MLB Player News

Grandal will lead off in Saturday's game against the Reds.

Grandal has hit anywhere from second to seventh this season. He doesn't have the speed of a traditional leadoff hitter, though his .378 on-base percentage would seem to make him a good fit for the role. It's unclear if Saturday's lineup is a one-game experiment or if it represents the Brewers' future plans, though Lorenzo Cain's poor .253/.312/.357 slash line could mean the team is looking for a permanent change at the top of the lineup.

Diaz is not in Saturday's lineup against the Padres.

He is hitting .324 with an 8:5 K:BB in his last 21 games. Jacob Stallings will start behind the dish, hitting eighth.

The Rays transferred Bemboom (knee) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Bemboom was shut down in mid-May with the left knee sprain, so his move to 60-day IL means he'll be sidelined through the All-Star break. The backstop had been scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at High-A Charlotte this weekend, and the transaction hints that he'll likely be kept in the minors for the maximum 20 days or close to it. In any case, Bemboom isn't expected to serve as anything more than a backup catcher for the Rays whenever he's formally reinstated.

Caratini is starting at first base and batting seventh in Saturday's game against the Mets.

Regular first baseman Anthony Rizzo is getting his first day off since May 17, which opens up first for Caratini. The 25-year-old is slashing .290/.389/.452 in limited playing time this season.

Garver (heel) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Garver will sit for the second consecutive day while he continues to battle a sore left heel, which he sustained in Thursday's series opener. Willians Astudillo will draw the start behind the dish and bat fifth Saturday.

Maldonado is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Twins.

Maldonado will receive a breather for the day game after catching all nine innings and going 1-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 8-7 loss. He'll put his five-game hitting streak on hold while Cam Gallagher receives a turn behind the dish.

Casual started again Friday night, his seventh start in the last 11 games, going 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. Before the game Reds manager David Bell confirmed that the catching position is closer to a timeshare between Casali and Tucker Barnhart, rather than Casali backing up Barnhart, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "I've talked to both guys," Bell said. "The way I see it, I don't know how the split is going to turn out. It may still be Tucker ends up getting 60-40, 70-30 or maybe at times it is closer to 50-50."

After Friday's game Casali is now hitting .273/.347/.445, whereas Barnhart has struggled, hitting just .196/.297/.393 in 59 games. Barnhart has the contract, plus the defensive reputation, that will keep giving him chances, but he's no longer a default starter over Casali.

Gomes went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 4-3 victory against the Braves on Friday.

This was Gomes' first homer since April 26. Since then, he only had five extra-base hits in 32 games prior to Friday. Gomes is batting .224 with a measly .628 OPS, three home runs, 20 RBI and 10 runs in 156 at-bats this season.

Vazquez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Friday's win over Toronto.

Vazquez slugged a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, sending his team home happy. He didn't start Friday's contest, but he took over behind the dish in the late innings and ended up making a big impact. Vazquez is slashing .292/.330/.480 with nine homers and 27 RBI over 61 games this season.

Collins started at desginated hitter and went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 5-4 win over the Rangers.

Collins, who was making his first career start in MLB, erased an early 2-0 deficit with the homer on his first at-bat in the majors. It was his first official at-bat after he walked as a pinch hitter against the Cubs on Wednesday. Those first two plate appearances are fitting, as Collins has exhibited pop in his bat when not displaying an impeccable eye at the plate in the minors. The young catcher is up with the White Sox while Welington Castillo (oblique) is unavailable. Collins is expected to make his first start at catcher in one of the weekend games in Texas, per Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times.