MLB Player News

Jackson will be one of eight Braves prospects to take part in the Arizona Fall League this year, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

The team's 19-year-old phenom, Ronald Acuna, headlines the group, but Jackson -- the Braves' No. 13 fantasy prospect -- has had a solid season in his own right, slashing .272/.333/.502 with 14 homers in 66 games at High-A before taking a step back with a .241/.305/.379 line in 23 games for Double-A Mississippi. His defense in his first season back behind the plate has been erratic at best, but the organization will be patient with the 21-year-old given the offensive potential in his bat if he can stick at catcher.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Game 1 of the Indians' doubleheader Wednesday against the Yankees.

Roberto Perez will handle the catching duties in the day's first game, but it's fully expected that Gomes will be behind the dish for the nightcap Wednesday. Gomes still retains the top spot on the depth chart at catcher, but those hoping for him to reemerge as a high-end fantasy option this season have been sorely disappointed. He's batting just .221 on the campaign, though his .307 on-base percentage represents more than a 100-point upgrade from his dismal 2016 season.

Stassi (hand) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.

A hand injury landed Stassi on the disabled list last week, but the ailment doesn't appear to be anything overly serious as he's already set to begin a minor-league rehab stint. Barring any setbacks, it's looking like Stassi may be ready for activation when first eligible Sept. 4. When he does return, he isn't expected to see much playing time with Evan Gattis and Brian McCann splitting duties behind the dish.

Mejia will get some reps at third base in the Arizona Fall League, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Mejia was listed as an infielder when preliminary AFL rosters were released, and it wasn't a mistake. The 21-year-old will indeed play some third this fall, but it's not the beginning of a full-time positional switch; the Indians are just trying to enhance Mejia's defensive versatility. Maintaining catcher eligibility will be big for Mejia's fantasy value, but it's looking like Mejia's bat will profile just fine at any position (.300/.349/.499 this season) if a move out from behind the plate is necessary at some point down the line.

Narvaez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins.

Narvaez will head to the bench for a second straight contest as he and Kevan Smith continue to split time behind the dish. Narvaez has started nine of the last 13 games at backstop, so he appears to be in line for the majority of starts down the stretch.

Sanchez won't play Tuesday after the Yankees' game versus the Indians was postponed due to rain, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

The two sides will make up the contest Wednesday as part of a doubleheader. Look for Sanchez to be behind the plate for one of the games, and he could even start both contests if the Yankees elect to deploy him at designated hitter.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.

Despite going 4-for-4 with a double and a homer in Monday's series opener, Vazquez will head to the bench after starting two of the last three games behind the dish. In his place, Sandy Leon will draw the start at catcher, batting ninth.

Maldonado went 3-for-3 with two runs scored in Monday's 3-1 win over the Athletics.

In addition to the strong offensive showing, Maldonado called a great game behind the plate, aiding Angels starter Andrew Heaney to a career-high 10 strikeouts on the night. The three base knocks were the greater takeaway from a fantasy perspective, however, as Maldonado was able to end a four-game slide where he had gone 0-for-11. The backstop is still slashing an unremarkable .188/.258/.286, but his standing as the Angels' top catching option seems to be secure.

Hedges isn't in the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants.

Hedges will gave way to Hector Sanchez on Monday. The young backstop is sporting a batting average of just .212 over 66 at-bats in August, but Hedges is still in line to take the majority of the starts for the Padres down the stretch.

Wallach was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Monday.

Wallach is no longer needed as catching depth with Stuart Turner back from the paternity list, so he'll head back to Louisville for the time being. He went 0-for-4 in the only game he appeared in for the Reds, which was also his big-league debut. The 25-year-old will now focus on improving his unimpressive .226/.280/.398 line in 64 games with Louisville this season.