MLB Player News

Narvaez is not in the lineup Friday against Atlanta.

Narvaez returned from a left hamstring strain Thursday, and it's no surprise to see that he won't be asked to start two games in a row right away. Manny Pina will take over behind the plate in his absence.

Sanchez went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in Thursday's loss to the Rays.

Sanchez was the lone offensive spark in a Yankees lineup that went 5-for-30 on Thursday, and the backstop has hit safely in three of his last four contests. He is hitting just .222 in 18 at-bats this month, though.

Gallagher (concussion) was activated from the 7-day injured list Friday.

The 28-year-old landed on the shelf with a concussion May 3 and will rejoin the Royals after clearing the concussion protocols. Gallagher will reclaim backup duties behind the plate and will start the first game of Friday's doubleheader against the White Sox while Salvador Perez serves as the designated hitter.

Alvarez was removed from Thursday's game in the first inning for Low-A St. Lucie after a collision at home plate, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

The catcher limped off the field, but initial reports suggest the injury isn't serious. Alvarez was off to a fantastic start to the season, slashing .545/.656/.818 through 11 at-bats with a homer, three doubles and a 9:3 BB:K, and a promotion to High-A this summer seems almost inevitable if the injury doesn't derail his momentum.

Mejia (ribs) is feeling "significantly better," according to manager Kevin Cash, and the backstop could be activated Sunday when first eligible, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was officially placed on the injured list May 8 retroactive to two days prior, which indeed makes Sunday his first opportunity to return to action. The 25-year-old was particularly standing out for his offensive contributions prior to his injury, slashing .300/.348/.450 across 67 plate appearances while alternating time behind the dish with Mike Zunino.

Stephenson went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run during Thursday's loss to the Rockies.

Stephenson finally got the Reds on the board with an eighth-inning long ball while pinch hitting against Lucas Gilbreath. Unfortunately, the deficit was still too much for Cincinnati to overcome. Stephenson now has two homers this season while batting .305/.349/.441.

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.

Higashioka's hold on the No. 1 catching job appears to be shaky, as he's now sitting for the third time in six games. Gary Sanchez, who hit a solo home run in his last start Tuesday, will spell Higashioka behind the plate.

Trevino (triceps) will start at catcher and bat ninth Thursday against the Astros.

Trevino is back in action after missing Texas' previous two games with right triceps soreness. While he'll be getting the starting nod Thursday, Trevino still appears to be stuck in a timeshare with Jonah Heim behind the dish.

Maldonado is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rangers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Maldonado had started six of the Astros' last seven games, so manager Dusty Baker may just have wanted to give the veteran backstop some extra maintenance. Jason Castro will catch Cristian Javier in the series opener.

Perez went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to Detroit.

Perez opened the scoring by knocking in Whit Merrifield in the first inning. Kansas City mustered just five baserunners in the last eight innings, including a sixth-inning single by Perez that was promptly erased when Jorge Soler grounded into a double play. Through 35 games, Perez is slashing .275/.310/.493 with seven home runs, 19 RBI and 16 runs scored. His multi-hit effort Wednesday ended an 0-for-11 skid.