MLB Player News

Grandal (hand) remains on the bench Tuesday against Cleveland.

Grandal exited Monday's game with a bruised hand and did not start Tuesday's contest, though he did appear off the bench. That would suggest he's not far from being able to return to the lineup, though the White Sox have already clinched a playoff spot, so they have very little reason to rush him.

Perez went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Mets.

Though Perez returned to the lineup after a two-game absence, he'll likely see his starting opportunities dwindle during the remainder of the regular season and the Rays' subsequent playoff run. Mike Zunino (oblique) was reinstated from the injured list over the weekend and is slated to take over as the Rays' No. 1 catcher.

Huff went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's 7-0 loss to the Diamondbacks.

The Rangers are giving opportunities to young players over the final weeks of the season, and Huff was part of a lineup whose average age was 24 years, 145 days. Six of the nine players were rookies and three never played above High-A. It was also the first batting order that failed to produce a run this season. All of those facts should sound an alarm for anyone considering streaming a Texas starter over the final five game. Huff, who has hit safely in three straight games, has been alternating every other game along with veteran Jeff Mathis.

Vazquez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's win over Baltimore.

Vazquez made the most of his lone hit, blasting a fastball from reliever Evan Phillips straight into left center field. It was Vazquez's sixth homer of the season and eventually iced the game for Boston. This homer pushed Vazquez's hitting streak to three games. The backstop has been one of Boston's most reliable hitters of late -- he has hit safely in seven of the team's last 10 games with a .292 average (12-for-41) in that span.

Stassi went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI to lead the Angels to a victory over San Diego on Tuesday.

Stassi supplied most of the offense in the 4-2 win, smashing a solo homer in the second inning and slugging a two-run shot in the sixth. The performance gives him seven long balls on the season, just one shy of his career-high mark set in over 150 fewer at-bats with Houston two seasons ago. Stassi's four-hit game also helped him raise his batting average 37 points to .293.

Maldonado went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Tuesday's 6-1 win over the Mariners.

Maldonado finished the Astros' five-run rally in the sixth inning with his blast off Mariners reliever Brandon Brennan. It was the sixth homer of the year for Maldonado, who has added 24 RBI, 19 runs scored and a stolen base in 158 plate appearances.

Sanchez isn't in Tuesday's lineup against the Blue Jays.

Sanchez will retreat to the bench after going 0-for-7 with one strikeout over the past two games. Kyle Higashioka will start at catcher Tuesday.

Grandal (hand) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game in Cleveland.

Grandal left Monday's contest with a bruised right hand. It doesn't sound as though he'll need to miss too much time, but with the White Sox's postseason berth already secured, they can afford to be cautious with him. James McCann starts behind the plate in his absence.

Sanchez was sore but doing okay after being hit in the neck with a foul ball Sunday against Boston, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

Sanchez stayed in the game after the incident Sunday and was back in the lineup for Monday's contest against Toronto, going 0-for-4 in the loss.

Kirk went 4-for-4 with a solo home run, double and three runs scored in Monday's 11-5 win over the Yankees.

After going 2-for-10 to start his major-league career, the backstop broke out in a big way Monday. He singled and scored in the third, doubled and scored in the fourth and capped his night off with his first big-league long ball in the seventh. Kirk has shared time with Danny Jansen at catcher since being promoted Sept. 11, but could be in line for a larger portion of the at-bats if he can build off Monday's performance.