MLB Player News

Bethancourt cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A on Tuesday.

It wasn't the ideal start for Bethancourt, who allowed nine runs (six earned) through 3.2 relief innings while going 1-for-7 as a hitter. He went unclaimed through waivers and will report to Triple-A El Paso, where he'll look to get back on the mound and at the plate.

D'Arnaud (wrist) is catching and batting eighth Tuesday against the Braves.

D'Arnaud has been dealing with wrist pain over the past week, causing him to be held out of the starting lineup for the last four games (though he was able to make brief appearances in each game). His wrist is feeling well enough to throw, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports, prompting manager Terry Collins to reinsert him as the Mets' backstop. The 28-year-old is slashing .244/.326/.488 with two homers and nine RBI through 41 at-bats.

Grandal was slotted fourth in the lineup Monday, going 0-for-4 in a 2-1 loss to the Giants.

In a surprising move, manager Dave Roberts slotted his catcher ahead of Adrian Gonzalez in the batting order. Grandal had gone 1-for-6 against Matt Cain prior to Monday's game, so the move doesn't appear to be a matchup play. The 28-year-old's .442 slugging percentage (over 100 points higher than Gonzalez's) may have something to do with the lineup shift. We will have to see if this lineup shift sticks past Monday, as it would be a boon to Grandal's fantasy value.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and two RBI in Monday's 7-6 loss to the Diamondbacks.

After a terrible start, Hedges now has six home runs in his last eight games and has his average up to .183. The 24-year-old was always a defense-first backstop, but he made considerable strides with the bat in the minors last season, giving the Padres and fantasy owners hope that he could contribute at the plate in his first full season as the starter. The homer binge won't last, but it's a reminder that he can provide offensively for stretches in two-catcher and deep NL-only leagues.

Mesoraco (hip, shoulder) is targeting a Friday return from the DL, MLB.com's Mark Sheldon reports.

Mesoraco's final day of his rehab assignment is Tuesday, but the Reds won't activate him until after their off day Thursday. The big question for the Reds is whether they'll keep three catchers or otherwise try to sneak Rule 5 pick Stuart Turner through waivers, assuming the Twins simply don't claim Turner when he's offered back.

Barnhart is not in the lineup Monday against the Brewers, C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

It appears to be just a normal day off for Barnhart. The 26-year-old catcher has gotten off to a decent start this season while filling in for the injured Devin Mesoraco, slashing .275/.327/.333 in 57 plate appearances. He'll most likely be back behind the plate by the end of the series.

Perez (neck) will catch and bat fifth in the order Monday against the White Sox, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Royals held Perez out of the last two games while he battled a stiff neck, but the team never felt he was at risk of landing on the disabled list. The couple days off were all Perez needed to get over the issue, so he should be in line for a full slate of starts behind the plate this week.

Contreras is out of the lineup Monday against the Pirates.

Manager Joe Maddon will rest Contreras for the second consecutive day, as Miguel Montero draws another start behind the plate. It's still expected that Contreras will take on the bulk of the catching duties going forward, so fantasy owners shouldn't read too much into the second-year player receiving two games off in a row. Contreras has gotten off to a fine start to the new season, hitting .269 with two homers, four doubles and 10 RBI.

Mejia has dedicated himself to improving defensively at Double-A Akron, SB Nation's Brian Hemminger reports.

Mejia is hitting .356/.404/.511 through 12 games with the Rubber Ducks this season, but his ability with the bat has never been in question. The catcher understands that, and he's taking the necessary steps to ascend through the ranks. So far this year, Mejia has gunned down five of six attempted base stealers while also picking off four runners at first base. Akron manager Mark Budzinski said the organization's No. 1 prospect continues to develop his pitch framing, game calling and even his attitude. Although the 21-year-old still has some climbing to do, Mejia appears to be making positive strides that could lead to his MLB debut coming sooner rather than later.

Gomes' defensive prowess behind the plate has impressed manager Terry Francona, who had high praise for the veteran before Sunday's game, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes' exchange times (length between catch and throw) against attempted base stealers have been elite early in the 2017 campaign. Francona called one of Gomes' recent gun-downs "Santiago-esque," a reference to former MLB standout Benito Santiago. The backstop's eye-popping defense should buy him plenty of time to overcome a slow start at the plate. Gomes is slashing a paltry .171/261/.268 through 47 plate appearances.