MLB Player News

Garver is hitting .272 with 15 home runs and a .897 OPS at Triple-A Rochester. He's also thrown out 30 percent of runners and is a candidate for a September call-up, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Garver showed promise last season with a .753 OPS at Double-A, but wasn't considered a top prospect since he was already 25. He's improved his power, drawn more walks, and is said to have improved his defense at Triple-A. He should contend for the backup role with the Twins next season as a result and could surprise. The recent trade of John Ryan Murphy makes him the top catcher in Rochester.

Realmuto went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's 7-4 win over the Reds.

He's now set a new career high with 12 homers, and Realmuto is hitting a robust .385 (15-for-39) since the All-Star break with three home runs and eight RBI in 10 games. The 26-year-old catcher may not hit double-digit steals again in 2017, but he's otherwise proving he hasn't yet reached his fantasy ceiling.

Perez (ribs) went 1-for-4 with a solo homer Friday against the Red Sox.

Perez blasted his 21st homer of the season off Rick Porcello to put the Royals on the board in the second inning of a road victory. He's now hit at least 21 homers in each of the last three seasons, but he's easily on his way to a breakout season in the power department with his .531 slugging percentage.

Rupp went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs Friday against the Braves.

Rupp crushed his 10th homer of the campaign and he's been on a major streak as of late, as he's left the yard five times over his past eight starts. However, the fact that his playing time is sporadic makes it difficult to use him outside of NL-only formats as well as leagues that require two starting catchers.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup Friday against the Mariners, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

D'Arnaud will get Friday night off after catching Thursday's contest and going 0-for-4 on the evening. Rene Rivera will pick up a start behind the dish in his stead.

Grandal is not in the lineup Friday against the Giants, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

Grandal started the past three games behind the dish, so he'll head to the bench for a night off. Austin Barnes will replace him for the evening, batting sixth.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals, WEEI.com's Evan Drellich reports.

Vazquez will take a seat for a second consecutive game for the first time since mid-June as Sandy Leon draws another start behind the plate. Manager John Farrell is likely rewarding Leon after he blasted a home run during Wednesday's series finale in Seattle. Expect to see Vazquez back at catcher Saturday.

Perez (ribs) is back in the lineup Friday against the Red Sox, Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City reports.

As expected, the backstop will return to action Friday after being removed prematurely Tuesday night and sitting out Wednesday's contest. Perez will slot back in behind the dish and bat fifth against Boston starter Rick Porcello for the series opener.

Sanchez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two RBI during Thursday's win over Tampa Bay.

This was just the second home run in July for the backstop, and Sanchez entered Thursday's game with a disappointing .579 OPS for the month. Fantasy owners hope the blast kick-starts a solid stretch for the slugger. Even with the recent struggles, he's still sporting solid year-long numbers with 15 bombs, 49 RBI, 44 runs and a .266/.342/.479 slash line through 295 plate appearances.

Hedges (concussion) will catch five innings in an Arizona Rookie League game Saturday, Bill Center of MLB.com reports.

Hedges cleared all concussion tests a while back, but lingering effects of the foul ball that hit him in the catcher's mask stuck around to keep him on the shelf longer. It seems like he's nearing a return, however, and if all goes well Saturday, he could slot back into the Padres' lineup for Sunday's series finale.