MLB Player News

D'Arnaud is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

D'Arnaud was behind the plate for Saturday's 6-2 loss, but he's set to see his opportunities decline considerably after the Rays activated top catcher Mike Zunino (quadriceps) from the 10-day injured list Friday. Since being acquired from the Dodgers on May 10, d'Arnaud has slashed a pedestrian .186/.265/.233 in 49 plate appearances.

Perez (oblique) took batting practice against teammate Anthony Banda (elbow) in Port Charlotte on Saturday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Perez made steady progress throughout the last few days, and Saturday was another step towards getting back into game action. Assuming there are no setbacks stemming from his latest activity, the young backstop could begin a brief rehab assignment with High-A Charlotte as soon as Sunday.

Maldonado left Saturday's game against the Rangers with right forearm tightness, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

Maldonado's removal was reportedly precautionary. If he's forced to miss an extended period, Cam Gallagher would take over as the Royals' primary catcher.

Narvaez will remain on the bench against the Angels on Saturday.

Narvaez will sit for the second game in a row and the third time in four contests. He's gone just 2-for-15 in his last five games but still has a strong .287/.362/.465 line on the season, so it would be a surprise to see him lose his starting job. Tom Murphy will start behind the plate again.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Vazquez will sit for two games in a row for the first time all season. Sandy Leon will get the nod behind the plate.

Perez is not in Saturday's lineup against the White Sox, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

He is hitting .152 with two home runs over his last 10 games. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Murphy went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored in Friday's 4-3 win over the Angels.

The backup catcher scored on a Dylan Moore single in the third inning, and then went yard in the fifth inning to extend the Mariners' lead to 3-0 at the time. In 20 games, Murphy is hitting .302 with three homers and four doubles across 63 at-bats, although Omar Narvaez continues to have a strong hold on the starting catcher job in Seattle.

Garver (ankle) caught a full game behind the plate Friday for Double-A Pensacola and is likely to be activated from the 10-day IL shortly, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

He could be activated from the IL as soon as Saturday. He's been playing in rehab games since Monday as he recovers from a high ankle sprain.

Perez (oblique) is expected to have his minor-league rehab assignment set by the end of the weekend, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Perez has been making deliberate but steady progress since first getting sidelined in early May. The backstop may only need a handful of minor-league games before being deemed ready for activation. Perez figures to slot back into the left-handed side of a platoon behind the dish alongside Mike Zunino, who just returned to action from a quadriceps injury Friday.

Zavala was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte following Friday's game against the Indians, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Zavala made his major-league debut Sunday, and despite taking the collar (0-for-4), he was finally able to nab his first hit Friday night. This move opens up a roster spot for Welington Castillo, who's eligible to come off the 7-day injured list Saturday.