MLB Player News

D'Arnaud is still a week away from catching in a rehab game, Marc Craig of Newsday reports.

D'Arnaud isn't expected back until late June and will not rejoin the team without catching some rehab games first. The 27-year-old is hitting .196/.288/.261 with one RBI in 46 games this season.

Thole is hitting just .130/.216/.196 in 46 at-bats this season.

The truth is that he's only on the big-league squad because he's R.A. Dickey's personal catcher. Thole isn't even an option off the bench for manager John Gibbons when the Jays are in need of a pinch hitter. Unless you're looking for a minimum-salary catcher in DFS once a week, Thole offers little to no fantasy value.

Stewart went 2-for-4 and scored a run in Sunday's loss to the Angels.

Sunday's contest marked Stewart's third straight start while Francisco Cervelli deals with a foot injury. Despite the team losing Sunday's contest, Stewart's performance was mildly relieving to the Pirates, as it put an end to his hitless streak of 13 at-bats. However, with a three-game series against the Mets and their dominant pitching staff on the horizon, it won't be a performance that's easy to replicate.

D'Arnaud (shoulder) will serve as the DH for High-A St. Lucie on Sunday night, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports.

This is good news for both fantasy owners and the Mets, as the team has struggled to get offense from the catcher position in the absence of d'Arnaud. Although the backstop will be able to log some at-bats in the minors, he remains without a timetable to return to throwing, which is the next major step in his recovery. He'll likely need a few starts at catcher in the minors before a realistic return estimate can be determined.

Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Casali has found himself on the bench for the last three games, with the hot-hitting Hank Conger forcing his way into the lineup. Conger is only holding down a .260 on-base percentage for the season and struggles to throw out runners, so there's still reason to hold out hope for Casali eventually getting his spot back.

Barnes was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Barnes owns a .306/.413/.375 slash line in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but that was enough to earn him a promotion after left fielder Carl Crawford was designated for assignment Sunday. Barnes will provide the Dodgers with speed over power, as he has 12 stolen bases and zero home runs over 37 games for Oklahoma City. The 26-year-old can play infield, outfield, and even be used as an emergency catcher, so he could find himself with occasional starts due to his versatility. In the meantime, Howie Kendrick is expected to be the main beneficiary in terms of the reps at left field Crawford will leave behind.

Leon's contract was purchased from Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.

With the Red Sox's two backup catchers, Ryan Hanigan (neck) and Blake Swihart (ankle), landing on the DL on Sunday, Leon was brought in to provide some further depth behind the plate. Leon isn't expected to play more than once or twice a week behind Christian Vazquez, so even in AL-only leagues, Leon's appeal is limited.

Contreras went 1-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games for Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Even more impressive, Contreras has driven in at least one run in seven straight games. He has 39 RBI in 176 at-bats at Iowa this season and is slashing .335/.428/.585. With David Ross set to retire at the end of the season, Contreras should be with the Cubs -- possibly as the regular starter -- in 2017.

Leon was removed from Triple-A Pawtucket's game Saturday, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.

Leon becomes an important figure after Boston lost Ryan Hanigan (neck) and Blake Swihart (ankle) to injury during Boston's win over Toronto on Saturday afternoon. With Boston losing its backup and third-string catcher in the same game, removing Leon was an easy decision.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Braves.

With Clayton Kershaw taking the hill Saturday, A.J. Ellis will take over catching duties in place of Grandal. The switch-hitting Grandal has struggled mightily at the dish over the past month, slashing a meager .113/.210/.268 with 23 strikeouts and nine walks.