MLB Player News

Jeffers will start at catcher and will bat ninth Monday against the Tigers.

With Alex Avila (back) joining Mitch Garver (side) on the 10-day injured list Saturday, Jeffers now sits atop the Twins' depth chart at catcher. The 23-year-old has thus far gotten off to a rough start to his big-league career, slashing .226/.294/.226 over 34 plate appearances.

Perez (eye) took live at-bats at the Royals' alternate site Sunday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

The left eye blurriness that has kept Perez sidelined since mid-August seems to be improving. The Royals are hopeful that Perez can return from the 10-day injured list at some point next weekend, at which point he would displace Cam Gallagher as the team's everyday catcher.

Stassi went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice in a victory over Houston on Sunday.

Stassi was activated from the injured list Sunday and immediately slotted into the sixth spot in the batting order. He produced a pair of singles and crossed the plate twice to help the Halos to their fifth straight win. With Jason Castro now in San Diego, Stassi figures to get the bulk of playing time at backstop over the final month of the season. He's enjoying a productive year, slashing .271/.357/.878 with four home runs in 56 plate appearances.

Grandal went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Royals.

Grandal was busy at the plate, with the highlight coming on an RBI double in the eighth inning that put the White Sox up 7-2. He's put together a modest four-game hitting streak, during which he's smacked a home run, two doubles, driven in four and scored two runs. Overall, Grandal has managed a .257/.376/.440 line across 133 plate appearances.

Murphy went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Padres.

Murphy's seventh-inning solo shot off Padres starter Garrett Richards got the Athletics within two runs, but that was as close as it got. In the ninth, Tony Kemp pinch hit for Murphy and flied out to end the game. Through 29 contests, Murphy has three homers, six RBI and nine runs scored across 87 plate appearances.

Plawecki (hand) underwent an X-ray that came back negative, and he'll be evaluated again Monday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki left Sunday's game after being hit by a pitch on his right hand, but he appears to have avoided a major injury. More clarity on his status could come once he's evaluated further Monday.

Plawecki exited Sunday's game after being hit by a pitch near his right hand, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki stayed in the game to run the bases after suffering the injury, but he was replaced behind the plate by Christian Vazquez in the following inning. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unclear. The 29-year-old will get at least one day to recover since the Red Sox have a day off Monday.

Royals GM Dayton Moore said Sunday that Perez (eye) will soon begin participating at the Royals' alternate site, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Blurred vision sent Perez to the injured list last month. The official diagnosis was central serous chorioretinopathy, a condition in which fluid accumulates under the retina. Fortunately, it seems he's found a solution or has moved past the worst of the problem as he is set to begin participating soon. A return for the final 10 games or so would appear to be on the table if he can get up to speed in a hurry.

Heim, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles and two runs in a win over the Padres on Saturday, has drawn starts in three of the past six games and is hitting .333 (3-for-9) going into Sunday's action.

The rookie's defense isn't a concern, with Heim having proven himself amply in that regard during his long minor-league career. However, his solid start at the plate -- albeit over a very small sample -- is encouraging and comes on the heels of his outstanding .358/.412/.557 line across 119 plate appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2019. Given the extremely hitter-friendly conditions of the Pacific Coast League, there was at least some question of how artificially enhanced those career-best numbers were, but Heim is in line to see consistent chances to dispel any doubts if he's able to keep his strong work with the bat going.

Stassi (quadriceps) was activated from the 10-day injured list Sunday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

A foul ball off Stassi's right knee put the skids on the catcher's hot start -- he has an .838 OPS and four homers through 18 games. His track record says it's fluky, but the playing time should be there at least. Stassi figures to take over as the Angels' primary catcher with Jason Castro traded and Jose Briceno sent down.