MLB Player News

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox.

Higashioka and Jose Trevino have alternated starts over the past six games, and that trend will continue Sunday after Higashioka went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a strikeout during Saturday's 3-2 loss to Chicago.

Grandal is not in Sunday's lineup against the Yankees.

He has yet to get going at the dish this season and is hitting .162 with a .354 OBP and zero home runs in 11 games this month. Reese McGuire will start at catcher and hit eighth.

Jansen is not in Sunday's lineup against the Rays.

He returned Saturday after missing four weeks with an oblique strain and went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a walk. Alejandro Kirk will start behind the dish while George Springer starts at designated hitter.

Perez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a loss to Colorado on Saturday.

Perez's two-run shot temporarily tied the score 3-3 in the third inning, though the Royals eventually lost in a blowout. The long ball was the backstop's his first since April 22 -- a span of 18 games. Perez is far off the pace that led to a career-high 48 homers last season, but his six long balls match Daulton Varsho for the lead in the category among catcher-eligible players.

Heineman was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

The 30-year-old served as catching depth for the Blue Jays over the last month, but he'll head back to the minors after Danny Jansen (oblique) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Heineman went 4-for-15 with two doubles, two runs, an RBI and four strikeouts over 10 major-league games and should see more consistent playing time in Buffalo.

Jansen (oblique) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and is starting Saturday against the Rays.

Jansen spent just over a month on the injured list with an oblique injury but recently completed a rehab stint at Single-A Dunedin in which he went 3-for-10 with two doubles and four runs. The 27-year-old should serve as the primary catcher now that he's healthy, while Alejandro Kirk should see additional at-bats as the designated hitter.

Barnhart isn't starting Saturday against the Orioles.

Barnhart started in the last three games and went 2-for-9 with a double, an RBI and two strikeouts. Eric Haase will take over behind the plate and bat seventh.

Rortvedt's minor-league rehab assignment has stalled due to a new knee issue, and he is slated to get an MRI soon, Max Goodman of SI.com reports.

Rortvedt missed the start of the campaign due to an oblique injury, but that issue has since subsided, and the catcher was able to start a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A Tampa. However, he played in only two games before feeling discomfort in his knee, and he hasn't returned to the field since the issue flared up May 8. Yankees manager Aaron Boone suggested that the organization is uncertain about the extent of the injury, stating, "We're kind of trying to get our hands wrapped around that. He caught the other day and the knee was kind of catching on him a little bit. So we got to see what we have there." Boone also indicated that Rortvedt will get an MRI on the ailing knee, which should provide clarity about his status moving forward.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 12-8 loss to the Twins.

Hedges' fifth-inning blast tied the game at 2-2, but the offense was just getting started on both sides. The catcher has been solid in May, going 6-for-24 (.250) with three RBI and three runs scored in seven games. Overall, he owns a .176/.238/.297 slash line with three homers, seven RBI, eight runs scored and a stolen base in 82 plate appearances. His defensive work behind the dish will keep him in the lineup more often than backup Luke Maile.

Murphy (shoulder) took swings in the cage Friday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Murphy has been on the injured list with a dislocated left shoulder for nearly a week, and manager Scott Servais said Friday that the backstop isn't yet feeling 100 percent. The Mariners are currently on a road trip that runs through next Sunday, and Servais indicated that it's possible Murphy will be able to return sometime late in the road trip.