MLB Player News

Contreras is not in the lineup against Cincinnati on Friday.

Contreras will take a seat after starting the past three games behind the plate, while going 0-for-11 with one walk and five strikeouts during that span. In his absence, Chris Gimenez will catch Jose Quintana and bat eighth.

Grandal will not start Friday against the Mets, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

After a hot start, Grandal has cooled off significantly. Since the start of May, he's hitting .177/.262/.355, though he does have seven home runs. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate Friday.

Zavala was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Zavala will get his first taste of the Triple-A level after playing in 56 games for Double-A Birmingham in 2018. The catcher has hit .271/.358/.472 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI this year, including a recent 4-for-4 showing against Chattanooga last week. Don't expect to see Zavala in the big leagues at any point this season, but he can start to make his case for the 2019 campaign over the next couple months.

Murphy is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mets, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Murphy went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win -- his fifth start in six games -- but he'll hit the bench with a southpaw (Steven Matz) starting for the Mets in this one. Chris Iannetta will start behind the dish and hit sixth.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup against the Rockies on Thursday.

Mesoraco will head to the bench for a standard day off after going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI during Wednesday's game. In his absence, Kevin Plawecki will catch for Steven Matz and bat sixth.

Vazquez is out of the lineup against the Twins on Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Vazquez will take a seat after going 0-for-4 during Wednesday's defeat. In his place, Sandy Leon will catch Rick Porcello and bat eighth.

Garver is not in the lineup against Boston on Thursday, Brandon Warne of Zone Coverage reports.

Garver will receive a standard day off for maintenance purposes following three consecutive starts behind the plate. In his absence, Bobby Wilson will handle the catching duties and bat ninth in the order.

Sanchez is not in the lineup against Seattle on Thursday.

Sanchez will receive a breather after going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI during Wednesday's victory. In his place, Austin Romine will catch Luis Severino and bat eighth.

Sanchez went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Mariners.

Sanchez singled and reached base via a hit by pitch earlier in the contest, then came through with a game-tying blast in the eighth inning. His 14 home runs are tied for most among all catchers and his 41 RBI rank second for backstops, but he's struggled to produce outside the long ball with just a .197 average and .297 OBP.

Hedges (elbow) could return for this weekend's series against the Giants, MLB.com's AJ Cassavell reports.

After missing a projected return date prior to the Padres' current two-game set versus the Athletics, Hedges could make his return to the majors sometime during a four-game series against the Giants that begins Thursday. The backstop has gone 9-for-23 with a home run and four RBI during his current seven-game rehab stint. Cassavell expects Hedges to reclaim his starting role upon activation, despite his lackluster .173/.235/.293 slash line in 24 games prior to hitting the disabled list. When healthy, the 25-year-old provides some pop from the catcher position (18 homers in 120 games last year), but typically with a low batting average.