MLB Player News

Perez (knee) had an MRI on Sunday, and the results showed "no damage beyond inflammation," Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star reports.

This is a good sign for the Royals, as what seemed like a nasty injury may turn out to be a relatively minor incident. Perez is expected to return to Royals camp to have his knee further examined, but as of now, it seems like the All-Star backstop simply will have to rest for a couple of weeks before resuming his high workload behind the dish.

Stubbs (shoulder) was assigned to the Astros' minor-league camp Sunday, Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stubbs hadn't been able to play in any Grapefruit League games while battling shoulder discomfort when camp opened in September, so it was an easy decision for the Astros to dispatch him to the minors in the first round of cuts. The organization hasn't provided any indication that Stubbs' injury is a long-term concern, so it may not be long before he's able to take the field again. Look for Stubbs to open the season at Double-A Corpus Christi after slashing .325/.401/.517 across 137 plate appearances with the club in 2016.

Perez is dealing with inflammation, Jon Heyman of MLB.com reports.

Perez was injured during Team Venezuela's game against Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. The injury looked pretty dire, but Heyman's report suggests Perez should be okay without any serious intervention.

Perez, who injured his knee in a collision at home plate Saturday, is headed for X-rays to determine the severity, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports.

Perez said he was unable to put any weight on his leg after sustaining the injury, forcing him to be helped off the field by multiple trainers. The Royals and their star backstop are holding their breath for the time-being.

Perez was injured during a collision at home plate during Saturday's WBC game, Kyle Glaser of Baseball America reports.

Although specifics of the injury aren't yet known, it would be a big blow for the Royals if their star catcher had to miss extended time. Perez had to be helped to the clubhouse by trainers after the incident, and it appeared to be an ankle injury. His status will be updated when more information is made available.

Gomes is just 3-for-12 this spring with one walk and three strikeouts over six Cactus League games.

Gomes has started behind the plate for five of his six spring contests so far, and although he's been subdued at the dish, the veteran catcher has looked good defensively, including throwing out two of three attempted basestealers. Catchers spend most of camp on the back fields handling bullpen sessions, so the counting stats aren't expected to be noteworthy. Throughout his career, Gomes has shown the ability to get better with his bat as the campaigns grow old. Over his five MLB seasons, Gomes has slashed .275/.320/.465 post All-Star break, which is significantly better than the .224/.261/.390 mark he's compiled in the first half.

Collins was reassigned to White Sox minor league camp Friday.

Collins' future as a backstop remains in question as he needs to polish his defensive skills, and catchers have so much to work on in their early years that a true breakout with their bat can come later in their careers. That being said, Collins' bat projects as plus, and he could still have plenty of value even if he eventually shifts out from behind the plate, in much the same way as his North Side counterpart, Kyle Schwarber.

Higashioka is 5-for-10 with a pair of home runs through eight spring training appearances.

Previously a fairly unheralded prospect, Higashioka had a breakout season in 2016, as he mashed 21 home runs and hit .276 (up from a .242 career average) across Double-A and Triple-A and was ultimately added to the 40-man roster after the season. Even following the offseason trade of Brian McCann, Higashioka still faces a tall task to win the backup catcher job on the parent club over Austin Romine, but if he continues to hit at this pace he'll force the Yankees brass to take notice.

Thaiss was reassigned to minor league camp Thursday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Thaiss's bat was as good as ever at spring training. Over 10 games, he went 5-for-11 and drew two walks. It should become clear where the 21-year-old will start the 2017 season in the coming weeks, but he'll likely be sent to High-A Inland Empire or Double-A Mobile.

Nicholas is undergoing surgery on his left knee Friday, Stefan Stevenson of the Star-Telegram reports.

His recovery timetable and the extent of the procedure are so far unknown, though the backup catcher is only relevant in AL-only fantasy games.