MLB Player News

Ruiz went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base in Monday's 4-1 win over the Dodgers.

Ruiz was plunked in the eighth inning and stole second, but he wasn't able to come around to score. This was the 24-year-old's fifth steal in six attempts this year, and his first successful theft since June 29 -- he was caught stealing Sunday in a win over the Diamondbacks. The catcher is slashing .249/.313/.347 with three home runs, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored and 18 doubles through 305 plate appearances.

Haase went 2-for-5 with a grand slam in Monday's 12-4 win over the Padres.

Haase's grand slam in the third inning broke open a 1-1 tie. The catcher now has eight home runs and 25 RBI this season, with three long balls and 10 RBI coming in 17 games this month. Haase is also batting .333 in July, and it seems like he's overtaken Tucker Barnhart as the team's primary backstop due to his superior offensive production.

Casali (oblique) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Casali has been on the 10-day injured list since the beginning of July with a right oblique strain, but he's nearing a return to action. Considering he's spent nearly four walks on the shelf, he'll likely need a least a handful of at-bats in the minors if not more before being activated.

Delay isn't starting Monday against the Cubs.

Delay is out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games after he went 2-for-5 with a solo homer and three strikeouts over his last two matchups. Tyler Heineman is starting behind the plate and batting ninth.

Gomes isn't starting Monday's game against the Pirates.

Gomes homered twice during Sunday's win over the Phillies, but he'll get a breather as the Cubs return home Monday. Willson Contreras is starting behind the dish while Frank Schwindel serves as the designated hitter.

Narvaez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rockies.

With southpaw Kyle Freeland on the bump for Colorado in the series finale, the lefty-hitting Narvaez will retreat to the bench. Pedro Severino checks in for Narvaez behind the plate.

Perez (thumb) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

Perez caught a bullpen session and participated in batting practice this weekend, and he'll return to game action Tuesday for the first time since late June. The 32-year-old underwent surgery on his left thumb June 24 and was initially expected to miss about eight weeks, but it appears likely that he'll be able to rejoin the Royals much earlier than expected.

Rutschman went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk Sunday in the Orioles' 6-0 loss to the Yankees.

Rutschman opened his big-league career by hitting just .143 in his first 15 games with Baltimore, but the 24-year-old appears to have found his comfort zone at the plate ever since. In his 34 games that have followed, Rutschman has slashed .284/.368/.560 with five home runs, 20 runs, 17 RBI and a stolen base, with his leap forward offensively coinciding with the Orioles' rise up the American League East standings. The rookie will take a five-game extra-base-hit streak into Monday's series opener with the Rays.

Perez (thumb) caught a bullpen session and took part in batting practice over the weekend, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Manager Mike Matheny said Sunday that Perez is progressing toward a minor-league rehab assignment, though the skipper didn't outline when exactly that might come. Regardless, Perez seems to be coming along slightly faster than expected in his recovery from June 24 surgery to address a fractured left thumb. The Royals initially expected Perez to be sidelined for eight weeks, but the veteran backstop looks like he might have a realistic chance at making it back from the 10-day injured list by mid-August if he hits no further snags in his recovery program.

Murphy went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo home run, two walks and an additional run in a loss to the Rangers on Sunday.

Murphy's bat continued its breakout July with Sunday's spectacular effort, one that pushed his monthly slash line to a stellar .348/.420/.580 across 81 plate appearances. The slugging backstop is sporting an impressively modest 13.6 percent strikeout rate in that span as well, and 10 (seven doubles, three homers) of his 24 hits have gone for extra bases in the sample.