MLB Player News

Perez (knee) is going for a second MRI on Tuesday, MLB.com's Jeffrey Flanagan reports.

His MRI on Sunday showed no damage beyond inflammation, but either the Royals or the player were unsatisfied with the results, so he will go for a second test Tuesday. This suggests the knee issue is more than just a day-to-day ailment, but we won't know how much longer he will be sidelined until after the results are released.

Plawecki (knee) will catch and bat eighth in the lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, Matt Ehalt of The Record reports.

After Plawecki hurt his left knee following a collision at home plate back on Feb. 25, the Mets have been bringing him along slowly. Plawecki returned to workouts last week and was able to DH in spring games the last two days without issue, so manager Terry Collins will now deploy him in his usual spot behind the plate. Though Plawecki is now healthy and in no danger of missing the start of the season, he still could be headed for Triple-A Las Vegas to kick off in 2017 in order to see everyday at-bats.

The Reds will begin the season with just two catchers, whether Mesoraco is ready for Opening Day or not.

This doesn't necessarily mean Mesoraco will not be ready -- only that they won't carry a third catcher and limit Mesoraco's duties to pinch-hitting and spot starting behind the plate early on. If he's not ready to split the catching duties 50-50 right away, Mesoraco will begin the year on the DL.

Mesoraco caught two innings in his Cactus League debut Sunday, going 0-for-1 in his only at-bat. "It was good. Health-wise, I feel great," Mesoraco said. "I think my heart was beating a little faster than normal today, just getting out there for the first time in a while. I'll keep working, get back out there and get back to where I was."

Mesoraco is about two weeks behind teammate Tucker Barnhart, who will probably get a greater share of the workload early in the season before giving way to Mesoraco later, if Mesoraco can prove he's fully healthy.

Perez went 0-for-2 with two walks and scored a run in Sunday's World Baseball Classic victory over Team Italy.

After sitting behind Yadier Molina for Puerto Rico's first two games, Perez made an impact in his tournament debut Sunday. The victory clinched Pool D, sending Puerto Rico onto the next round at Petco Park in San Diego. At this point, even if Puerto Rico doesn't advance further, Perez will have little more than a week remaining on the spring schedule when he returns to camp with the Indians.

Deglan (shoulder) was reassigned to minor league camp Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Even though Deglan was a perfect 3-for-3 for the Yankees this spring, his chances of making the big league roster were slim to none as he's yet to play in Triple-A. Once healthy, Deglan will likely report to Double-A Trenton and serve as organizational depth.

Hedges (hamstring) is hitting again Sunday but is still being held out of baserunning and conditioning drills, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The backstop swung without issue on Saturday, and although the issue has been deemed to be fairly minor, Hedges still is taking things slowly as of now. As long as he experiences no setbacks, Hedges should be able to return to game action relatively soon, although a firmer timetable should become evident once he begins to run again.

Bethancourt will make his first catching appearance in the Padres' Cactus League game Sunday, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The 25-year-old is being tested for a role as a dual catcher-pitcher this season, and he'll get his first action of the spring in his more familiar role after appearing exclusively as a hurler for the beginning of the spring. Bethancourt has found a surprising amount of success on the mound so far, allowing as many hits as he's garnered himself (none), so if he continues to find success there while playing good enough defense behind the plate, his combined role could be his calling card for a 25-man roster spot.

Mejia went 1-for-1 with a grand slam in Saturday's spring training contest against Kansas City.

There have been some questions if the catching prospect is big enough not only to catch, but to play in the big leagues. Mejia, listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds in the team's media guide, looked plenty big enough when he launched the eventual game-winner with the bags loaded in the seventh. The 21-year-old is now 5-for-9 with seven RBI and three runs over his last four Cactus League games. Last season in the minors, Mejia put together a 50-game hitting streak -- the longest such run in the minors in the last 62 years, and the fourth-best streak in minor-league history. Overall 2016, Mejia hit .342 with 11 home runs and 80 RBI at Low-A Lake County and High-A Lynchburg. With Gomes and Roberto Perez cemented ahead of him on the depth chart, Mejia will continue incubating at the lower levels this season unless an injury or prolonged slump from either opens up an opportunity.

Perez (knee) had an MRI on Sunday, and the results showed "no damage beyond inflammation," Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star reports.

This is a good sign for the Royals, as what seemed like a nasty injury may turn out to be a relatively minor incident. Perez is expected to return to Royals camp to have his knee further examined, but as of now, it seems like the All-Star backstop simply will have to rest for a couple of weeks before resuming his high workload behind the dish.