MLB Player News

Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Casali has found himself on the bench for the last three games, with the hot-hitting Hank Conger forcing his way into the lineup. Conger is only holding down a .260 on-base percentage for the season and struggles to throw out runners, so there's still reason to hold out hope for Casali eventually getting his spot back.

Barnes was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Barnes owns a .306/.413/.375 slash line in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, but that was enough to earn him a promotion after left fielder Carl Crawford was designated for assignment Sunday. Barnes will provide the Dodgers with speed over power, as he has 12 stolen bases and zero home runs over 37 games for Oklahoma City. The 26-year-old can play infield, outfield, and even be used as an emergency catcher, so he could find himself with occasional starts due to his versatility. In the meantime, Howie Kendrick is expected to be the main beneficiary in terms of the reps at left field Crawford will leave behind.

Leon's contract was purchased from Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.

With the Red Sox's two backup catchers, Ryan Hanigan (neck) and Blake Swihart (ankle), landing on the DL on Sunday, Leon was brought in to provide some further depth behind the plate. Leon isn't expected to play more than once or twice a week behind Christian Vazquez, so even in AL-only leagues, Leon's appeal is limited.

Contreras went 1-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games for Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.

Even more impressive, Contreras has driven in at least one run in seven straight games. He has 39 RBI in 176 at-bats at Iowa this season and is slashing .335/.428/.585. With David Ross set to retire at the end of the season, Contreras should be with the Cubs -- possibly as the regular starter -- in 2017.

Leon was removed from Triple-A Pawtucket's game Saturday, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.

Leon becomes an important figure after Boston lost Ryan Hanigan (neck) and Blake Swihart (ankle) to injury during Boston's win over Toronto on Saturday afternoon. With Boston losing its backup and third-string catcher in the same game, removing Leon was an easy decision.

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

With Clayton Kershaw taking the hill Saturday, A.J. Ellis will take over catching duties in place of Grandal. The switch-hitting Grandal has struggled mightily at the dish over the past month, slashing a meager .113/.210/.268 with 23 strikeouts and nine walks.

Perez, who is starting Saturday's game, will get Sunday off and will likely get another day off next week as well, the Kansas City Star's Rustin Dodd reports.

He is returning Saturday from a quadriceps contusion, but it sounds like the Royals will be careful with Perez in the next few weeks. He'll sit Sunday, start Monday, and then likely get another day off next week. Still, this only means Perez is on the same schedule as almost every other starting catcher in baseball. In a week or two, he'll be back to playing almost every day.

Gomes is out of the lineup Saturday against the Royals.

Chris Gimenez will get the start behind the plate in place of Gomes for Saturday's matchup against the Royals. Gomes homered Friday for the first time since May 14, but his average is still sitting at .174 on the year.

Perez (quadriceps) is back in the lineup Saturday, batting fifth and catching against the Indians.

After sitting out for nearly a full week due to a quadriceps contusion, Perez will not only return to the lineup Saturday, he'll do so at catcher. His return will bump Drew Butera back to the bench for at least Saturday's contest.

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez will take a day off after starting the last two games. Ryan Hanigan will start in his place Saturday.