MLB Player News

Perez went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and three RBI as the Royals topped the Yankees 5-2 on Friday.

Perez had seen his average dip to .244 after a brief 0-for-11 skid, but he broke out of that with his sixth long ball of the season, moving his OPS back up to .802 since his return to action from the disabled list. Perez's proven track record as a power-hitting catcher as well as his reliably heavy workload should allow him to continue functioning as one of the better fantasy options at the position throughout the season.

Garver is out of the lineup versus the Brewers on Friday.

Garver will receive a breather in favor of Bobby Wilson after going 1-for-4 with a run scored during Wednesday's series finale against St. Louis. Over 21 games this year, Garver is hitting .254/.309/.413 with two home runs and six RBI.

Knizner was moved up to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Rob Rains of Stlsportspage.com reports.

Knizner will take the next step in his professional career after beginning the 2018 season hitting .333/.412/.467 with 18 RBI in 27 games for Double-A Springfield. Though he has played well enough to deserve this promotion, the move occurred due to the limited catching availability in the Cardinals' organization at the present time. With Yadier Molina (groin) and Carson Kelly (hamstring) on the DL, Francisco Pena and Steve Baron are both on the major-league roster, so Knizner will man the backstop for Memphis moving forward.

Trevino (quadriceps) has gone 8-for-17 with a pair of home runs and a triple since being reinstated from the 7-day disabled list at Double-A Frisco on May 11.

Trevino was sidelined for just under two weeks with the right quad strain. The 25-year-old possesses a spot on Texas' 40-man roster, but it's unlikely he'll be promoted to the majors before September unless one of the top two catchers in the organization (Robinson Chirinos and Carlos Perez) misses time.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Vazquez will head to the bench for a breather after starting the past two games behind the dish and going 1-for-6 in those contests. In his stead, Sandy Leon will start at catcher and hit eighth.

Grandal is out of the lineup Thursday against the Marlins, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Grandal and Austin Barnes have alternated turns behind the plate over the last four games, with Grandal drawing both of his starts against right-handed pitching while Barnes entered the lineup versus lefties. It's unclear if the catchers will work in a strict platoon going forward, but with a 181-point edge in OPS this season, Grandal should see the bulk of the playing time regardless of how manager Dave Roberts elects to divvy up the starts.

Realmuto is out of the lineup Thursday against the Dodgers, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.

Realmuto was behind the plate Wednesday night for a sixth straight game, so with the two sides concluding their three-game set with a matinee tilt Thursday, Marlins manager Don Mattingly decided it was time to give his top backstop a breather. Bryan Holaday will handle catching duties in the series finale, working as the batterymate for Caleb Smith.

Ruiz went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk Tuesday for Double-A Tulsa in its 8-7 win over Springfield.

Though he left the yard for the first time in three weeks, Ruiz hasn't been short on power of late, as he had recorded four doubles over the four games prior to Tuesday. In his first taste of the Texas League, Ruiz is hitting .284/.341/.422 across 126 plate appearances. That stellar line is rendered more impressive by the fact that Ruiz won't turn 20 years old until late July, making him one of the youngest players on the circuit.

Mesoraco is not in the lineup against Toronto on Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Mesoraco will get the afternoon off after going 2-for-2 with one home run, two RBI and four runs scored during Tuesday's contest. In his place, Jose Lobaton is set to catch Zack Wheeler and bat seventh in the order.

Realmuto went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's win over the Dodgers.

It was his second three-hit performance in the last four games. Realmuto is in a groove right now at the plate, posting a .292/.346/.438 slash line through 12 games in May, but a tepid Marlins offense around him has limited the catcher's overall production. He has one homer, three RBI and six runs during that stretch.