MLB Player News

Murphy (forearm) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Nick Groke of The Denver Post reports.

Murphy, who has been sidelined since spring training with a hairline fracture in his forearm, caught in an extended spring training game for the first time since sustaining the injury. He's expected to catch in another extended spring game Thursday, and if all goes well, he'll head out on a rehab assignment with Albuquerque after taking Friday off. The Rockies haven't specified how many rehab games Murphy will play, but they'll likely play things by ear following each contest. He still appears to be on track to return to the big club in mid June.

Ice was placed on the minor-league disabled list due to a wrist injury.

This likely is the reason why Ice hasn't appeared in a game for Lake County since Monday. It's unclear how severe the injury is, but wrist injuries can be quite tumultuous for hitters. Prior to the injury, Ice was batting .212 with two home runs and 11 RBI for the Captains.

Leon is not in the lineup Thursday against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

This marks the second day in a row that Leon will cede catching duties to Christian Vazquez. On the surface it might seem a little surprising considering Leon has been significantly better against lefties this season (.308 batting average) than against righties (.200 BA) and southpaw Wade Miley is throwing for the Orioles. However, Vazquez almost always catches Thursday's starter Eduardo Rodriguez (along with Drew Pomeranz).

Barnes is batting seventh and catching Thursday against the Cardinals, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

He'll again fill in for Yasmani Grandal as Brandon McCarthy takes the hill. Barnes has proved adept in the backup backstop role, batting .273/.385/.545 in 24 games.

Grandal is not in the Dodgers' lineup Thursday against the Cardinals, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

The backstop will get a breather in the matinee, with Austin Barnes replacing him behind the plate. When he likely returns to action Friday, Grandal will look to continue his hot May, during which he scalded the baseball at a .337/.374/.523 pace with two home runs and 16 RBI in 91 plate appearances.

D'Arnaud is batting eighth and catching Thursday against the Brewers.

D'Arnaud was given a day off Wednesday after also getting a breather Monday. Considering his injury-filled past -- including a disabled list trip due to wrist issues earlier this month -- New York continues to limit the workload of its No. 1 backstop, who carries a .221/.294/.481 line with five home runs in 85 plate appearances.

Ohlman said he's been working on a shorter swing to maximize his power and potential, The Buffalo News reports.

The catcher made his major-league debut in early May, only to be designated for assignment a few weeks later. He eventually settled on a Triple-A deal with Toronto, and Ohlman is hopeful he'll return to MLB in due time. Making his swing more efficient and powerful was a priority this offseason. "Stay short to the ball. You can be short and have a bigger swing. That's what we worked on because I wasn't maximizing my potential in the power category," the 26-year-old said. "I'm glad to have some results to show for it." Last season, he combined for just seven home runs in 78 games with Double- and Triple-A. Ohlman has eight already this year, and the 6-foot-5, 240-pound backstop is enjoying a career-high .982 OPS through 30 games with Triple-A Buffalo.

Gomes is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Athletics, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes and Roberto Perez have now alternated starts in the last six games. It will be Perez manning the backstop for the series finale, catching Corey Kluber (back) in his return from the DL.

Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run double that provided the cushion in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the White Sox.

Savvy fantasy owners understand that Vazquez, a career .233 hitter entering 2017, will not sustain the lofty .341 average he currently possesses this season. But even as the average corrects itself going forward, Vazquez will continue to get turns as the primary batterymate for two of Boston's starters: Drew Pomeranz has a 3.45 ERA in nine starts with Vazquez behind the plate, and Eduardo Rodriguez has a 2.82 ERA in nine Vazquez starts.

Leon is out of the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Christian Vazquez will substitute in behind the plate for Leon, who had started three of the previous four games. Manager John Farrell's continued usage of the catching timeshare makes it difficult to predict what Leon's workload will look like any given week, but both backstoppers are still worth owning in AL-only leagues until one emerges as the clear top option.