MLB Player News

Plawecki (hamstring) has been slow in his recovery from a strained left hamstring, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

There's been no report of a setback, but it remains unclear when Plawecki will be activated from the 10-day injured list. Until then, Connor Wong, who got his first MLB start Saturday, will handle backup catching duties for the Red Sox.

Barnhart will sit against southpaw Blake Snell and the Padres on Tuesday.

Barnhart hasn't started against a lefty all season, so it's no surprise he'll hit the bench here. Tyler Stephenson takes over behind the plate as usual.

Nido (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Nido will be eligible to return from the injured list Friday. The Mets have yet to officially announce his expected return date, but a minimum-length stay appears to be a possibility.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and three RBI in Monday's 13-5 win over the Tigers.

Hedges swatted a homer in the second inning to extend Cleveland's lead to 5-1 and added a sacrifice fly in the fifth. The long ball was Hedges' first since June 1 and his fourth of the year. The 28-year-old is slashing .165/.218/.278 with five extra-base hits, 13 RBI, 10 runs scored and a lowly 7:42 BB:K over 127 plate appearances. It's tough to trust Hedges in any fantasy lineup, given his inefficiency at the plate and the fact that he still splits time with Rene Rivera behind the dish.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a 3-2 win over the Giants on Monday.

Smith blasted his fourth-inning homer off Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani to extend Los Angeles' lead to 3-1 and provide valuable insurance in a game where runs were difficult to come by. The long ball snapped an 0-for-8 mini-slump for the backstop, who's now slashing .261/.363/.478.

Rogers went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Monday's 13-5 loss to Cleveland.

Rogers joined in on the slug fest Monday, as Detroit hit three home runs as a team and Cleveland launched two bombs. The Detroit catcher now has four home runs this season to go along with a .741 OPS. It's solid if not spectacular production, and as the team's best healthy defender behind the plate, he should remain in the lineup most days moving forward.

Diaz went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's 2-0 victory over the Pirates.

Diaz handed the Rockies an insurance run in the fifth inning with a solo home run to center. He's typically not a huge power threat, but he's now hit safely in three straight games and is batting .300 with two homers and three RBI over his last seven contests.

Contreras isn't starting Monday's game against the Brewers.

Contreras will get a day off after he went 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts across the last three games. Jose Lobaton will start at catcher and bat eighth.

McCann is not in the lineup Monday against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

McCann will receive a breather Monday with the Mets in Washington for one day while making up a postponement. Patrick Mazeika will work behind the plate in his place.

Huff (knee) began a rehab assignment with the Rangers' Arizona League affiliate Monday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Huff failed to make the Opening Day roster and then underwent knee surgery in late April. The length of his absence may mean he needs a longer rehab assignment than normal. He'll serve as the designated hitter Monday but should advance to catching soon.