MLB Player News

Royals catcher Salvador Perez returned to the starting lineup Thursday against the Angels after missing two starts with a bruised hip. Perez is batting .368 (21 for 57) with five RBI and six doubles in 16 May games (15 starts).

Royals catcher Salvador Perez continues to deal with a deep hip bruise and remained out of the lineup Wednesday in Houston. Perez should be available in an emergency. 

The Royals have not discussed a possible disabled list stint for Perez as of yet. He is day to day for now and manager Ned Yost believes he'll start Thursday against the Angels, the Kansas City Star reports. 

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said during a television interview Tuesday the team will proceed with caution with catcher prospect Travis d'Arnaud because he has missed so much time the last two seasons with injuries, according to the New York Post. However, Alderson added if d'Arnaud is healthy, he will be in the majors this season.

d'Arnaud is currently recovering from a fractured right foot and Alderson hopes he's playing in games again by July 1.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco hit his second home run of the season Tuesday, top cap off a 4-0 win over the Mets.

Mesoraco hit a solo home run in the ninth inning, to add an insurance run, after walking in a run in the first inning. Mesoraco finished the game 1 for 3 with two RBI, one run scored and one walk. He is batting .234 in 77 at-bats. 

Yankees catcher Chris Stewart, who has missed the last four starts due to a groin injury, completed more tee and toss work Tuesday, the Journal News reports. 

Manager Joe Girardi said he expects Stewart back in the lineup over the weekend. In fact, Stewart could be used Tuesday in an emergency. 

Even before his two home runs Monday, Yan Gomes had impressed the Indians with his bat -- enough that you could see them sticking with him as their backup catcher even when Lou Marson was ready to return from the DL.

But if a best-case scenario for Gomes is a backup catcher role, the 25-year-old doesn't have much utility in Fantasy.

Granted, the Indians' starting catcher, Carlos Santana, often sees time at first base and DH, so Gomes would play more than the average backup catcher, but we're talking no more than two or three starts per week.

If you play in an AL-only league where each team starts two catchers, pick him up. Otherwise, leave him alone.

Salvador Perez owners might want to make a move for A.J. Pierzynski now, just in case Perez's deep hip bruise ends up requiring a DL stint after all. Oh, you play in one of those leagues where Pierzynski wasn't dropped when he went on the DL? That's unfortunate.

But not too surprising. With Miguel Montero, Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Doumit struggling out of the gate, Jesus Montero getting fewer at-bats than anyone anticipated, and Carlos Ruiz back out of the lineup, what once was a deep position is suddenly quite thin.

Depending on your format, of course. Few Fantasy owners would start a catcher at utility, so it's possible only 10 or 12 are owned in your league. But any more than that, and you might have to resort to the Tyler Flowers-John Jaso-Jason Castro class in place of the Royals catcher. Pick your poison.

Personally, I'd just go with the hot hand.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez is not in the team's starting lineup Tuesday against the Astros, according to the Kansas City Star. 

Perez has a deep hip bruise, and is considered day-to-day. Perez will not start Tuesday, but is available if necessary. Perez is hitting .308/.324/.413 in 143 at-bats. 

Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal (suspension) is batting .333 (3 for 9) with one double and one RBI through his first three games with Triple-A Tucson.

Grandal's 50-game suspension for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone ends May 28. He's not sure if the Padres will recall him immediately, but Grandal said his focus is on making sure he's getting his at-bats leading up to his potential recall.

"I've got to get my work in first," Grandal said, per MLB.com. "I'm trying to get as many at-bats as I can here and trying to get a feel for the game again at the upper levels. I think they're going to be enough for me to go up to the big leagues. Whether I go up on the 28th or not, that's all up to [San Diego general manager] Josh Byrnes, I guess. I'm just concentrating on getting at-bats down here."

In early May, Padres catcher Nick Hundley was very critical of teammate Yasmani Grandal, who is on the verge of returning from a 50-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs. However, manager Bud Black said during an interview with MLB Network Radio that the incident has been handled.

"Nick Hundley's quotes are in the past," Black said. "I talked to them both, then they spoke. They're all good."

Hundley is expected to share the catching duties once Grandal's suspension ends.