MLB Player News

Hedges is batting fifth and catching Thursday against the Diamondbacks, Jack Magruder of FanRagSports.com reports.

The backstop received a breather Wednesday in favor of Luis Torrens. Hedges resurfaces Thursday to catch Clayton Richard. He's batting only .211/.261/.439 with a .296 wOBA in 185 plate appearances, but his 11 home runs help him stand out as at least a top No. 2 catcher in a volatile player pool.

Manager Ned Yost is not concerned about the thumb injury that forced Perez out of Wednesday's contest, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

Yost hinted he was optimistic that Perez would be ready to play Thursday night. The skipper described the ailment as a "dinged" thumb, and added, "We'll see how he feels tomorrow." Drew Butera will handle the catching duties should Perez be unable to go.

Maldonado will get a day off for Thursday's series finale against the Tigers, Pedro Moura of the LA Times reports.

In his place, Juan Graterol is starting behind the plate while batting ninth. Maldonado went 1-for-3 in Wednesday's loss to Detroit, and has been putting together his best season to date with a line of .264/.331/.384. The 30-year-old will likely be back in the lineup for Friday's contest against the Astros.

Maldonado will get a day off for Thursday's series finale against the Tigers, Pedro Moura of the LA Times reports.

In his place, Juan Graterol is starting behind the plate while batting ninth. Maldonado went 1-for-3 in Wednesday's loss to Detroit, and has been putting together his best season to date with a line of .264/.331/.384. The 30-year-old will likely be back in the lineup for Friday's contest against the Astros.

Higashioka (ribs) was activated off the 7-day DL on Wednesday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The catcher missed three weeks with the ailment, and returned Wednesday to go 1-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. Following last season's breakout campaign, Higashioka is hitting just .214/.241/.321 in the minors this year, but he figures to still remain in line as the next man up if the Yankees need another catcher at any point.

Manager Ned Yost said Perez injured his thumb during Wednesday's win over the Astros, Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star reports.

Perez injured his catching thumb in the eighth inning and was unable to finish the game. The injury doesn't appear to be anything overly serious; consider him day-to-day for now.

Diaz is batting eighth and catching Wednesday against the Orioles.

With Francisco Cervelli (concussion) landing on the disabled list, Diaz seems to be in line for most of the innings behind the plate for the foreseeable future. Although the Pirates called up Jacob Stallings from the minors to provide depth, Diaz's 6-for-20 performance thus far this season along with his status as the team's catcher of the future should afford him ample opportunities to show the club how well he can perform in a full-time role.

Stallings had his contract purchased from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stallings was cast off the 40-man roster over the offseason since he was blocked by Francisco Cervelli (concussion), Chris Stewart (hamstring) and Elias Diaz in the catching pecking order, but with Cervelli and Stewart both sidelined with injuries, Stallings will return to the big leagues to provide catching depth. More likely than not, the 27-year-old will play second fiddle to Diaz behind the plate, although Stallings was 6-for-15 in a brief cup of coffee with Pittsburgh last season, so he could pick up his fair share of starts if he hits like that this time around as well.

Hedges is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks.

Hedges has three home runs over the past week, but he'll head to the bench for a night off after four straight starts. Luis Torrens will take over behind the plate in his place.

McCann (hand) will play another game Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo before coming back for the series opener against Boston on Friday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

If all goes well, the plan is for McCann to be activated on Friday before the series with Boston begins. The catcher has been on the disabled list with a hand injury since May 25 after being hit by a pitch. In his place Alex Avila has been manning the duties behind the plate, but McCann should see the bulk of the time there once he gets back in form.