MLB Player News

Hernandez got the start behind the plate Wednesday, and hit a go-ahead solo homer in the 12th inning that proved decisive for the D-Backs, who won 3-2.

Hernandez was recently called up for a temporary stint with Welington Castillo on paternity leave and Chris Herrmann on the DL, but proved to be the hero Wednesday. He will likely be sent back to the minors in the next couple days with Castillo returning, so don't go rushing to add the young catcher.

Stewart (knee) will start a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Friday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Stewart is expected to catch seven innings in the contest, his first game action since July 1. With Francisco Cervelli now healthy, it's unlikely the veteran backstop will see consistent playing time behind the dish. However, he should retake his role as the team's backup catcher.

Grandal went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk in Tuesday's win over the Phillies.

Grandal homered for the second straight contest, tying his career high in RBI with 49 on a two-run blast in the third inning. The slugging catcher has achieved that feat by driving in nine runs in his last seven games, so he's likely to top it substantially by season's end. Don't be surprised if his .236/.355/.492 line actually climbs down the stretch, as it's currently being held back by a career-low .257 BABIP.

Contreras homered, a solo shot, in a 1-for-3 game in Tuesday's win over the Angels.

After homering five times in his first 17 games, Contreras was dealing with a long cold stretch, as he was hitting just .237/.317/.301 in his past 25 games since his last home run. Despite the extended power outage, though, Contreras owns a sharp .265/.351/.444 batting line for the season, and his combination of power and discipline is rare for a veteran catcher, much less one as young as he is.

Perez was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following Tuesday's game, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports.

With Geovany Soto (knee) ready to come off the DL, Perez will head back to Triple-A to serve as organizational depth. That said, Soto has had a very hard time staying healthy this season, so it would not be surprising if Perez found his way back to the big leagues before the end of the season.

Maldonado is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Braves.

With Maldonado getting a maintenance day, Manny Pina will get the nod to start behind the dish Tuesday night. Maldonado's struggles at the plate have continued in recent contests, as he's gone just 3-for-20 with nine strikeouts over the last seven days.

Garver was promoted to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports.

Garver showed continued production at the plate at Double-A ball, posting a .257/.334/.419 slash line with 66 RBI over 95 games, and he was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Tuesday's matchup with San Francisco, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

After seeing action in four consecutive games, Realmuto will start Tuesday on the bench as Jeff Mathis fills in behind the dish and bats seventh. Realmuto will resume an 11-game hit streak when he returns to the lineup.

Hernandez was recalled from Double-A Mobile on Tuesday.

Welington Castillo hit the Paternity Leave List on Tuesday, so Hernandez will come up to provide some insurance behind Tuffy Gosewisch with Chris Herrmann on the DL. Castillo isn't likely to miss more than a day or two, so Hernandez's stay with the big league club could be a short one.

Thole went 0-for-2 and scored a run in Monday's game against the Rays, which was just the third time this season in which Thole started consecutive games for the Jays.

Although the catcher's fantasy value is extremely limited, Thole has paid dividends to daily players that have rolled him out there at a bargain price in recent weeks. Over his last nine starts, Thole has seven hits, five RBI, three runs and three walks. These numbers don't exactly light up the scoreboard, but they are more than serviceable for a player who comes in at the bottom of the salary scale in daily formats.