MLB Player News

Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp went 1 for 3 with a solo homer and a walk in Friday's loss to Atlanta.

As he slowly takes the reins from veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz, Rupp has developed into a bit of a power threat. Over the past month, Rupp has gone yard five times and, despite hitting just one homer prior to the All-Star break, his eight dingers since ranks fifth among catchers.

Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski is not in the lineup Friday against the Phillies.

Pierzynski has been alternating starts with Christian Bethancourt for most of the month, a trend that will continue Friday. Bethancourt will get the start behind the plate and bat eighth.

Rays catcher Curt Casali (hamstring) hit in simulated games Thursday and could take on live batting practice soon, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

There are less than two weeks remaining in the season, so it's unlikely Casali returns in time for him to get significant at-bats. A week of action might be a reasonable expectation for the remainder of the season.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez (elbow) has reported to Florida for the Fall Instructional League, which runs from Sept. 22 through Oct. 13, MassLive.com reports. The 25-year-old catcher will continue a throwing program, perform some isolated non-throwing catching drills, and serve as a designated hitter.

The Red Sox are expecting Vazquez, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, to be fully ready for spring training next year. After the instructional league, he'll continue with a normal offseason program to get his arm strong and then report to winter ball in Puerto Rico.

The only thing Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto is catching Thursday is a break. He is out of the lineup against the Nationals, per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.

Realmuto has continued his solid 2015 campaign into September, batting .368/.360/.658 with three home runs on the month. Jeff Mathis will replace him behind the plate and bat seventh.

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto went 2 for 3 with his 10th homer and a walk in Wednesday's win over the Mets. 

The young catcher's been on a September surge, having smashed three homers to go with a .368 average in 12 games. He's starting to establish himself as the Marlins' backstop of the future.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies. 

He was not in the lineup Tuesday, either, but ended up coming into the game in the 10th and catching seven frames during the 16-inning marathon. A.J. Ellis, who caught the first half of Tuesday's game, will return behind the plate with the Rockies starting another left-hander in Jorge De La Rosa.

Tigers catcher James McCann went 3 for 4 Tuesday with one run scored and a double. He has now hit safely in his last six games (12 for 23) and in eight of his last nine.

He continued to get regular time during a recent slump and his confidence seems to have grown, at least as far as at the plate. He has one double, one triple, one home run and three RBI in those last six games and has struck out just three times. His OBP is now .312 and his slugging percentage is .411.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over the Indians.

Perez's two-out hit opened the scoring in the ballgame, plating Mike Moustakas in the second inning. The 25-year-old backstop now has a modest five-game hitting streak, and had recorded three consecutive multi-hit efforts prior to tonight's contest. Although 15 of his 19 homers came before the All-Star break, Perez continues to provide overall solid offensive production from the catcher position for a Royals club heading to the postseason once again in 2015.

Reds catcher Brayan Pena (hamstring) remains out of the lineup Tuesday against the Giants. 

Pena has not appeared in a game since injuring his hamstring during last Wednesday's contest. Tucker Barnhart will return behind the plate Tuesday after ceding back-to-back starts to Ramon Cabrera.