MLB Player News

A neck injury sustained Thursday night on a slide at home plate has Indians catcher Yan Gomes on the bench Friday as the team opens a series against visiting Tampa Bay.

Gomes, who missed much of the year with a knee issue, has yet to find the consistent stroke that marked his 2014 season. He is 3-for-23 in his last eight games as his average has fallen to .211.

The Royals are expected to open talks either later this season or in the offseason with catcher Salvador Perez about renegotiating his contract or signing an extension, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. 

It has been said Kansas City personnel have expressed sympathy for Perez over his inexplicably low contract. Perez signed a five-year, $7 million contract in February 2012. He is under contract through 2017, which includes team options for 2018 ($5 million) and 2019 ($6 million).

Indians catcher Yan Gomes left Thursday's game against the Cubs with cervical tightness, per FoxSports.com.

Gomes went 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored before leaving the game. He's hitting .211 with two home runs and six RBI in 90 at-bats this season.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal will start against the Rangers on Thursday.

Grandal didn't get the start for Wednesday's game, though he did get an at bat as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.

In his last eight games, Grandal is hitting .292 with three home runs and three RBI.

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto was scratched from Wednesday's loss to the Yankees because of stiffness in his back, reports the Miami Herald.

With Realmuto ailing, the team called up catcher Jhonatan Solano. It is not known if Realmuto will need to go on the disabled list.

Realmuto said he experienced a similar issue in spring training, which sidelined him for three days. He expects the new issue will also keep him out of the lineup for three days. 

Bryan Holaday will earn the start at catcher for the Tigers in Thursday night's game against the Reds.

This will be Holaday's seventh start of the season. He's starting in place of James McCann, who is batting .252 with two home runs. Holaday is hitting .259/.259/.481 with one home run and eight RBI. 

Mets manager Terry Collins is really pleased with how well Travis d'Arnaud has played since missing nearly two months with a wrist injury. D'Arnaud has hit safely in five of six games since coming off the disabled list. He has one home run, two doubles and four RBI.

"I thought he's played very well," Collins said, per NJ.com. "He's caught well. He's blocked the ball well, which when you have a broken wrist and you have to go down and block some balls that can be painful but he's done a great job of that. And he's swung the bat."

Rays catcher Curt Casali hit his first home run of the 2015 season during Wednesday night's 5-0 victory over the Nationals. 

Casali went yard in the fifth inning with a solo shot. Casali was recently recalled from Triple-A Durham. He finished the game 3 for 3 with two singles. 

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is getting the night off on Wednesday, as he is out of the starting lineup against the Rangers. The Dodgers are facing a lefty in Wandy Rodriguez, and the switch-hitting Grandal is batting just .227 (5 for 22) against southpaws this season. 

Grandal has also started each of the last four games behind the plate, so A.J. Ellis will handle the catching duties, as per normal when Clayton Kershaw makes the start for the Dodgers.

Padres rookie catcher Austin Hedges accomplished a career milestone during Tuesday's loss to the Athletics: he hit his first-career home run.

Hedges went 1 for 3 with a solo blast in the third inning, which snapped an eight-game hitless streak.

Hedges has struggled since being called up on May 4, hitting .107 with just three hits in 28 at-bats.