MLB Player News

Mesoraco is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies.

Mesoraco will stick on the bench for a third straight game as Kevin Plawecki, who went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's win, picks up another start behind the dish. The backstop is hitting just .220/.302/.381 through 74 games this season.

Plawecki went 1-for-4 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over the Orioles.

Plawecki scored in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch, and he all but ended the game with his grand salami later in the inning. The backstop is still hitting just .218/.326/.374 this season, so he'll likely stick in a timeshare with Devin Mesoraco for the time being.

Grandal is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Giants.

Grandal, who is hitting just .162/.279/.432 through 11 games this month, will head to the bench with a southpaw in Derek Holland toeing the rubber for the Giants. Austin Barnes will set up behind the dish and hit eighth in his stead.

Ruiz went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and four RBI for Double-A Tulsa in its 10-6 loss to Corpus Christi on Tuesday.

It was the third multi-homer game of the campaign for Ruiz, whose 11 long balls are his most in any of his four seasons in the professional ranks. The switch-hitting Ruiz has paired the enhanced power production with improved plate discipline, as he's walked nearly as many times (22) as he has struck out (28). The 20-year-old has also drawn positive reviews for his receiving skills, offering optimism that he'll eventually be the Dodgers' long-term solution behind the plate.

Diaz will serve as a designated hitter and bat sixth Wednesday against the Twins.

With Starling Marte out for an undisclosed reason, a spot opened up for the catcher. Diaz is slashing .293/.341/.462 with eight homers and 28 RBI in 226 plate appearances.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the Marlins' 10-6 win over the Braves on Tuesday.

Realmuto was at the center of the Marlins' biggest scoring output of August, tying the game in third inning with a two-run home run and helping Miami take the lead an inning later with an RBI single. The backstop has now reached base in 12 of his past 23 plate appearances to bring his season OBP up to .353, 10 points better than his previous career high set in 2016.

Hedges is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Angels.

Hedges will get a regular day off after starting four straight games behind the dish. A.J. Ellis will start at catcher and hit eighth in his stead.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Orioles.

Mesoraco will give way to Kevin Plawecki behind the dish after going 1-for-4 in Monday's loss to the Yankees. The backstop is hitting .220/.302/.381 across 74 games with the Reds and Mets this season.

Barnhart went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two walks in Monday's 10-3 loss to Cleveland.

Barnhart gave his team an early one-run lead following his eighth home run of the season. After hitting .282 in June, the 27-year-old has struggled at the dish over the past two months, batting .179 in July and .178 thus far in August (10 games). Regardless, Barnhart has managed to surpass his previous season high in homers (seven), and he figures to exceed last year's RBI total (44).

Grandal is not in the lineup Monday against the Giants, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Grandal will head to the bench for Monday's series opener with the Dodgers set to face Madison Bumgarner, who Grandal is just 1-for-13 against in his career. Austin Barnes will set up behind the dish and hit eighth in his stead.