MLB Player News

Perez signed a minor-league contract with the Pirates on Friday.

The 23-year-old third baseman was dumped from Houston's 40-man roster and ultimately released a week later, but he quickly caught on with a new organization. Perez is expected to report to Triple-A Indianapolis and should handle a near-everyday role with the Pirates' top affiliate. Perez slashed .255/.328/.399 with 10 home runs and three stolen bases in 357 plate appearances at Triple-A Sugar Land this season prior to his release.

The Diamondbacks selected Kennedy's contract from Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

Kennedy has enjoyed a breakout season in Triple-A this year, slashing .318/.447/.480 with 46 RBI through 407 plate appearances with Reno. He played 30 games with the D-backs last season with limited success and figures to act as an infield depth piece while in the majors. To make room for Kennedy on the active roster, Emmanuel Rivera was optioned to Triple-A and Kristian Robinson was designated for assignment.

The Diamondbacks optioned Rivera to Triple-A Reno on Saturday.

Rivera hasn't recorded a hit since the end of July, so he'll head back to the minors in order to right the ship. Rivera has had better luck in Triple-A this season, slashing .348/.378/.591 in 74 plate appearances, so he could make a quick return to Arizona if he gets going at the plate again. Buddy Kennedy was selected from Reno to take Rivera's spot on the active roster.

LeMahieu (calf) remains absent from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Marlins.

LeMahieu hasn't played since Monday while dealing with a sore right calf. A trip to the injured list appears unlikely, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports, as the veteran took grounders at third base prior to Saturday's game and appears to be working toward his return. Isiah Kiner-Falefa remains the starting third baseman for now.

Duffy went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Friday's 12-8 win over the Cardinals.

Duffy didn't start the game, but he checked in at third base after Maikel Garcia (upper body) exited. After starting the year fairly well in a limited role, Duffy has been pretty quiet, batting .218 with a .530 OPS over 33 games since the start of June. He's at a .260/.314/.322 slash line with a home run, 10 RBI, 12 runs scored and six doubles through 159 plate appearances overall. If Garcia ends up on the injured list, Duffy or Matt Beaty would be most likely to pick up additional time at the hot corner.

Ramirez will begin serving a two-game suspension Saturday for fighting White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson last weekend, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.

Ramirez was initially suspended for three games for his role last Saturday's brawl, but the ban has been reduced to two games on appeal. He'll miss both weekend contests against the Rays but will be available when the Guardians head to Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Vargas went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and two runs in Friday's win over the Athletics.

The veteran utility man tied his career high in RBI with the performance, which was highlighted by a three-run homer off Sam Long in the seventh inning -- Vargas' fourth homer of the year. The 32-year-old switch hitter has emerged as the Nationals' starting third baseman in the wake of the Jeimer Candelario trade, and he's been surprisingly productive in the role. Vargas is batting just .250 (8-for-32) so far in August, but he has nine RBI and a .531 SLG thanks to three doubles and two homers.

Riley went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Mets.

Riley's solo shot in the seventh inning was his 27th homer of the year. He's caught fire in the last few weeks, going 33-for-91 (.363) with 11 homers and 27 RBI over his last 22 games. The slugging third baseman boosted his season slash line to .281/.339/.512 across 505 plate appearances.

Garcia was lifted from Friday's game versus the Cardinals due to upper body discomfort, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Garcia didn't suffer an obvious injury but was replaced on defense by Matt Duffy prior to the top of the third inning. He singled twice and scored two runs out of the leadoff spot before exiting. Garcia will undergo additional testing Saturday to determine the severity of the injury.

Muncy isn't in the Dodgers' lineup Friday against the Rockies, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

With left-hander Austin Gomber set to start on the mound for Colorado, the lefty-hitting Muncy will take a seat for the beginning of Friday's game. Enrique Hernandez will start at third base instead and bat fifth.