MLB Player News

Ryan Hanigan going on the disabled list means good news -- at least in the short-term -- for Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco, who should inherit most of the playing time in Hanigan's absence. Though, Reds manager Dusty Baker still seems to have some problems with Mesoraco's defensive game.

"Mesoraco is catching better and hitting better," Baker said, per MLB.com. "He just has to control the running game. It’s hard to control the running game like Hanigan controlled it."

Corky Miller was brought up to take Hanigan's roster spot, so it's not like Mesoraco's competition is a top prospect or a crafty veteran. This seems like a good time for Cincinnati to lean on Mesoraco and let him learn trial by fire. 

Fantasy owners in need of catcher help can certainly look to Mesoraco in the short-term. He is improving offensively. He's hitting .273 with a .414 on-base percentage and .823 OPS in seven games after a productive spring, which he hit .326 with a .535 slugging percentage and .955 OPS in 23 games.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez's season has not gone as well as we hoped so far, and our Scott White does not think things will get much better in Week 4 (April 22-28).

Perez is batting .258 through his first 15 games, and the 22-year-old is waiting on his first home run after hitting 11 in 76 games a year ago. He has struck out 12 times and walked once in 62 at-bats and has a tough schedule ahead of him in Week 4. Perez will face the Tigers and Indians, who are scheduled to throw six right-handed pitchers in a row at him. Perez's career OPS is .716 against righties, so this is not the week to expect him to turn it around.

We still like Perez's potential after how well he played in 2011 and 2012, but he is a shaky start right now. 

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has played seven games and reached base safely in each after Saturday's 3-2 extra-innings win over the Marlins. He had two singles and a walk to give him a line of .273/.414/.409 in 29 plate appearances and could see extra playing time with Ryan Hanigan dealing with a thumb injury.

Mets prospect Travis d'Arnaud will not require surgery on a broken bone in his foot, but he is still expected to miss up to eight weeks while recovering. The team's top return in the R.A. Dickey trade this offseason appears to have avoided a worst-case scenario, after fracturing the first metatarsal in his left foot after being hit by a foul ball.

"Anytime they say it's six-to-eight weeks, it could be sooner," manager Terry Collins told the New York Post. "It could be four; but even if it is, he’s not going to play for another two or three weeks, so I just said eight."

d'Arnaud entered the season as the No. 23 prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, and he was putting up a .901 on-base plus slugging percentage at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Travis d'Arnaud will miss eight weeks with a broken foot but will avoid surgery, manager Terry Collins told ESPN New York's Adam Rubin.

The Mets set a soft 4-8 week timetable before getting an opinion from their team doctor. Unfortunately for d'Arnaud, he'll be at the long end of that timetable. The top prospect was hitting .250/.427/.492 with five doubles and a home run in 12 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. 

Mets catcher prospect Travis d'Arnaud will probably be out 4-8 weeks before he can resume baseball activities, a source told the New York Post. But the team doctors want to evaluate d'Arnaud before setting a timetable. 

d'Arnaud has a non-displaced fracture of the first metatarsal in his left foot and has been placed in a walking boot. d'Arnaud suffered the injury after taking a foul ball off his left foot Wednesday for Triple-A Las Vegas.

Mets catcher prospect Travis d'Arnaud, who left Wednesday's game for Triple-A Las Vegas, has a bruised left foot, according to ESPN. He has a non-displaced fracture of the first metatarsal and has been placed in a walking boot.

d'Arnaud suffered the injury after taking a foul ball off his left foot. He's returned to New York to be examined.

Mets manager Terry Collins reiterated Wednesday he would find room in the lineup for John Buck and Travis d'Arnaud, when d'Arnaud is promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas, according to the New York Daily News.

Collins said Buck could play at first base, but nothing is imminent because d'Arnaud is not ready.

“I talked to (Triple-A manager) Wally Backman, the other day and asked how d’Arnaud was doing and he said he has to play a little more every day,” Collins said.

ESPN reported Thursday morning d'Arnaud was removed from Wednesday's game for Las Vegas with an apparent injury, but nothing has been reported from the team.

d'Arnaud is batting .250 (9 for 36) with one home run, five doubles and eight RBI in 12 games.

After exceeding a .300 batting average in each of his first two seasons with the Royals, Salvador Perez has slumped his way to a .259 average in his first 13 games this year.

Perez is one of the majors' best contact hitters, but he's already struck out 10 times this year, as compared to 27 times in 289 at-bats last season.

Perez is a good bet to start making contact at a higher rate again, and he even has a little home run power to boot. He's sitting on the bench in 18 percent of the leagues on CBSSports.com, but at least in Rotisserie leagues, Perez needs to be trusted with an active roster spot for now.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez started a 14th straight game behind the plate Wednesday at Atlanta. He ended up going 1 for 4 with two runners left on base.

Perez has hit safely in seven of his last eight games. He's batting .344 (11 for 32) with two RBI and three doubles in that span.