MLB Player News

Raleigh went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Friday's 6-0 win over the Pirates.

Raleigh left the yard twice for the seventh time already this season, pushing his major-league lead up to 35 homers for the year in the process. With Friday's showing, the slugging backstop surpassed his homer total of 34 through 154 games in 2024 to set a career high. Across his first 86 outings this year, Raleigh is slashing a prolific .271/.379/.648 with 16 doubles, 74 RBI, 62 runs scored and a career-high nine stolen bases covering 380 trips to the plate.

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.

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.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Diaz will receive a breather for the series finale in Colorado after he had started in each of the Astros' last six games, with five of those starts coming behind the dish. Victor Caratini will handle catching duties Thursday for the Astros.

Winkel (wrist) has gone 1-for-10 with four strikeouts in three games for Triple-A St. Paul since being activated from the 7-day injured list June 25.

Winkel was on the shelf for three weeks due to a right wrist tendon injury. The 25-year-old catcher is slashing .256/.293/.500 with five home runs in 82 plate appearances for St. Paul on the season.

Jeffers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins.

Jeffers will be rested for Thursday's matinee after he went 0-for-3 while catching all nine innings of the Twins' 2-1 win Wednesday night. Christian Vazquez will get the nod behind the plate in the series finale, forming a battery with starting pitcher David Festa.

Quero went 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI on Wednesday against the Dodgers.

Quero's playing time has started to slip, as he's gone from playing every other day to once every three days since late June. That coincides with a slump at the plate, as he entered Wednesday's game having gone just 1-for-18 across his last seven games. He managed to turn in a productive performance Wednesday, with his RBI coming on a single in the third inning.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.

The left-handed-hitting Naylor will be on the bench for the third time in four games, with the Guardians having faced three lefty starters during that stretch. Austin Hedges will fill in for Naylor behind the plate Wednesday.

Caratini is not in the Astros' starting lineup against the Rockies on Wednesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Caratini will begin Wednesday's game on the bench after going 2-for-4 with a grand slam against Colorado on Tuesday. Shay Whitcomb will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth.