MLB Player News

Maldonado went 2-for-3 with a walk and a three-run homer in Monday's win versus the Diamondbacks.

The backup catcher made the most of his start by dealing the fatal blow to Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Braden Shipley. The 29-year-old catcher's sixth-inning shot gave him four on the season, matching his total from each of the previous three years. Playing second fiddle to Jonathan Lucroy, one of the better offensive catchers in baseball, Maldonado is nothing more than a punt play in daily formats.

Rupp (head) is starting behind the dish and hitting fifth Monday against the Marlins, CSN Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury reports.

He was hit in the head by a fastball from Tyler Glasnow in Saturday's game and was then held out Sunday, but after passing the MLB's concussion protocol, he was ready to get back out there Monday. Rupp has eight homers since the start of June and has surprisingly turned in a very serviceable campaign to date, making him a solid fantasy option, particularly in two-catcher formats.

D'Arnaud is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.

D'Arnaud will sit for the second consecutive game as Rene Rivera picks up another start behind the plate. According to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com, manager Terry Collins likes Rivera catching Noah Syndergaard, so this could result in a few lost starts for d'Arnaud if the trend continues. D'Arnaud is hitting a measly .238 since the All-Star break, but his job as the starter is still secure.

Rupp (head) passed MLB's concussion protocol for a second straight day Sunday, John Perrotto of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Rupp, who was out of the lineup Sunday, was hit in the left ear flap of his batting helmet on Saturday by a pitch from Tyler Glasnow of the Pirates. It looks like Rupp should be able to return to the starting lineup Monday.

Rupp (head) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Pirates.

Rupp was hit in the head with a fastball from erratic right-hander Tyler Glasnow on Saturday, which ultimately forced his exit from the game. Although he did not show any concussion symptoms, Rupp had caught three straight for the Phillies and was likely in line for a day off Sunday anyway. Whether it's injury-related or not, Carlos Ruiz will take over behind the plate for the afternoon contest. Consider Rupp day-to-day heading into Monday's series opener against the Marlins.

D'Arnaud is out of the lineup Sunday against the Marlins, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports.

After starting three consecutive games, the Mets opted to give d'Arnaud the day off and put Rene Rivera behind the plate. Like many of his teammates, d'Arnaud's batting has been rather subpar this season, as he's hitting just .246/.302/.339. However, he's shown improvement as of late and has gone 4-for-11 over his last three starts.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Sunday against the Diamondbacks.

After starting behind the plate the previous two days, Barnhart will get the afternoon off in the series finale, as Ramon Cabrera assumes catching duties. Barnhart is in the midst of a productive July, during which he's hit .313 to go with three homers, 12 RBI and a stolen base.

Rupp was evaluated for a concussion after leaving Saturday's game, but did not show any symptoms, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

This is certainly encouraging, but concussion symptoms don't always surface right away, so the Phillies may be inclined to give Rupp a couple days off and have him undergo several more tests before returning him to action. Rupp was hit on the helmet by a 90-mph pitch from Tyler Glasnow a day after he hit his 10th home run of the season.

Rupp left Saturday's game in the top of the third inning after getting hit in the side of the head by a fastball from Tyler Glasnow.

It was a scary moment, as Rupp couldn't get out of the way and the pitch hit him square in the part of his helmet that was covering his left ear. He'll now go through the concussion protocol, and it would not be surprising to see him land on the 7-day concussion DL in the coming days. Carlos Ruiz figures to start behind the dish Sunday, and the Phillies may have to call up a catcher from the minors if Rupp ends up needing to miss a week or more.

Rupp went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, two-run homer and a walk in Friday's 4-0 victory over the Pirates.

The slugging backstop capped the scoring for the Phillies with a 415-foot shot in the ninth that plated Andres Blanco. It was Rupp's first homer since July 10, and he's now slashing .292/.358/.542 in July while also reaching double digits in RBI in a month for the first time this season.