MLB Player News

Grandal (hamstring) is out of the lineup against the Astros on Sunday.

Grandal will miss another game Sunday while recovering from tightness in his hamstring. According to Vinnie Duber of AllCHGO.com, the veteran backstop should be available off the bench and is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday against Cleveland. Seby Zavala will handle catching duties in the series finale versus Houston.

The White Sox optioned Perez to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Perez was sent down to Charlotte as the corresponding transaction for Jake Burger (oblique) after Burger was activated off the injured list. The backstop could be back with the White Sox at some point this summer.

Kirk is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against Atlanta.

Kirk will take a seat to begin a second consecutive game, although he did appear in Saturday's win over Atlanta while going 0-for-2. Danny Jansen will be behind the plate for the Blue Jays and hit eighth against Collin McHugh.

Haase is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.

Jake Rogers will catch and bat ninth, sending Haase to the bench after he started Saturday. The two are mostly splitting time behind the plate, though Haase has the added versatility of being able to play in the outfield. He's batting .273 compared to just .183 for Rogers, though Rogers has a .712 OPS versus .701 for Haase.

Higashioka went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run and a walk against the Rays in a 9-8 victory Saturday.

Higashioka drew the start behind the plate and kicked off a big Yankees comeback with his two-run shot to left field in the fifth inning. It was the third long ball of the season for the backstop, who is working as New York's No. 2 catcher behind Jose Trevino this season. Higashioka is back on the bench to begin Sunday's contest, with Trevino starting and batting eighth.

Rogers is starting at catcher and batting ninth in Sunday's game against the Mariners.

After sitting out Saturday, Rogers will return to the lineup Sunday, bumping Eric Haase to the bench. The two are mostly splitting time behind the plate, though Haase is also seeing time in the outfield. Rogers has five home runs and a .437 slugging percentage, though he's batting just .183, so he's been pretty boom or bust.

Raleigh is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against Detroit.

Raleigh continues to not see consistent playing time against left-handers, and he'll take a rest against Joey Wentz and the Tigers for the series finale. Tom Murphy will handle catching duties and hit fifth against Wentz on Sunday.

Rutschman is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Rutschman currently has a modest four-game hit streak during which he's gone 6-for-13 with two home runs, four walks, four RBI and four runs, but he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale versus Pittsburgh. James McCann will step in behind the plate for Baltimore.

Perez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday in a loss to the Brewers.

After sitting out Friday due to blurred vision, Perez was back behind the plate Saturday. The backstop appeared to be past the vision issue, as he collected a pair of hits, including a solo homer in the fifth inning. Perez is up to eight long balls on the campaign, second-most among MLB backstops.

Rutschman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a 2-0 win against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Offense was sparse in the contest, and Rutschman was the only player on either team to notch multiple hits. His first-inning solo homer to center field was all Baltimore would end up needing to pull out the victory. Rutschman has a modest four-game hitting streak going, during which he has gone 6-for-13 with a pair of homers, four walks and four RBI.