MLB Player News

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco slugged his 16th home run Friday against the Pirates. 

Mesoraco's big fly sparked the team's eighth inning comeback. He worked a four-pitch at-bat from Tony Watson. On the final pitch, Mesoraco belted a 96 mph fastball out to left for the solo shot. He finished 1 for 4, with one run scored and one RBI. 

The Reds optioned catcher Tucker Barnhart back to Triple-A Louisville Friday, just a few days after he was called up. He appeared in two games, going 2 for 5. 

It's too early to tell anything -- most any player can go off for a two-week stretch -- but the timing of this particular hot streak and the history of the player in question make it too enticing to ignore.

In 13 games since returning from the minors, Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud is hitting .300 (15 for 50) with three home runs and a .900 OPS.

No, his plate discipline hasn't been especially good -- he has 13 strikeouts to just three walks during that stretch -- but that wasn't exactly his calling card in the minors either. He was just a good hitter, routinely hitting well over .300 with plus power.

It's worth noting he hit .436 (24 for 55) with six home runs and a 1.384 OPS during his stint in the minors, but that was at Triple-A Las Vegas of the Pacific Coast League, a level he dominated while in the Blue Jays organization as well. Still, it all plays into d'Arnaud's theory that he was simply trying to do too much in his previous stints in the majors.

So a former top prospect who struggles to find his footing in the majors gets sent down, rediscovers his stroke and comes back to put up the numbers everyone from him all along. Again, it's not an open-and-shut case, but if you need a catcher (perhaps if you lost Yadier Molina), it's reason enough to act.

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud went 1 for 3 with a two-run home run in his team's 4-1 win over the Braves Wednesday.

d'Arnaud has picked up at least one hit in 12 of his 13 games since returning from the minor leagues, and Wednesday's home run was his third in that span. He has hit .213/.289/.354 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 178 at-bats.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Wednesday that the team has no plans to move Evan Gattis to a different position when he returns, meaning Christian Bethancourt will likely be sent back to the minors when Gattis is activated, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

An excellent defensive catcher, Bethancourt has hit .281/.324/.313 in 32 at-bats over eight games since joining the Braves. There was speculation the team could be entertaining a positional shift of Gattis even before his back injury. However, it appears the Braves will stick with Gattis behind the plate and let Bethancourt continue to develop at the Triple-A level.

Reds reserve catcher Tucker Barnhart remained on the roster Tuesday, despite the return of Brayan Pena from the paternity leave list.

Manager Bryan Price told MLB.com the decision on whether to sent Banhart down in the next few days has not yet been made. He is hitting just .107 with one home run in 10 games in the majors, but could hang around with Pena an option to fill in at first base in the absence of Joey Votto.

"If I get to the point where I put Pena more as a -- I don't want to say full-time -- but a primary first baseman, then that would create a little bit more opportunity for Tucker," Price said. "But still, "Devin Mesoraco] is going to get a lion's share of the playing time."

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud hasn't been tearing it up, but he has proven to be steady and productive in recent weeks.

d'Arnaud has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games with 11 hits in 37 at-bats. Included were three doubles and two home runs as d'Arnaud has racked up seven RBI during that period. He has lifted his batting average from .180 to .206 and his still-weak .333 slugging percentage is at its highest point since May 1.

On Sunday, Major League Baseball revealed the National League reserves for the 2014 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

The following players were selected as reserves:

C Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers
C Devin Mesoraco, Reds
1B Freddie Freeman, Braves
2B Dee Gordon, Dodgers
2B Daniel Murphy, Mets
SS Starlin Castro, Cubs
3B Todd Frazier, Reds
3B Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
IF/OF Josh Harrison, Pirates
OF Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
OF Hunter Pence, Giants
OF Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco collected three hits -- all singles -- and one RBI in four at-bats Sunday against the Brewers. Mesoraco struck out in his only at-bat that didn't produce a single.

Mesoraco is batting .368 (21 for 57) over his last 16 games. He has five doubles, six home runs, 14 runs and 15 RBI in that span.

The Reds placed catcher Brayan Pena on the paternity list and recalled catcher Tucker Barnhart from Triple-A Louisville. Barnhart went 3 for 28 (.107) in a previous major-league stint this year.