MLB Player News

Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit his eighth home run Friday. 

Perez stepped to the plate in the fifth inning with the bases empty. On the third pitch of the at-bat, Perez hit an 83 mph splitter from Hisashi Iwakuma out to left for the solo shot. Perez finished 2 for 4, with one run and two RBI.

Catcher Travis d'Arnaud is torrid at Triple-A Las Vegas. It remains to be seen if he can carry his hot bat back to the Mets.

d'Arnaud believes it was in his head. "It was all mental," he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal about his poor production before a demotion and concussion. "Just focusing in on every at-bat like it's my last at-bat. Not thinking about a hundred different things. Just focusing on one thing and keeping a solid approach on each and every pitch. I kind of went away from that."

The 25-year-old d'Arnaud is expected to return to the Mets early next week. He was hitting just .180 before getting sent down, but is batting .432 with six home runs and 15 RBI in just 11 games with Las Vegas.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco ended a 10-game homerless streak with a big shot late in Thursday's game against the Pirates.

Mesoraco was hitless before stepping to the plate in the ninth inning, but he sent the game into extra innings with his first hit, a solo home run off closer Jason Grilli. He finished the game 1 for 4 with a walk in addition to the one run driven in via home run.

Mesoraco has been in a slump in the month of June, hitting .200 with two home runs and four RBI in 13 games. Despite that, he is hitting .304/.358/.587 for the season. 

Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp has been promoted to the majors Thursday.

Rupp appeared briefly with the club last season, but has not been up in 2014. He's hitting .167 over 108 at-bats in Triple-A. 

The Mets have tentative plans to promote catcher Travis d'Arnaud during a two-game series against the A's that begins on June 24, ESPNNewYork.com reports.

D'Arnaud was optioned to the minors earlier in June after struggling to a .180/.271/.273 line in 128 at-bats. He's found his stroke at Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .395 with five home runs and 10 RBI in 38 at-bats.

The Marlins announced after Wednesday's game against the Cubs they optioned reliever Dan Jennings to Triple-A New Orleans and catcher Jacob Realmuto to Double-A Jacksonville. They replaced both players on the roster by recalling reliever Kevin Gregg and activating catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (concussion) off the 15-day disabled list.

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud has 38 at-bats at Triple-A Las Vegas in his rehab from a concussion that has sidelined him since June 6. That has led the team to declare to the New York Post that he will be back with the big league club "soon."

d'Arnaud has been tearing it up at that level with a stat line of .395/.452/.868. He already has five home runs.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez entered Wednesday's game against the Tigers riding an 11-game hitting streak. He was 16 for 42 (.381) with two homers and nine RBI in the streak.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who left Monday's game with cramping in both his calves, was back in the lineup Tuesday at Detroit. Perez is hitting .281 with seven homers and 23 RBI in 231 at-bats.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez was removed from Monday's game against the Tigers with cramping in both of his calves, the Kansas City Star reports.

Perez was 2 for 4 before being removed, and he'll be day-to-day moving forward. He has hit .281/.333/.442 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in 231 at-bats.