MLB Player News

Barnes is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Barnes had been behind the plate for each of the past three games, so he'll be granted a routine maintenance day in the series finale. The time off could prove useful for Barnes, who has seen his season average plummet to .190 while recording one hit in 29 at-bats over his last 10 games.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, three RBI and a run in Tuesday's 7-2 win over the Dodgers.

Contreras padded his RBI total with a bases-clearing double in the first inning, staking the Cubs to an early lead in the wire-to-wire victory. After an ugly second half in 2018, Contreras has re-emerged as a top-flight fantasy catcher through the early portion of the current season. Entering play Tuesday, Contreras' six home runs, 16 RBI, 14 runs and .322 average all rank no worse than third among all backstops who have logged at least 50 plate appearances.

Gomes is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Gomes will head to the bench for Wednesday's series finale after starting the previous two games and going 0-for-7 with a pair of strikeouts in the process. Kurt Suzuki is starting behind the dish and hitting fifth in this one.

Hedges is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners.

Hedges remains the clear starter behind the plate in San Diego, getting the call 16 times compared to nine for Francisco Mejia. Mejia starts Wednesday but has yet to start in back-to-back contests this season, so expect Hedges back in action Friday against the Nationals.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a 6-3 win over the Mariners on Tuesday.

It was the second straight game with a long ball and fourth homer of the season for the 26-year-old backstop. Hedges is hitting just .208 through 53 at-bats, but he's clearly outperforming Francisco Mejia, who is hitting .161 with no homers, so he should command the majority of the starts behind the dish, especially if he can build on this recent power surge.

Diaz collected his first RBI of the season Monday, going 1-for-4 against the Diamondbacks.

He batted seventh in the lineup but figures to move up in the order as he adjusts to major-league pitching. Diaz made several mental mistakes, including his failure to cover home plate on a bases-loaded bunt. Overall, he had a fairly rough season debut after returning from an unknown virus, but at least he's back and will provide fantasy owners with a decent option at catcher.

Hedges went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Sunday against the Reds.

Hedges took Tyler Mahle deep in the third inning for his third home run of the season. Despite a slow start to the season, Hedges has remained the primary starter behind the dish for the Padres ahead of Francisco Mejia. He'll look to improve on his .200/.259/.400 line as the team begins a series against the Mariners on Tuesday.

Victor Caratini (hand) has started to throw -- but not catch -- after having surgery, Madeline Kenney of the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Less than a week after his surgery, Caratini has begun throwing in an effort to keep his arm healthy. This doesn't appear to change his timeline at all, but it's a good sign nevertheless.

Barnhart is on the bench Sunday against San Diego, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Barnhart started nine of the Reds' first 11 games, but he and Curt Casali have been alternating starts over the last eight. Casali will take his turn Sunday.

Realmuto is on the bench Sunday against Colorado.

Realmuto continues to have a heavy workload for a catcher, with Sunday's off day just his third time out of the lineup this season. Andrew Knapp will get the call in his absence.