MLB Player News

Perez went 2-for-4 Sunday with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI.

He'd been mired in a 3-for-30 slump coming into Sunday and the RBI was his first since April 25, so hopefully this was a sign that Perez is beginning to find his batting stroke. The Royals don't exactly have another option behind the plate, however, so expect him to get every chance to heat up.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez will get a day of rest on Sunday after playing in both Friday's and Saturday's games. He has split time pretty evenly with his replacement for Sunday, Ryan Hanigan since Blake Swihart was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. Hanigan will bat ninth Sunday.

Moore accepted his designation to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday.

Moore was designated for assignment on May 4 after failing to make an appearance during his brief stint with the team. He'll now return to the Triple-A level to get more reps, and likely won't be back unless an injury at the Major League level forces a need for a backup catcher.

Plawecki, who had his first two extra base hits of the season Saturday, is in the lineup Sunday against the Padres.

Plawecki sat Friday for Rene Rivera but will play in a day game Sunday following a night game Saturday. With Travis d'Arnaud sidelined for a while longer due his rotator cuff injury, Plawecki has a golden opportunity to grab a hold of the catching job. If he falters and d'Arnaud is out long-term, the Mets could explore the trade market - possibly Jonathan Lucroy - to obtain a starting catcher.

Stassi (wrist) was activated from the 15-day DL and was optioned to Triple-A Fresno on Sunday, Angel Verdejo of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stassi had been on a rehab assignment with Fresno, so he'll just remain in the minors with the Astros content to stick with Jason Castro and Erik Kratz as their two backstops. During his three-game rehab stint, Stassi went 2-for-11 with five strikeouts.

Barnhart is out of the lineup Sunday against the Brewers.

Barnhart was behind the plate for the first three games of the series, but will sit for the afternoon finale. Ramon Cabrera will man the backstop in his stead.

Rupp could see his playing time cut back a little with manager Pete Mackanin considering giving Carlos Ruiz some additional starts, Bill Whitehead of CSN Philadelphia reports.

Rupp has been getting the majority of the starts behind the plate thus far, but Ruiz has outproduced him. Ruiz is unlikely to see regular playing time as Mackanin believes he needs to keep him fresh with days off, but the timeshare behind the plate could become more evenly split if Rupp doesn't get his bat going.

D'Arnaud (shoulder) suffered a setback Saturday, as he experienced discomfort when he tried to throw for the first time and had to be shut down, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

Manager Terry Collins said Saturday's development was "pretty discouraging," and while d'Arnaud had already started hitting Thursday, he's clearly not ready to work on the defensive aspect of his rehab. He will continue hitting for now, and more information regarding a timetable for further activity should become available in the coming days, but Collins' comments suggest that d'Arnaud won't be returning soon. Kevin Plawecki should remain the primary catcher for the Mets for the foreseeable future.

Rupp is out of the lineup Saturday against the Marlins.

He has been seeing the bulk of the starts at catcher for the Phillies, but that has not translated into much fantasy production. Carlos Ruiz will start at catcher and hit fifth Saturday.

Realmuto is out of the lineup Saturday against the Phillies.

He has started six games in a row, so Realmuto was due for a day off. Jeff Mathis will start at catcher and hit eighth Saturday.