MLB Player News

Mejia (knee) was activated off the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday.

Mejia was with El Paso on a rehab assignment for a left knee sprain, and he will remain there instead of returning to the Padres. The young catcher slashed .167/.207/.259 with a 31 percent strikeout rate in 19 games prior to suffering the injury May 11. Austin Allen should continue to serve as the backup to starter Austin Hedges.

Maldonado left Saturday's game against the Rangers with right forearm tightness, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

Maldonado's removal was reportedly precautionary. If he's forced to miss an extended period, Cam Gallagher would take over as the Royals' primary catcher.

Narvaez will remain on the bench against the Angels on Saturday.

Narvaez will sit for the second game in a row and the third time in four contests. He's gone just 2-for-15 in his last five games but still has a strong .287/.362/.465 line on the season, so it would be a surprise to see him lose his starting job. Tom Murphy will start behind the plate again.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Vazquez will sit for two games in a row for the first time all season. Sandy Leon will get the nod behind the plate.

Stewart opted out of his contract with the Padres on Saturday, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports.

The 37-year-old had played 19 games for Triple-A El Paso, hitting .277/.333/.354. Stewart has appeared in at least one big-league game in 12 of the last 13 seasons but might be at the end of the road at this point, as he hasn't hit above .214 in the majors since 2015.

Perez is not in Saturday's lineup against the White Sox, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

He is hitting .152 with two home runs over his last 10 games. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Murphy went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Friday's 4-3 win over the Angels.

The backup catcher scored on a Dylan Moore single in the third inning, and then went yard in the fifth inning to extend the Mariners' lead to 3-0 at the time. In 20 games, Murphy is hitting .302 with three homers and four doubles across 63 at-bats, although Omar Narvaez continues to have a strong hold on the starting catcher job in Seattle.

Garver (ankle) caught a full game behind the plate Friday for Double-A Pensacola and is likely to be activated from the 10-day IL shortly, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He could be activated from the IL as soon as Saturday. He's been playing in rehab games since Monday as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.

Perez (oblique) is expected to have his minor-league rehab assignment set by the end of the weekend, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Perez has been making deliberate but steady progress since first getting sidelined in early May. The backstop may only need a handful of minor-league games before being deemed ready for activation. Perez figures to slot back into the left-handed side of a platoon behind the dish alongside Mike Zunino, who just returned to action from a quadriceps injury Friday.

Zavala was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte following Friday's game against the Indians, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Zavala made his major-league debut Sunday, and despite taking the collar (0-for-4), he was finally able to nab his first hit Friday night. This move opens up a roster spot for Welington Castillo, who's eligible to come off the 7-day injured list Saturday.