MLB Player News

Perez is making a strong bid for the backup catcher job in summer camp, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports. "[He's] a guy that is starting to come into his own," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "He seems pretty motivated and kind of hungry to make the most of the opportunity that is presented."

Perez had slugged a pair of home runs before spring training was suspended, and he's impressed thus far in summer camp with multiple strong at-bats during simulated games. That includes Tuesday, when he laced a double off the returning Tyler Glasnow. Perez is trying to ward off a couple of capable veterans in Kevan Smith and Chris Herrmann for an Opening Day roster spot, and Cash talked up the emerging backstop as a player that could take advantage of his opportunity in similar fashion to how Travis d'Arnaud did on last year's playoff team.

Contreras homered in Tuesday's intrasquad game and now leads the Cubs with three home runs during summer camp, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Contreras is off to a strong start in camp and seems poised to post good numbers in the 60-game regular season if he stays healthy. The team has already announced that Victor Caratini will be the personal catcher for Yu Darvish, which should ease the burden on Contreras behind the plate.

Trevino may replace Robinson Chirinos (ankle) as the starting catcher, Sam Blum of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Chirinos suffered a right ankle injury in a collision during Monday's intrasquad game and could miss a few days as a result. Texas manager Chris Woodward is looking at Trevino as a potential replacement and feels Trevino has made significant improvement at the plate. "What I've seen as the biggest difference is the bat. The swing changes he's made, the commitment to his work and being able to handle all of that is tough for a catcher, especially a young catcher," said the manager.

Hedges was told by Padres manager Jayce Tingler that his opportunity to stick with the team is dependent on his ability to get on base, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Hedges' defensive acumen is unquestioned, but the 27-year-old slashed a paltry .176/.252/.311 last season and saw his power output drop for the second straight campaign. That's unacceptable for any big-league starter, even one with Hedges' elite pitch-framing skills. While Francisco Mejia -- Hedges' main competition for time behind the plate -- has struggled at times defensively, he wields a more potent stick and may have passed Hedges on the depth chart. In addition, Luis Torrens -- who represents a mix of Hedges' strong defense and Mejia's offensive potential -- is said to be in the mix for a roster spot, which could affect Hedges' playing time, especially if he gets off to a slow start.

Perez (illness) was activated off the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Perez spent time on the 10-day injured list after testing positive for COVID-19, but he was able to be activated after spending the minimum amount of time on the list. He'll be available for the Royals' intrasquad game Tuesday, signaling that he's cleared intake testing. It's unclear whether he will be ready for Opening Day on July 24.

Rutschman was transferred to the Orioles' alternate training site in Bowie on Tuesday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Rutschman had been working with the 60-man roster at Camden Yards over the past several days, but he'll move to the team's alternate facility ahead of the regular season. The Orioles have been impressed with the top prospect's performance since being added to the 60-man roster July 10. However, the team is unsure whether the 22-year-old will get a chance to play in the majors this season given his lack of experience against upper-level talent. He'll at least get to develop alongside other top prospects within the organization in Bowie to begin the 2020 season.

Caratini will serve as Yu Darvish's personal catcher this season, Tim Stebbins of NBC Chicago reports.

The pair reportedly have a good rapport and worked well together last season. The assignment will make Caratini's playing time slightly easier to predict than it would be for most backup backstops, though it remains to be seen how often he's in the lineup with other pitchers on the mound. Caratini is one of the better backup catchers in the league, as he hit a solid .266/.348/.447 last season, but he's stuck behind one of the better starting catchers in Willson Contreras.

Thaiss (undisclosed) arrived at the Angels' camp Sunday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Thaiss wasn't at camp for the first several days for an undisclosed reason, but his presence with the team signals that he's cleared intake testing and will be able to partake in team activities. Thaiss is expected to serve as a reserve corner infielder for the Angels this season. It's unclear whether he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Cartaya arrived at the Dodgers' summer camp Saturday and logged time behind the plate in an intrasquad game, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Cartaya made his first appearance of summer camp, coming on in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement. The 18-year-old is an intriguing prospect given his mix of defensive and offensive skills, but he's likely too raw to be ready to contribute to the big-league squad this season.

Gallagher has tested positive for COVID-19, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Gallagher played in the team's intrasquad game Friday and said he felt great, but he found out Saturday that he tested positive for COVID-19. The 27-year-old is asymptomatic, but he'll need to self-isolate and have two tests come back negative before MLB protocol allows him to rejoin the team.