MLB Player News

Manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Sanchez (groin) may embark on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre on Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez was able to run the bases prior to the Thursday's game, which was a key step in his recovery from a groin strain. Look for him to appear in a smattering of minor-league games over the All-Star break. If all goes as planned, there's a real chance he will return to the Yankees for the start of the second half against the Mets on July 20.

Grullon won the Eastern League Home Run Derby on Tuesday, hitting 24 homers to win the title, The Athletic Philadelphia reports.

Long considered a glove-only backup catching prospect, Grullon has finally started to show something with the bat this season, leading all Eastern League catchers with 12 homers. His .287/.316/.520 slash line is quite good, translating to a 126 wRC+ even after accounting for the hitter-friendly home park where he plays for Reading. Many Phillies prospects have shown promise at the plate at Reading only to flounder at higher levels, so Grullon will have to continue to prove himself once he's eventually promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but he's certainly done what he can to raise his profile so far this season.

Mejia (forearm) went 2-for-5 with an RBI for Triple-A Columbus in its 6-4 win over Louisville on Thursday.

Mejia missed several days after being hit in the forearm by a pitch Sunday, but he showed no ill effects in his return to action, turning in his 27th multi-hit game of the season. Overall, the 22-year-old has a healthy .281/.331/.431 slash line, but his recent audition in the outfield didn't go well and the Indians seem content with their options behind the plate at the major-league level, at least for the time being. With that, we may not see Mejia back in the majors until September.

Plawecki went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Thursday against the Nationals.

Plawecki took Max Scherzer deep in the seventh inning for his second home run of the season. He has an uninspiring .229/.357/.406 line through 96 at-bats this season, and he continues to lag behind Devin Mesoraco on the Mets' catching depth chart, limiting his fantasy value to the deepest of formats.

Garver is out of Thursday's lineup against the Rays, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Garver is set for a second straight day off, as left-hander Blake Snell toes the rubber for Tampa Bay. Bobby Wilson will bat ninth and handle the catching duties during the series opener.

Sanchez (groin) ran the bases prior to Thursday's matchup with Cleveland, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Sanchez took a big step forward, as it's the first time he's managed to navigate the bases since suffering the injury. He's certainly on track to begin a rehab stint over the weekend, with a return from the disabled list likely after the All-Star break.

Wallach was sent down to Triple-A New Orleans on Thursday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Wallach was taken off the 40-man roster in order to make room for J.T. Realmuto, who was reinstated from the paternity list in a corresponding move. Across 34 plate appearances with the Marlins this year, Wallach is hitting just .129/.182/.161 and doesn't provide much fantasy value in any format.

Realmuto was activated from the paternity leave list Thursday, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

Realmuto should be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Phillies after being away from the team for the past three days due to the birth of his child. In a corresponding move, Chad Wallach was optioned to the minors.

Mesoraco is out of the lineup versus the Nationals on Thursday.

Mesoraco will receive a standard day off after starting the past two games, and four of the previous five, behind the plate. Kevin Plawecki will catch Steven Matz during the series opener.

Smith went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and three RBI for Double-A Tulsa in its 9-5 loss to Northwest Arkansas on Wednesday.

It's the fourth consecutive game with a home run for Smith, who upped his season count to 16, placing him in a tie for second place in the Texas League. Nine of those long balls have come in his last 14 games, with Smith slashing an otherworldly .447/.542/1.128 over that span. The 23-year-old has been sharing time at Tulsa this season with the Dodgers' top catching prospect, Keibert Ruiz, with Smith receiving starts at third base and designated hitter on days when he's not catching.