MLB Player News

Leon went 0-for-1 with three walks in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Twins.

Leon rejoined the Guardians -- the team he spent the 2020 season with -- in a trade with the Reds on Tuesday, and he's promptly played in three straight games. The veteran catcher is still in search of his first hit, going 0-for-4 with three walks and a strikeout so far. He'll likely split time with Luke Maile while Austin Hedges (concussion) is on the injured list. Leon hit a meager .222/.321/.306 in 26 games with Triple-A Louisville, so he shouldn't be expected to provide much offense in the majors.

Sanchez left Thursday's loss to Cleveland in the ninth inning due to a heel injury, but an imaging exam after the game showed no serious damage, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Sanchez will likely need to sit out a game or two before he's ready to play again. Ryan Jeffers replaced Sanchez in the game and will likely start at catcher while he's sidelined.

Perez went 4-for-4 with three homers and five RBI in an 8-7 win Thursday over Milwaukee.

Perez homered in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings in what is clearly his best offensive performance as a big-leaguer. He had never before had a multi-homer game let alone a three-homer outing. The catcher entered the game with a .129/.178/.235 line and three homers and six RBI in 91 plate appearances and nearly doubled his season total in both homers and RBI.

Stephenson (thumb) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville in the coming days, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Stephenson took part in batting practice Wednesday and is close to returning to game action with the minor-league club. The 25-year-old has been on the injured list since June 9 due to a fractured right thumb and will likely require several rehab games before rejoining the Reds, but he seems to be trending toward a return sometime in early July.

Maile is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale versus the Twins.

Maile will get a day off after he went 1-for-6 while starting the last two contests behind the plate. Sandy Leon will draw the start at catcher Thursday.

Jeffers is not starting Thursday against the Guardians.

Jeffers will get a breather Thursday after he went 2-for-8 over the last two contests. Gary Sanchez will get the start behind the plate and bat seventh.

Smith went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-4 win against Colorado.

Smith swatted one of three Dodgers long balls in the contest, smashing a 429-foot, two-run shot in the fifth inning. The long ball was his 12th of the campaign, moving him into second place in that category among big-league catchers. Smith has enjoyed a strong June, slashing .304/.350/.587 with seven homers, 14 RBI and 10 runs over 23 games.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, a run scored and a stolen base Wednesday against the Pirates.

Ruiz delivered separate run-scoring singles in the first and fifth frames. He also swiped his fourth base of the season, which is particularly notable given that he had no steals at any professional level since 2016 entering the current campaign. Ruiz is striking out at just a 9.7 percent clip for the season, though he has an unimpressive .093 ISO paired with a .255 batting average across 238 plate appearances.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a two-run home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's win over the Reds.

Contreras was electric in this one, and he now has three straight multi-hit games. It was the backstop's third three-hit effort in June, pushing his batting average this month to .295. He also has five home runs and 16 RBI across 25 games in June. Contreras has been a fantasy bright spot in Chicago and is certainly enhancing his trade value before the deadline next month.

Haase went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's win over the Giants.

Haase's only hit of the day was a big one, as he broke open a 1-1 tie with a two-run blast in the sixth inning. The 29-year-old now has five home runs this season, and he may have an uphill battle matching or surpassing the 22 long balls he recorded a season ago during a breakout campaign. Haase offers some power potential when he's in the lineup, but his playing time and overall production leave plenty to be desired.