MLB Player News

Perez (eye) is hitting second and catching versus the Guardians on Wednesday, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Perez underwent a procedure on his eye to help with his vision issues, and he's back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's affair against the Guardians. The backstop has hit 15 homers in 71 games for the Royals in 2023 with a .772 OPS across his 278 at-bats.

Murphy went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Twins.

Atlanta's offense came out of the gate firing, and Murphy's first-inning homer off Joe Ryan was one of five long balls the team hit in its first 10 plate appearances. The catcher is putting the finishing touches on a strong month of June that has seen him slash .300/.340/.500 through 15 games, and on the season Murphy's up to 13 homers and 44 RBI in 60 contests, a pace that would shatter the career highs of 18 home runs and 66 RBI he set last year in Oakland.

Murphy is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Twins.

With a 12:20 p.m. ET start time, it's not surprising to see Murphy get a breather after the night game Tuesday. He was dealing with a hamstring issue last week but avoided an injured list stint, and Atlanta has a strong backup in Travis d'Arnaud to spell Murphy in situations like this.

Maldonado went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Cardinals.

The 36-year-old backstop took Jordan Montgomery deep in the third inning, briefly giving the Astros a 2-1 lead. Maldonado's offensive output continues to dwindle -- he's hitting below .190 for the third straight season but has only five homers and 11 RBI in 58 games, and his .295 SLG would be his worst mark since 2015.

Ruiz went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-4 extra-innings win over the Mariners.

Ruiz forced extra innings with his eighth-inning solo shot. The catcher has hit safely in both games versus the Mariners this week after going 0-for-13 versus the Padres over the weekend. He's homered twice over 18 games in June, and he's up to nine long balls, 28 RBI, 22 runs scored, 10 doubles and a .231/.287/.378 slash line through 65 contests overall.

Perez underwent an eye procedure Monday to help with his lingering vision issues, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

It's not as bad it sounds on the surface, as Perez has undergone a similar procedure before and could be available off the bench Tuesday night against the Guardians. Freddy Fermin is starting behind the plate for the Royals.

Heineman (side) is expected to be available off the bench Tuesday versus the Giants, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

Heineman was removed from Sunday's series finale against the Athletics because of left side discomfort, but an MRI taken Monday turned up clean for any structural damage. He's healthy but probably at risk of losing his spot on the Blue Jays' major-league roster when Alejandro Kirk (hand) returns from the injured list later this week.

Kirk (hand) is trending toward a Thursday return from the 10-day injured list, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.

That is the first day that Kirk is eligible to be activated. He has been throwing, hitting and catching side sessions this week as he nears the end of his recovery from a laceration and bruise on his left hand.

Realmuto isn't in the Phillies' lineup Tuesday against the Cubs.

After slashing just .176/.300/.176 across his last five games, Realmuto will get a day off Tuesday to regroup. Garrett Stubbs will take Realmuto's place behind the dish and bat ninth.

Alvarez isn't in the Mets' lineup Tuesday against the Brewers, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez is 0-for-11 with five strikeouts across his last five games, so he'll take a seat Tuesday in order to regroup. Omar Narvaez will fill in behind the plate and bat ninth against his former squad.