MLB Player News

Stephenson went 2-for-2 with a homer, double, walk and four RBI in Thursday's spring training win over the Diamondbacks.

Stephenson finally put together a healthy minor-league season in 2019 and followed that up with a nice campaign in the Arizona Fall League. He's expected to begin the year at Triple-A Louisville, but if Tucker Barnhart continues to falter at the plate, there's a window for Stephenson to potentially take over the No. 1 job for the Reds over the summer.

Perez (ankle) is set to make his Cactus League debut Saturday against the A's, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle in October, but the procedure was never expected to impact his availability for Opening Day. Perez is set to begin his second season as Cleveland's primary catcher after posting a .239/.321/.452 slash line with 24 home runs in 119 games during 2019.

Manager Bob Melvin said Murphy (knee) is expected to make his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the White Sox, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Melvin said earlier in spring training Murphy was expected to debut Monday against the Cubs, but he's instead set to see game action a day later. The 25-year-old underwent a minor cleanup procedure on his left knee in October, and the A's are remaining conservative with him. Murphy received his first taste of the majors in 2019 and had a .245/.333/.566 slash line with four home runs in 20 games.

Maile was scratched from Friday's spring game with left hamstring tightness, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Maile was tabbed to start behind the plate Friday but will instead be unavailable due to the hamstring issue. The specifics of the injury remain unclear, but he'll likely at least take a few days off.

Haase hit a two-run home run in his only at-bat during Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against the Rays.

Haase is competing for a reserve role with the Tigers, though he's likely behind both Austin Romine and Grayson Greiner at catcher, making it likely that he starts the season at Triple-A Toledo. The 27-year-old has played just 19 games at the MLB level, though he showed some pop in 102 games for Triple-A Columbus last season, hitting 28 home runs.

Perez is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut behind the plate Friday against the Giants, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

Perez will make his highly anticipated spring debut Friday after having missed the entire 2019 season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last March. The Royals expect the 29-year-old backstop to handle a normal workload behind the plate, although the club has admitted that he could receive a few more scheduled days off to serve as their designated hitter. Perez finished the 2018 season hitting .235/.274/.439 with 27 home runs, 80 RBI and 52 runs scored and will be returning to the middle of Kansas City's lineup with high expectations for his ninth big-league season with the club.

Perez will bat third as the Royals' designated hitter in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Brewers, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reports.

Perez had tentatively been in line to work behind the plate Thursday for the first time this spring, but manager Mike Matheny ultimately chose to give the backstop another day off of catching after undergoing a dental procedure earlier this week, per Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star. The 29-year-old should be ready to make a start at catcher at some point in the next few days.

Kungkuan (oblique) is listed as an available bench option in Thursday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Kungkuan's 2019 season ended on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Akron, but his inclusion on the lineup card Thursday suggests that he's made a full recovery from the left oblique strain. The 25-year-old probably won't see more than a handful of at-bats with the big club during Cactus League play before he's assigned to minor-league camp.

Grullon (mouth) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Grullon's spring debut was delayed after he required dental work last week, but he was cleared to play Wednesday in the Phillies' 5-4 win over the Twins, entering the game off the bench as a designated hitter and making two plate appearances. He'll now be ready to assume his normal duties in the field as he attempts to win a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster as a backup catcher.

Manager Mike Matheny said Perez would serve as the Royals' starting catcher in Thursday's Cactus League game against Milwaukee, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Perez had been scheduled to work behind the plate for the first time this spring in one of Wednesday's split-squad games, but the Royals pushed him back a day after he underwent a dental procedure earlier in the week. The 29-year-old had previously made two starts as a designated hitter and one at first base, as the Royals have been conscious about easing up on his catching duties following his March 2019 Tommy John surgery. Perez is still expected to see the bulk of his action as a catcher in 2020, though he may see more exposure to DH and first base compared to previous seasons.