MLB Player News

Perez is not starting Saturday against the Royals, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Perez has just four hits in 27 at-bats this season. Kevin Plawecki gets the call behind the plate.

Jansen remains on the bench Saturday against the Rays.

Jansen started nine of the Blue Jays' first 13 games but has now sat for two straight. It's not out of the question that his playing time could take a hit, as he's hit just .143/.231/.171 on the season. Luke Maile gets the call for the second straight time behind the plate.

Gomes is not starting Saturday against the Pirates.

Gomes remains the primary catcher in Washington, starting eight of 13 games. He's hit a respectable .265/.306/.412 on the year. Kurt Suzuki starts in his place.

Diaz (illness) went 3-for-5 for Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, giving him eight hits in 17 at-bats during his rehab stint split between two minor-league levels.

He must be activated by April 24 and with Pittsburgh struggling to create offense, it wouldn't be surprising to see him recalled prior the deadline. General manager Neal Huntington previously mentioned that Diaz needs a building-up period but added that the script could change if the catcher shows he is ready sooner.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's 9-6 win over the Yankees.

McCann extended a hitting streak to five games with his first home run of the season. The 28-year-old backstop is hitting .318 over six games. He and Welington Castillo are splitting playing time at catcher, with McCann serving as the battery mate for starters Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with two solo homers in a 5-1 victory over the Angels on Friday.

The day off Thursday apparently did some good, as Contreras was 1-for-11 this week before his three-hit game to start the weekend series. The catcher is off to a very strong start this season, going 11-for-33 (.333) with five homers, nine RBI and 11 runs in 12 games. Behind five extra-base hits and seven walks, his OPS is a whopping 1.312.

Maile went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Friday against Tampa Bay.

Maile left the yard in the seventh inning with a runner on base, cutting Toronto's deficit to two runs. He'd missed the last few contests while battling neck stiffness, but the 28-year-old backstop turned in a solid performance in his first game back. He's now 4-for-14 at the plate through five matchups in 2019.

Murphy will bat eighth and is catching Friday night against the Astros, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Murphy went 0-for-3 in Thursday's matchup against the Royals, but he'll get another shot to start Friday evening. He'll catch Wade LeBlanc in the series opener.

Narvaez isn't in Friday's lineup against the Astros, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

With Tom Murphy set to pick up his second straight start behind the dish, Narvaez will once again head to the bench. He entered Thursday's contest as a pinch hitter and came through with a base knock.

Jansen is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays.

Jansen started the last four games behind the plate as Luke Maile dealt with neck stiffness, but the latter makes his return to the lineup Friday. Jansen is 5-for-38 with one double through his first 10 games of the season.