MLB Player News

Perez is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut behind the plate Friday against the Giants, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

Perez will make his highly anticipated spring debut Friday after having missed the entire 2019 season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last March. The Royals expect the 29-year-old backstop to handle a normal workload behind the plate, although the club has admitted that he could receive a few more scheduled days off to serve as their designated hitter. Perez finished the 2018 season hitting .235/.274/.439 with 27 home runs, 80 RBI and 52 runs scored and will be returning to the middle of Kansas City's lineup with high expectations for his ninth big-league season with the club.

Perez will bat third as the Royals' designated hitter in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

Perez had tentatively been in line to work behind the plate Thursday for the first time this spring, but manager Mike Matheny ultimately chose to give the backstop another day off of catching after undergoing a dental procedure earlier this week, per Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star. The 29-year-old should be ready to make a start at catcher at some point in the next few days.

Kungkuan (oblique) is listed as an available bench option in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Kungkuan's 2019 season ended on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Akron, but his inclusion on the lineup card Thursday suggests that he's made a full recovery from the left oblique strain. The 25-year-old probably won't see more than a handful of at-bats with the big club during Cactus League play before he's assigned to minor-league camp.

Grullon (mouth) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Grullon's spring debut was delayed after he required dental work last week, but he was cleared to play Wednesday in the Phillies' 5-4 win over the Twins, entering the game off the bench as a designated hitter and making two plate appearances. He'll now be ready to assume his normal duties in the field as he attempts to win a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster as a backup catcher.

Manager Mike Matheny said Perez would serve as the Royals' starting catcher in Thursday's Cactus League game against Milwaukee, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Perez had been scheduled to work behind the plate for the first time this spring in one of Wednesday's split-squad games, but the Royals pushed him back a day after he underwent a dental procedure earlier in the week. The 29-year-old had previously made two starts as a designated hitter and one at first base, as the Royals have been conscious about easing up on his catching duties following his March 2019 Tommy John surgery. Perez is still expected to see the bulk of his action as a catcher in 2020, though he may see more exposure to DH and first base compared to previous seasons.

Ruiz (finger) said that he'll make his spring debut in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Angels, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

It's unclear if Ruiz will enter the contest behind starting catcher Will Smith or if he'll merely be used as a designated hitter, but the 21-year-old looks to be back to full health in any case after he missed the final month of the 2019 season with a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand. Rather than the result of any concern about the injury, the switch-hitting Ruiz noted that his spring debut was delayed because he was working on an adjustment to his swing from the left side of the plate.

Sanchez is experimenting with a new catching stance in spring training, Pete Caldera of NorthJersey.com reports.

Per Caldera, the stance features Sanchez "setting up with his right leg in a slightly lowered position." The catcher is trying out the stance because it puts him in better position to frame low strikes for Yankees pitchers. Naturally, Sanchez will need to get completely comfortable with all aspects of the altered crouch before using it in regular-season games.

Stassi (hip) is slated to appear in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Reds as a designated hitter.

Based on the information the Angels provided on their lineup card, Stassi is set to replace Shohei Ohtani midway through the contest for what will mark the 28-year-old's spring debut. Stassi has been eased into workouts this spring while recovering from offseason hip surgery, but he's expected to be ready to go for Opening Day. He'll likely see some action behind the plate in Cactus League games within the next week or two.

Stallings went 2-for-2 with a double and an HBP against the Yankees on Monday.

The 30-year-old is expected to serve as Pittsburgh's primary catcher in 2020. He saw his first sustained action last season, slashing .262/.322/.410 with six homers in 309 plate appearances. Primarily known for his defensive skills behind the plate, Stallings has batted .291 (in 523 at-bats) over his last three minor-league campaigns with nine homers and two steals.

Trevino suffered nothing worse than a bruise after getting hit by a foul tip on his knuckle Monday.

Trevino was forced to leave the game and was sent for X-rays, but the tests confirmed he suffered no serious injury. He should still receive plenty of at-bats this spring to make his case for a bench spot.