MLB Player News

Perez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Radio AM reports.

Perez is hitting just 14-for-72 (.194 average) since the All-Star break, suggesting he may be starting to wear down following a tremendous start to the season. Manager Ned Yost may try to build in more off days for the durable catcher, who will sit for the third time in the Royals' last 11 games. Drew Butera will fill in behind the plate Sunday.

Perez will start at catcher and bat ninth in the order Sunday against the Yankees.

After Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade from the Brewers to Indians last weekend, the Indians will have to get by with Perez and Chris Gimenez as their catchers until Yan Gomes (shoulder) returns from the DL. Perez appears to be in line to see the bulk of the starts behind the plate, as he'll get the nod Sunday for the third time in four games. That could boost his value in AL-only leagues, but his .050/.245/.050 batting line across 53 plate appearances to date means he shouldn't be viewed as an option yet in most mixed formats.

Sanchez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Indians.

Since being promoted to the big leagues last Tuesday, Sanchez had made four straight starts -- two at catcher and two at DH -- but manager Joe Girardi will give the youngster a rest Sunday. With a 5-for-15 showing through his first four games that has included three doubles and three RBI, Sanchez isn't at risk of losing out on regular at-bats, as Girardi has already committed to phasing out Alex Rodriguez in order to open up more time for the top prospect. Given the weakness of the catcher position this season, Sanchez should make for a sound option heading into the upcoming week, especially in two-catcher formats.

Grandal is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Boston.

After starting the last two games, Grandal will get a day off as A.J. Ellis fills in behind the plate and bats eighth. Grandal is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, going 9-for-22 with seven RBI in that span.

Rupp went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in a 5-4 victory over the Padres on Friday.

The homer was Rupp's 13th of the season. Manager Pete Mackanin praised Rupp after the game, telling CSN Philadelphia that the changes he made to his approach at the plate to stay on top of the ball have helped propel his 2016 breakout. Rupp does have a .331 BABIP this season, which is much better than past seasons, but some of that increase may not be luck given the change to his approach and the hard contact he has been making. His average exit velocity of 95.1 mph is the third highest in the majors this season.

Leon went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in Boston's 9-0 win over the Dodgers on Friday.

Leon not only continued to hit -- the catcher who entered 2016 with a career .187 batting average is sitting at .374 in 107 at-bats this season -- but he also managed zero passed balls while catching knuckleballer Steven Wright. As a matter of fact, Wright never looked better, tossing the first shutout of his career and walking just one. It was a great game called by Leon, who got the start when Ryan Hanigan was scratched due to an ankle injury that eventually landed him on the disabled list, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. With Hanigan on the DL and Blake Swihart (ankle) nowhere close to returning, Leon will get the bulk of the starts in the immediate future.

Diaz has been activated by Triple-A Indianapolis.

Diaz was a reserve for the Pirates in case Francisco Cervelli was forced to miss more time, but Cervelli returned to the Pirates lineup on Friday. Therefore, Diaz will go back to Triple-A Indianapolis where he will start tonight against Toledo. The 25-year-old is hitting .267 in 60 minor league at-bats with High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.

D'Arnaud is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.

Rene Rivera will catch for starter Noah Syndergaard as d'Arnaud sits for the second time in three days. While d'Arnaud continues to see the lion's share of the workload, he's underwhelmed at the dish since his return from the DL in late June, going 27-for-101 (.267 average) with five extra-base hits. He hit a home run Tuesday, his first since July 7 and third of the season.

Casali was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Casali will go down to Durham after the Rays picked up Bobby Wilson off waivers Thursday. It appeared as though Casali had recently lost the starting job to Luke Maile, and the Rays clearly see the 27-year-old as expendable. He could return to the team at some point later on this season, but has only posted a .168 average with seven home runs and 20 RBI on the season.

Rupp is out of the lineup Thursday against the Giants, the Philly Voice's Ryan Lawrence reports.

He will get a standard day off during Thursday's day game following Wednesday's night game. Carlos Ruiz will start behind the dish and hit fifth Thursday.