highest in the majors this season.

Diaz has been activated by Triple-A Indianapolis.

Diaz was a reserve for the Pirates in case Francisco Cervelli was forced to miss more time, but Cervelli returned to the Pirates lineup on Friday. Therefore, Diaz will go back to Triple-A Indianapolis where he will start tonight against Toledo. The 25-year-old is hitting .267 in 60 minor league at-bats with High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.

Rene Rivera will catch for starter Noah Syndergaard as d'Arnaud sits for the second time in three days. While d'Arnaud continues to see the lion's share of the workload, he's underwhelmed at the dish since his return from the DL in late June, going 27-for-101 (.267 average) with five extra-base hits. He hit a home run Tuesday, his first since July 7 and third of the season.

Rupp is out of the lineup Thursday against the Giants, the Philly Voice's Ryan Lawrence reports.

He will get a standard day off during Thursday's day game following Wednesday's night game. Carlos Ruiz will start behind the dish and hit fifth Thursday.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Thursday against the Cardinals, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

After six consecutive starts behind the plate, Barnhart will take a seat for the early matchup Thursday. Ramon Cabrera will man the backstop in his stead.

Sanchez signed a minor-league contract with the Giants, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.

Sanchez posted a poor line of .201/.292/.309 over 45 games with Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo before being released on July 28. With Buster Posey at catcher for the Giants, the chances of Sanchez making it up to The Show this season are very slim. In the meantime, he'll simply provide depth behind the plate at Triple-A Sacramento.

Grandal is not in the starting lineup for the Dodgers on Wednesday.

A.J. Ellis will get the start behind the dish for the Dodgers at Coors Field on Wednesday. Grandal is swinging a hot bat over his last 10 games, hitting .313 with three home runs and six RBI in 32 at-bats. He should be back in the lineup on Thursday as the Dodgers face Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood.

D'Arnaud is not in the starting lineup for the Mets on Wednesday.

D'Arnaud will give way to catcher Rene Rivera on Wednesday. Expect d'Arnaud back in the Mets lineup on Thursday as they face Nathan Eovaldi at Yankee Stadium. On the season, d'Arnaud is hitting .250/.296/.371 with three home runs in 116 at-bats against right-handed pitchers.

Rupp went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in Tuesday's 13-8 win over the Giants.

Rupp's eighth-inning blast put the game out of reach for good, transforming a tenuous two-run lead into a commanding five-run advantage. The catcher has been moved around in the lineup a lot lately, but perhaps hitting a homer in the clean-up spot will convince manager Pete Mackanin to keep him there long-term. Rupp's RBI potential would experience a nice uptick if that were to be the case.