MLB Player News

Perez isn't in the starting lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Orioles, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Perez got the nod in Game 1, collecting a double and scoring a run in a 3-1 victory. Kevan Smith will get a chance behind the dish for Thursday's nightcap.

Perez (shoulder) is starting Thursday against the Tigers.

Perez sat out Thursday's game with right shoulder discomfort, but he'll return to the lineup just one game later for the series opener against the Tigers. The 31-year-old went 0-for-10 with seven strikeouts over his last four games.

Realmuto (hip) is not in the lineup Thursday against the Mets.

Realmuto will be sidelined by hip discomfort for the fifth straight day, though he may be able to return this weekend versus the Blue Jays. Andrew Knapp receives another start behind the plate Thursday.

Stassi is out of the lineup Thursday against the Diamondbacks, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Stassi started the past four games and receives the day off after going 5-for-14 with one homer, one double, three RBI and three walks. Anthony Bemboom takes over behind the plate for the Halos.

Smith went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and three RBI in Wednesday's win over San Diego.

Smith came through with a pair of big two-out hits in the contest, driving home a run with an infield single in the third inning and knocking in two more with a double to deep center in the fifth. Manager Dave Roberts recently indicated a preference to have Smith hit in the middle of the lineup due to his ability to produce quality at-bats, and the backstop certainly justified his skipper's comments Wednesday. In fact, Smith has been swinging a hot stick for the last two weeks; since Sept. 2, he has gone 16-for-34 (.471) with two homers, four doubles and seven RBI.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Marlins, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Vazquez started the past three games and will head to the bench after going 2-for-11 with a homer, two runs, three RBI and three walks. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate for Boston.

Stassi went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in Wednesday's loss against Arizona.

Stassi dealt with an injury that kept him out for around two weeks and only returned from the injured list earlier this month. The 29-year-old catcher posted his first three-hit performance of the season and has now hit safely in his last three appearances, boosting his average to a respectable .265 with a .854 OPS in the process. This was his fifth homer of the season.

Higashioka went 3-for-4 with three home runs, five RBI and three runs scored Wednesday against the Blue Jays.

Higashioka emerged as an unlikely hero, delivering the second multi-homer game of his career. He went yard in the third, sixth and seventh innings, bringing his total on the campaign to four. Higashioka remains the backup catcher in New York and has only 36 plate appearances to this point in the season.

Perez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a home run, three RBI and a run scored Wednesday against Detroit.

Perez drilled a two-run home run in the first inning, his sixth of the season. He followed that up with a double five frames later, and ultimately accounted for three of the four runs the Royals scored. Since returning from the injured list, Perez has collected 11 hits in 21 at-bats while also slugging two home runs, driving in six and scoring five runs across five starts.

Perez isn't starting Wednesday against the Cubs due to a right shoulder injury, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The 31-year-old spent time on the injured list earlier in the season with a right shoulder strain, and he's apparently still dealing with some of the effects of that injury. The initial injury presented more of a hindrance on throws, but the current issue is presenting problems on swings. Temporary manager Sandy Alomar Jr. said Perez will need to find a way to work through the discomfort, or he'll end up receiving a couple days off to recover. The team hopes he'll be ready to rejoin the lineup Thursday in Detroit.