MLB Player News

Murphy, 25, is batting .286 with three home runs and 11 RBI over his last 10 games for Triple-A Albuquerque.

Muprhy has been a tad injury prone throughout his professional career, but looks healthy now and has been tapping into his power lately. He has multiple seasons with 20 home runs in the minors, and could be close to seeing the bigs.

Contreras, 24, is batting .326/.423/.511 with five home runs, 22 RBI and two stolen bases for Triple-A Iowa.

Perhaps most impressively, Contreras has as many walks as strikeouts (22 apiece). He could be the catcher of the future for the Cubbies. Though he should make his MLB debut this season, his true impact likely will not come until 2017.

Lavisky (ankle) is back on the active roster with Triple-A Columbus.

After missing most of April with an ankle issue, Lavisky returned for one game before being sidelined for another couple weeks with the same problem. He seems to be completely healthy now, although his playing time will still likely be limited while Anthony Recker continues to act as the primary catcher for the Clippers.

Sanchez has been diagnosed with a cracked right thumb and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the YES Network's Jack Curry reports.

The hard-hitting catching prospect will rest his thumb for two weeks and then the Yankees will X-ray it to see where he's at. Sanchez has plenty of potential if and when he gets a chance in the big leagues, but with Brian McCann in place, he had an uncertain ETA.

Diaz (elbow) is nearing the point to where he can resume throwing, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

After trying to go with the rest and rehab route with his sore elbow this spring, Diaz ultimately opted to undergo elbow debridement surgery in early May. The initial timetable for a return was set at 7-to-9 weeks, so he's still a ways away from the Pirates considering activating him, but Wednesday's news is encouraging nonetheless. According to Nesbitt, Diaz is "in the final stages of prep" before he can begin a throwing program. A July return still appears to be the likely scenario for Diaz, but his recovery is headed in the right direction.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez will get the day off after playing in five straight games. The 25-year-old has struggled a bit at the dish this season, hitting just .226/.270/.345 with six RBI through 24 games, but will likely continue to be starting catcher for the Red Sox.

D'Arnaud (shoulder) is throwing with no issue and will ramp up baseball activities on Thursday, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

He is back in Port St. Lucie working out after spending time at home in California with his own physical therapist. D'Arnaud, who is recovering from a rotator cuff strain, is still at least a couple weeks away from returning to the Mets, but it sounds like he is progressing nicely. Kevin Plawecki will continue to serve as the primary catcher for now.

Ohlman has played 27 games at Triple-A Memphis and has a .253/.337/.360 line through 75 at-bats.

For most of the season, Ohlman's batting average has been hovering around the .250 mark. Ohlman finished with a .273/.356/.418 line at Double-A Springfield last season, so his slight drop in production isn't too alarming for a player that had never appeared at the Triple-A level in his career. As the season progresses, Ohlman's main focus will be cutting down on strikeouts, as he's struck out in 45 percent of his at-bats. With Yadier Molina behind the plate in St. Louis, there will be no rush to bring Ohlman up to the show, so he will have plenty of time to polish his game.

Perez will bat fifth as the team's DH against the Twins on Wednesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Perez has gone 7-for-9 in his first two games of the series, so it makes sense for manager Ned Yost to keep him in the lineup as much as he can. He will also get a much-needed day off behind the plate after starting 43 of the team's first 45 games.

Plawecki is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki will sit out in favor of Rene Rivera for the third game in the last six games. Plawecki has been struggling at the plate lately, failing to record a hit in his last 17 at-bats.