MLB Player News

McGuire will start at catcher and bat eighth in Monday's game against the Guardians, Vinnie Duber of AllCHGO.com reports.

Injuries to Andrew Vaughn (hand) and Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) have prompted White Sox manager Tony La Russa to deploy Yasmani Grandal as a designated hitter more frequently of late, and McGuire has been one of the primary beneficiaries. McGuire will be catching for the third time in four games and the sixth time in nine contests. Despite playing more frequently than the typical No. 2 catcher, McGuire's paltry .354 OPS on the season has made it tough to wring much fantasy value from him, even in AL-only leagues.

Smith will sit Monday against the Pirates, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith's 115 wRC+, the product of a .231/.342/.369 slash line, is good for fourth among catchers with at least 70 plate appearances this season, but the Dodgers have avoided overworking him. His 18 starts behind the plate merely tie him for 11th among all backstops. He'll get a rest Monday, with Austin Barnes taking over behind the plate.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs in a loss to the Twins on Sunday.

The struggling backstop put an end to a brief 0-for-9 slump with the help of his first extra-base hit since April 29. Murphy's season average and on-base percentage stand at a lackluster .212 and .275, respectively, but he has a somewhat respectable .434 slugging percentage thanks to nine of his 13 hits thus far going for extra bases.

Perez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk Sunday against the Reds.

Recalled the prior day, Perez took Tyler Mahle deep in the second inning to record his first homer of the season. While Andrew Knapp is likely to take over as the primary catcher in Pittsburgh, Perez should serve as the backup with Roberto Perez (hamstring) sidelined for a significant period.

Higashioka isn't starting Monday versus the Rangers.

Higashioka will be out of the lineup for the second straight game after sitting Game 2 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Rangers. The 32-year-old has struggled to a .146 batting average this season with just three extra-base hits over 48 at-bats. Jose Trevino will get the start behind the plate and bat ninth Monday.

Garver is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

After starting in each of the Rangers' first four games of May while going 5-for-16 with a home run, two doubles and a walk, Garver will end up sitting for the second contest in a row. He was on the bench for the second half of Sunday's doubleheader with the Yankees, and with the Rangers facing a quick turnaround for Monday's series finale -- which starts at 1:05 p.m. ET -- Garver will be extended another breather. Jonah Heim will be behind the dish and serve as the Rangers' cleanup hitter Monday.

Perez went 4-for-9 with a double, an RBI and a run scored across both games of Sunday's doubleheader versus the Orioles.

Prior to Sunday, Perez was stuck in an 0-for-21 slump in his last five games. He had two hits in each game of the doubleheader, boosting his slash line to .192/.231/.394 with five home runs, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored through 25 contests. He'll continue to play a large majority of the Royals' games either behind the dish or as the designated hitter.

Contreras went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.

The Cubs are scuffling at just 9-18, but Contreras has played well lately, going 6-for-17 across his last five games with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. He should remain a solid fantasy catcher, though run-producing opportunities may be somewhat limited moving forward if the team continues to struggle as a whole. As it stands, Contreras looks like Chicago's most proven offensive commodity at the moment.

Contreras went 1-for-2 with a homer, four RBI, a stolen base, two walks and a strikeout in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Brewers.

Contreras didn't appear in the last three games but was one of Atlanta's top contributors while starting behind the dish and batting ninth Sunday. The 24-year-old has had sporadic playing time since joining the major-league club, but he has three home runs over five games. While Travis d'Arnaud continues to serve as Atlanta's primary catcher, Contreras' strong results could lead to him remaining the No. 2 backstop once Manny Pina (wrist) is cleared to return.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Perez's strained left hamstring is on the "more severe side of things," suggesting that the catcher could be in store for a long-term stay on the injured list, Josh Rowntree of TribLive.com reports.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds that Perez was spotted walking around the Pittsburgh clubhouse Sunday with the aid of crutches, which seemingly supports Cherington's comments about the veteran backstop being at risk of an extended absence. A clear timeline for Perez's return may not emerge until the results of his MRI are known, but Andrew Knapp is expected to be the first man up to step in as the Pirates' No. 1 catcher. Pittsburgh also called up Michael Perez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday to add depth behind the plate.