MLB Player News

Grandal (calf) is expected to catch three innings during the White Sox's "B game" Wednesday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The veteran catcher has been recovering from a calf injury he suffered two weeks prior to spring training, but he's appeared close to a return while taking live batting practice and catching bullpen sessions. Grandal is confident he'll catch in three consecutive games prior to Opening Day, and a return to game action Wednesday would put him on that track.

Stassi (hip) is batting second as the designated hitter in Sunday's split-squad game against the Rockies.

It's not the first time this spring the 28-year-old is seeing game action as a DH, though he previously came off the bench. It's unclear when Stassi is expected to work behind the plate in games, but he appears to progressing well from offseason hip surgery and should be ready for Opening Day.

Perez (ankle) is in the starting lineup for Saturday's spring training game against the Athletics, batting second.

Perez will make his spring debut Saturday after he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle in October. Unless he experiences any setbacks, the 31-year-old will likely be ready for Opening Day after he recorded a career-best .773 OPS with 24 home runs and 63 RBI last season.

Trevino had a second MRI on Saturday that revealed a hairline fracture on his right index finger, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Trevino was hit by a foul tip on his knuckle Monday and was initially diagnosed with a bruise, but his second opinion revealed a slightly more serious injury. The 27-year-old is expected to miss approximately two weeks, but the team hopes that he'll be able to play in games during the final week of spring training.

Grandal (calf) said he's not feeling pain, but he's not yet ready to compete in a game, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox are taking it slow with Grandal, who injured his calf about two weeks prior to spring training while running. A mental hurdle seems to be the sticking point right now. "It's about being comfortable pushing off it and not really thinking about it. Because once you start thinking, you're done," the catcher said. Grandal has been participating in live batting practice sessions and catching bullpens and remains confident he will catch in three consecutive games before Opening Day.

Stephenson went 2-for-2 with a homer, double, walk and four RBI in Thursday's spring training win over the Diamondbacks.

Stephenson finally put together a healthy minor-league season in 2019 and followed that up with a nice campaign in the Arizona Fall League. He's expected to begin the year at Triple-A Louisville, but if Tucker Barnhart continues to falter at the plate, there's a window for Stephenson to potentially take over the No. 1 job for the Reds over the summer.

Perez (ankle) is set to make his Cactus League debut Saturday against the A's, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle in October, but the procedure was never expected to impact his availability for Opening Day. Perez is set to begin his second season as Cleveland's primary catcher after posting a .239/.321/.452 slash line with 24 home runs in 119 games during 2019.

Manager Bob Melvin said Murphy (knee) is expected to make his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the White Sox, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Melvin said earlier in spring training Murphy was expected to debut Monday against the Cubs, but he's instead set to see game action a day later. The 25-year-old underwent a minor cleanup procedure on his left knee in October, and the A's are remaining conservative with him. Murphy received his first taste of the majors in 2019 and had a .245/.333/.566 slash line with four home runs in 20 games.

Maile was scratched from Friday's spring game with left hamstring tightness, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Maile was tabbed to start behind the plate Friday but will instead be unavailable due to the hamstring issue. The specifics of the injury remain unclear, but he'll likely at least take a few days off.

Haase hit a two-run home run in his only at-bat during Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against the Rays.

Haase is competing for a reserve role with the Tigers, though he's likely behind both Austin Romine and Grayson Greiner at catcher, making it likely that he starts the season at Triple-A Toledo. The 27-year-old has played just 19 games at the MLB level, though he showed some pop in 102 games for Triple-A Columbus last season, hitting 28 home runs.