MLB Player News

Sanchez isn't starting Thursday against the Blue Jays.

Sanchez has gone 0-for-11 with four strikeouts in his last three games, and he'll take a seat once again Thursday. Kyle Higashioka is starting at catcher in his place.

Grandal (hand) is starting at catcher and batting third Thursday against Cleveland.

He left Monday's game with a bruised right hand but was able to make a quick recovery. Grandal is hitting .241 with three home runs in 58 at-bats this month. He has a .233/.354/.420 slash line with seven home runs on the season.

Perez went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a double and five RBI in Wednesday's win over the Cardinals.

Perez launched a two-run shot in the first and a three-run bomb in the third inning, and he also added a double in the fifth -- all of them against Carlos Martinez. It was a vintage performance for the Venezuelan backstop, who has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the league of late -- he has hit safely in 10 of the Royals' last 11 games while posting seven multi-hit performances and a .446 average during that span.

Plawecki went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Wednesday's 9-1 win over the Orioles.

Plawecki provided an RBI single in the first inning and a run-scoring triple in the third. The catcher has contributed a homer, 16 RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base in 21 contests this season.

Jansen went 4-for-4 with two solo home runs and an additional RBI and run scored in the Blue Jays' 14-1 dismantling of the Yankees on Wednesday.

Jansen racked up 11 total bases after collecting just four over the eight games prior. In a career night for the 25-year-old, he nearly doubled his 2020 home-run output and upped his slugging percentage over the last 15 games to .590.

Murphy is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Murphy started the past two games and will head to the bench after going 0-for-3 with a run, a walk and three strikeouts Tuesday. Jonah Heim takes over behind the plate for the A's.

Kirk is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees.

Though he'll take a seat Wednesday, Kirk may have inched ahead of Danny Jansen as the Blue Jays' preferred backstop. The rookie made a splash while starting behind the dish in the first two games of the series, going 5-for-7 with a home run and a double. Jansen, meanwhile, has two extra-base hits in his last 16 games combined.

Garver will sit Wednesday against the Tigers.

Garver has been quite disappointing at the plate this season, as his .152/.240/.242 slash line could hardly be more different from his .273/.365/.630 line from his breakout 2019 campaign. He did at least hit his second homer of the year Tuesday, however. He won't get to follow that performance up here, as it will be Ryan Jeffers who gets the nod behind the plate.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles.

Vazquez hits the bench despite homering Tuesday. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate in his absence.

Stassi is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.

Stassi will receive a breather one day after turning in his best game of the season in Tuesday's 4-2 win, during which he went 4-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Anthony Bemboom will draw the starting nod behind the dish Wednesday, but Stassi should be back as the Angels' starting catcher in Friday's series opener against the Dodgers.