MLB Player News

Contreras (finger) is expected to rejoin the Cubs' Cactus League lineup for one of the team's split-squad games Tuesday versus either the Mariners or Royals, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs confirmed that Contreras was scratched from the starting nine for Saturday's game versus the Diamondbacks due to a right ring finger issue. Contreras sustained the minor injury when he took a foul ball off his hand in his last appearance Thursday, but the Cubs are optimistic that he'll only need a few extra days off to make a full recovery. Contreras was at least able to do some throwing without incident Saturday, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

Contreras was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks due to an apparent right hand injury, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

During his last spring appearance Thursday, Contreras looked to be in some pain after taking a foul ball off his hand, so the Cubs are likely just exercising precaution by holding him out of action for a second straight day. Unless the team relays information to the contrary, Contreras is considered day to day and should be back in action in short order.

Gomes went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

He blasted a three-run homer off Steven Matz in the first inning, then followed it up with a solo shot in the third off depth bullpen arm Eric Hanhold. Gomes sports a robust .375/.400/.792 slash line with three home run over 25 plate appearances this spring, but his 1:7 BB:K suggests a regular-season batting average closer to his .248 career mark is far more likely.

D'Arnaud went 0-for-3 at the plate, and 0-for-2 throwing out base stealers, in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

It was his first work behind the plate with the big-league club since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. While d'Arnaud's throws to second base didn't get the job done, the fact that he was able to make them at all was an encouraging step in his recovery. He remains in a camp battle with Devin Mesoraco for the Mets' No. 2 catching job.

Wallach went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk Thursday against Houston.

Wallach drove in a run during the second inning on a single and went deep in the third. The 27-year-old backstop has gone 3-for-12 in spring games and could see substantial playing time at the beginning of the regular season depending on Jorge Alfaro's (knee) health.

Hedges went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBI in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Angels in Cactus League play.

Hedges served as the Padres' designated hitter in the contest, but the lineup otherwise resembled the Padres' ideal starting nine for the regular season. The 26-year-old is still competing with Francisco Mejia -- who started at catcher and hit seventh Wednesday -- for top backstop duties, but Hedges' vastly superior defense probably makes him the preferred option. Hedges helped his case by putting his power on display versus the Angels, raising his spring OPS to 1.159 in the process.

Diaz (illness) was participating in light baseball activities Thursday at the Pirates' spring-training complex, John Perrotto of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Diaz is slowly getting back into playing shape after a viral illness kept him away from camp for two weeks. The missed time will likely result in Diaz opening the season on the injured list, paving the way for Jacob Stallings or another non-roster player to begin the season as the Pirates' backup catcher.

Hedges was starting and hitting eighth for San Diego against Oakland on Tuesday and is slashing .200/.294/.400 with one home run and two RBI through 15 Cactus League at-bats.

Hedges figures to be San Diego's Opening Day catcher and he should have a solid hold on at least a platoon role behind the plate to start the season thanks to his defensive capabilities. However, Francisco Mejia is outperforming him at the plate so far this spring, with a 1.275 OPS. Hedges has pop with the bat, with 32 homers to his name over the past two seasons, but his .636 OPS over his 851 career at-bats suggests he could start to cede at-bats to Mejia when the regular season arrives if the offensive gap between the two persists.

Mejia is hitting .385 with three home runs and nine RBI through 26 Cactus League at-bats.

The 23-year-old has been blistering hot so far this spring, and he's making a strong case to stay on the big-league roster and command at-bats when the regular season starts. If he does make the big club, Mejia would in all likelihood be splitting catching duties with veteran Austin Hedges, who is regarded as a better defender. That would diminish Mejia's ability to make a consistent fantasy impact, but if he continues to rake, manager Andy Green could feel compelled to work him into the lineup with regularity, giving him some intriguing upside at a shallow position.

The Braves optioned Jackson to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

With six hits -- three for extra bases -- and only five strikeouts in 22 at-bats during Grapefruit League play, Jackson turned some heads this spring and might have cemented himself as the organization's No. 3 catcher behind big leaguers Brian McCann and Tyler Flowers. Jackson's defense remains more questionable than his bat, so he may need to show some improvement in the former area before the Braves consider keeping him in the big leagues for an extended stretch.