MLB Player News

Mejia was optioned to Double-A Akron on Wednesday.

The Indians' top prospect put on a show in major league camp, recently bashing a grand slam against Kansas City on Saturday, but it comes as little surprise that he'll head back to the minor leagues. Even with the return to the minors, Mejia's upside is undeniable given his performance between Low- and High-A last season. The 21-year-old backstopper accumulated 139 hits in 407 at-bats between the two levels and even assembled a whopping 50-game hit streak at one point, and although he'll likely spend most -- if not all -- of the 2017 campaign in Akron, Mejia is bound to appear in Cleveland relatively soon as long as he continues to rake in the minors.

According to manager Ned Yost, Perez (knee/elbow) also hyperextended his left elbow a bit in the collision that removed him from WBC play, which could keep him out for a week, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The Royals don't seem overly concerned with the backstopper's knee anymore, and it seems like this elbow issue will ultimately cost him more time than the knee injury. Either way, Perez is still projected to be back to full health relatively quickly and expects to be completely ready for Opening Day.

Perez's second MRI was returned negative, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Perez was said to be in good spirits Wednesday, having avoided a serious injury as a result of a collision in Saturday's WBC game. The initial MRI showed inflammation in the knee but no structural damage, and the follow-up test confirmed that diagnosis. While Perez is uncertain when exactly he may return to games, he is confident he will be good to go for the start of the regular season.

Perez (knee) is going for a second MRI on Tuesday, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports.

His MRI on Sunday showed no damage beyond inflammation, but either the Royals or the player were unsatisfied with the results, so he will go for a second test Tuesday. This suggests the knee issue is more than just a day-to-day ailment, but we won't know how much longer he will be sidelined until after the results are released.

Perez went 0-for-2 with two walks and scored a run in Sunday's World Baseball Classic victory over Team Italy.

After sitting behind Yadier Molina for Puerto Rico's first two games, Perez made an impact in his tournament debut Sunday. The victory clinched Pool D, sending Puerto Rico onto the next round at Petco Park in San Diego. At this point, even if Puerto Rico doesn't advance further, Perez will have little more than a week remaining on the spring schedule when he returns to camp with the Indians.

Deglan (shoulder) was reassigned to minor league camp Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Even though Deglan was a perfect 3-for-3 for the Yankees this spring, his chances of making the big league roster were slim to none as he's yet to play in Triple-A. Once healthy, Deglan will likely report to Double-A Trenton and serve as organizational depth.

Mejia went 1-for-1 with a grand slam in Saturday's spring training contest against Kansas City.

There have been some questions if the catching prospect is big enough not only to catch, but to play in the big leagues. Mejia, listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds in the team's media guide, looked plenty big enough when he launched the eventual game-winner with the bags loaded in the seventh. The 21-year-old is now 5-for-9 with seven RBI and three runs over his last four Cactus League games. Last season in the minors, Mejia put together a 50-game hitting streak -- the longest such run in the minors in the last 62 years, and the fourth-best streak in minor-league history. Overall 2016, Mejia hit .342 with 11 home runs and 80 RBI at Low-A Lake County and High-A Lynchburg. With Gomes and Roberto Perez cemented ahead of him on the depth chart, Mejia will continue incubating at the lower levels this season unless an injury or prolonged slump from either opens up an opportunity.

Perez (knee) had an MRI on Sunday, and the results showed "no damage beyond inflammation," Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star reports.

This is a good sign for the Royals, as what seemed like a nasty injury may turn out to be a relatively minor incident. Perez is expected to return to Royals camp to have his knee further examined, but as of now, it seems like the All-Star backstop simply will have to rest for a couple of weeks before resuming his high workload behind the dish.

Stubbs (shoulder) was assigned to the Astros' minor-league camp Sunday, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stubbs hadn't been able to play in any Grapefruit League games while battling shoulder discomfort when camp opened in September, so it was an easy decision for the Astros to dispatch him to the minors in the first round of cuts. The organization hasn't provided any indication that Stubbs' injury is a long-term concern, so it may not be long before he's able to take the field again. Look for Stubbs to open the season at Double-A Corpus Christi after slashing .325/.401/.517 across 137 plate appearances with the club in 2016.

Perez is dealing with inflammation, Jon Heyman of MLB.com reports.

Perez was injured during Team Venezuela's game against Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. The injury looked pretty dire, but Heyman's report suggests Perez should be okay without any serious intervention.