MLB Player News

Grandal is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Cleveland.

He'll rest for the series finale after turning in a big day at the plate in Saturday's 7-3 win. Despite not recording a hit in the contest, Grandal came around to score twice while drawing four walks on the day. Zack Collins will fill in at catcher for the idle Grandal on Sunday.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Sunday that Perez has a non-displaced fracture in his right ring finger, but the catcher is expected to play through the injury after getting a couple days of rest, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Perez will remain out of the lineup for a second straight day Sunday, allowing Austin Hedges to receive another turn behind the dish for Cleveland's series finale with the White Sox. According to Francona, Perez is expected to be ready to check back in behind the dish for Monday's game in Kansas City, and the skipper anticipates the 32-year-old backstop will make a full recovery from the non-displaced fracture in about a week or a week and a half. Even before the injury surfaced, Perez was off to a miserable start to the season at the plate; he'll take a .143 average and career-worst 36.8 percent strikeout rate into Sunday's contest.

The Blue Jays will place Kirk (hip) on the 10-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against Atlanta, Ben Wagner of Sportsnet reports.

The transaction will clear a spot on the 26-man roster for Ross Stripling (forearm), who will be reinstated from the IL ahead of his scheduled start Sunday. Before exiting Saturday's game with a left hip flexor strain, Kirk had been off to a slow start to the 2021 season, slashing .225/.326/.475 in 46 plate appearances while serving as the No. 2 option at catcher behind Danny Jansen.

Kirk was removed from Saturday's game versus Atlanta with left hip flexor discomfort.

The 22-year-old went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run before exiting the contest. The severity of the injury remains unclear, but Kirk figures to take a seat for the series finale Sunday afternoon.

Hedges went 1-for-3 with a home run and a strikeout Saturday as Cleveland lost to Chicago 7-3.

The home run was Hedges' second of the season, but on the year, he only has three hits in 23 at bats. Hedges is one of the best defensive backstops in the league, but until he can be at least serviceable at the plate, he'll remain Roberto Perez's backup.

Grandal failed to register an at-bat while logging four walks and two runs as Chicago beat Cleveland 7-3 on Saturday.

The veteran catcher demonstrated his on-base penchant by walking each time he stepped up to the dish and now has nine walks compared to one hit over his last six games. Grandal currently owns a .333 OBP compared to a .273 SLG.

Perez went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two runs and three RBI in an 11-3 win over the Twins on Saturday.

Perez got the scoring started with an RBI double in the first and followed it up with two-run home run in the third before being removed from the blowout in the seventh. The backstop remains one of the best in fantasy and has rebounded nicely after missing the entire 2019 season.

Jansen isn't starting Saturday's game against Atlanta.

Jansen will be on the bench for a second straight contest after he went hitless in 33 at-bats across his last 12 games. Alejandro Kirk will start behind the plate and bat ninth.

Murphy isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles.

Murphy will get a breather after he went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's series opener. Aramis Garcia will start behind the plate and bat ninth.

Perez isn't starting Saturday's game against the White Sox.

Perez will take a seat for the second time in the last three games after he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts Friday. Austin Hedges will start behind the plate and bat ninth.