MLB Player News

The Royals selected Maile's contract from Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Salvador Perez has been playing through a bit of calf tightness recently, so the Royals will bring up Maile to provid insurance behind the plate in case Perez ends up on the IL. The 34-year-old Maile has done well in the minors this year, slashing .280/.416/.354 through 101 plate appearances at Triple-A. Drew Waters was optioned to Omaha in a corresponding move.

Kirk is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Angels.

Kirk will get a well-deserved breather after starting all four games against the Yankees to begin the week, including making three starts at catcher. Tyler Heineman will step in behind the plate in place of Kirk, who is slashing a healthy .305/.358/.420 across 288 plate appearances so far this season.

Manager Bob Melvin said Thursday that Murphy (back) is still rehabbing and there's no clear timeline for his return, per MLB.com.

Murphy was placed on the 60-day injured list March 26 due to a mid-back disc herniation that was diagnosed near the end of February and isn't expected to return before the All-Star break. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the club in December 2023 but missed the majority of the 2024 campaign due to a sprained MCL in his left knee, slashing .118/.211/.235 with three runs scored, two RBI and one home run across just 38 plate appearances.

The Nationals optioned Millas to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

The 27-year-old will head back to Rochester since Keibert Ruiz has recovered from his concussion. Millas appeared in three games during his week-plus in the majors and went 1-for-7 with a double, an RBI and two runs.

The Nationals reinstated Ruiz (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Friday.

The 26-year-old landed on the concussion IL on June 24 after being struck by a foul ball while in the dugout, but he's back on the active roster after missing little more than a week. Prior to the injury, Ruiz was scuffling at the plate through 15 games in June with a .167/.164/.204 slash line and just two extra-base hits.

Porter was designated for assignment Thursday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Porter made his Giants debut June 11 but was sent back to Triple-A Sacramento six days later. He'll now lose his spot on the 40-man roster, with Sergio Alcantara taking his place.

Bailey is not in Thursday's lineup against the Diamondbacks.

Bailey has started four straight games behind the plate, going 3-for-12 with four RBI in that span. He'll get a routine day off Thursday, with Andrew Knizner taking over behind the plate.

Smith is not in the Dodgers' lineup against the White Sox on Thursday.

Smith will get some rest during Thursday's rubber match against the White Sox after going 3-for-5 with a home run and three walks in the first two games of the series. Dalton Rushing has the start behind the plate and is batting eighth.

Kelly isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Guardians.

Kelly has been on fire since late June, going 8-for-19 with four RBI and two runs scored across his last seven games. He'll step out of the starting nine Thursday, however, allowing Reese McGuire to start behind the dish and bat ninth.

Wells (finger) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Thursday's contest in Toronto.

Wells missed the previous four starts while recovering from artery damage in his left index finger, although he did appear as a pinch runner in Wednesday's game. The 25-year-old has struggled at the plate lately, slashing only .159/.191/.205 across his last 14 contests.