MLB Player News

Rays catcher Curt Casali, who passed a concussion test on Saturday, is not in his team's lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.

Casali will be replaced by Rene Rivera, who will hit out of the ninth spot in the lineup.

Rays catcher Curt Casali said he was feeling fine after passing concussion tests Saturday, reports the Tampa Bay Times.

Casali had to leave Saturday's game after being hit on the head ny a follow-through swing by Travis d'Arnaud.

"We figured it was best to just call it a day because if I get hit again, it's probably going to be a long time before I come back," Casali said. "But I'm good now and ready to go [Sunday]."

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto is set to start Saturday against Atlanta after missing a short time with a hand injury.

He returns in a 1-for-19 funk that has lowered his average from .259 to .246.

Tigers catcher James McCann and shortstop Jose Iglesias exchanged words and a brief physical confrontation in the dugout between the top and bottom of the sixth inning Friday in a game going badly against Boston, MLive is reporting.

Iglesias shoved McCann in the chest and appeared to throw something at the catcher before being wrapped up by teammate Nick Castellanos.

It's unclear what precipitated the fight, but it was caught by TV cameras and shown during the broadcast.

Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight game due to a sore left hand. He is expected to return to the lineup over the weekend, according to MLB.com.

The rookie catcher is mired in a 1-for-18 slump in his last six games.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez went 3 for 4 at the plate in Kansas City's 5-1 win over the Tigers on Tuesday. Perez did his damage in the fourth when he blasted the first pitch he saw from Just Verlander over the left center field wall for a two-run shot, his 16th of the year. 

Perez also singled home another RBI to bring his total to 46 on the year. He is hitting .249 on the season.

Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis, who has been sidelined since July 20 due to right knee inflammation, was activated off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. Catcher Austin Barnes was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City to clear a roster spot.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal has caught fire during his team's series against the Angels.

Grandal followed up his three-hit outing on Friday with a 3 for 4 performance on Saturday that included a home run and two RBI.

During his last three games, Grandal is hitting .583 with seven hits, a home run and four RBI.

Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli isn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game. 

Cervelli has started 76 games behind the plate this year, including the last four and seven of the last eight. 

Chris Stewart gets his 25th start of the season in his place. 

The Mets have activated catcher Travis d'Arnaud from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, according to ESPN.com. d'Arnaud is expected to be in the lineup on Friday when the Mets open a three-game series against the Nationals.

d'Arnaud had been out since June 20 with a sprained elbow. Before being shut down, d'Arnaud was hitting .267 with two home runs and seven RBI in eight games following an initial stint on the DL.