MLB Player News

Rupp is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Dodgers.

It's a regular day off for the veteran backstop and allows Andrew Knapp to get some playing time. Rupp is hitting just .180 this season, in addition to a .340 slugging percentage and 20 strikeouts.

D'Arnaud was hindered by some back tightness during Saturday's game, but will get Sunday's game off with Noah Syndergaard on the rubber, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

The tightness was bad enough to warrant a mid-game meeting with trainers, but d'Arnaud stayed in throughout the entirety of the contest, going 0-for-3 with an RBI and a run. Consider him day-to-day heading into the off day.

Sanchez (biceps) could return in time for next weekend's series against the Cubs, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reports.

He threw to the bases Saturday in full catching gear and will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It would be a little risky to deploy him next week in hopes of cashing in on a couple starts in that series at Wrigley Field, but it does sound like he could return against the reigning World Series champs.

Leon is not in the lineup Saturday against the Cubs, Evan Drellich of CSNNE reports.

Leon will sit in back-to-back games for the first time all year, as Christian Vazquez takes over behind the dish. Leon hasn't recorded a hit in his last five games (0-for-16), while Vazquez is riding a three-game hitting streak. With the two catchers trending in opposite directions, it appears Leon may be losing his grasp on the starting role.

Contreras is out of Saturday's lineup against the Red Sox.

Miguel Montero will get the start behind the dish and hit seventh with John Lackey on the mound for the Cubs. Contreras is hitting .254/.309/.413 with two home runs and a 29.4 percent strikeout rate through 63 at-bats.

Vazquez went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Cubs.

Vazquez has caught all four of Pomeranz's starts and all three of Eduardo Rodriguez's starts this season and could be in line for more work. Sandy Leon, the team's primary catcher, has slumped with just two hits over his last 35 plate appearances while Vazquez has hit safely in seven of his eight starts.

Trevino (hand) is back in action with Double-A Frisco and is hitting .297/.333/.378 with one home run, one steal and a 4:2 K:BB in 37 at-bats.

He left a game on April 14 after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, but returned April 24 and has continued his strong start for the RoughRiders. The 24-year-old backstop doesn't profile as much of a fantasy force, but most evaluators think he has a big-league future, with a realistic floor as a backup catcher.

D'Arnaud went 2-for-3 with a walk, two home runs and five RBI in Friday's 7-5 win over the Nationals.

Impressively, both homers came off Max Scherzer. With four homers and 15 RBI on the season, d'Arnaud has already matched last year's power production in 56 fewer games.

Rupp's average exit velocity is down to 89.9 mph this season after averaging 92.2 mph last year, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Rupp said he has been missing too many good pitches this season. He has more than doubled his walk rate from 2016, but he thinks that may actually be problematic. "I'm seeing the ball," Rupp said. "I feel I need to be more aggressive when I get my pitches to hit as opposed to maybe falling deeper into counts. I think I had success last year swinging earlier. I don't want to get to two strikes and start seeing 95 mph sliders." Rupp has been getting an opportunity to work his way out of his early-season slump, but he could start to lose playing time to Andrew Knapp if he fails to get his bat going soon. The Phillies also have top catching prospect Jorge Alfaro at Triple-A, and he could be an option to come to the majors later this year.

Mesoraco will play in half of the team's next 10 games so that he will have the chance to catch each of the Reds' starting pitchers, C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Although this only a concrete plan for the next 10 games, Rosencrans also reported that he could continue to platoon with Tucker Barnhart going forward. However, if Mesoraco can show signs of the potential he displayed in his breakout 2014 season, regaining his status as everyday catcher is not out of the realm of possibility.