MLB Player News

Kirk is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Cleveland.

Kirk started at catcher in each of the previous four games, so he's earned a day off for Thursday's matinee. Tyler Heineman will be behind the dish and bat eighth for the Blue Jays.

Dingler is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.

Dingler will get a breather for the afternoon game Thursday after he had started behind the plate in each of the previous three contests. Jake Rogers will handle catching duties for the Tigers, forming a battery with starting pitcher Dietrich Enns.

Heim went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Wednesday's 7-0 win over the Orioles.

Heim put the finishing touches on the Rangers' win, launching a solo shot off Scott Blewett in the sixth inning to extend the lead to 7-0. It's Heim's first homer since June 4 -- he'd gone just 3-for-23 (.130) in seven games prior to Wednesday. Overall, the switch-hitting backstop is slashing .230/.266/.380 with eight homers, 22 RBI, 18 runs scored and three steals across 214 plate appearances this season.

Caratini went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 2-0 win against Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Caratini's long ball was an eighth-inning, 423-foot solo blast to give Houston a 2-0 lead. The veteran catcher is up six home runs on the season, five shy of the career-high mark of 11 he established in 2019 with the Cubs. Of Caratini's homers, half have come in his past six contests, a stretch in which he's batting .273 (6-for-22) with three home runs and seven RBI.

Escarra will miss Wednesday's game against the Reds and is expected to be placed on the paternity list, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Escarra was supposed to be in Wednesday's lineup, but he'll instead be away from the team while attending the birth of his child. The Yankees didn't have time to call up a player to Cincinnati, so Austin Wells will start behind the plate, with Ben Rice likely serving as the reserve catcher, per Hoch.

Jeffers is out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.

Jeffers will sit for the second time in three games while Christian Vazquez starts behind home plate and bats ninth. Jeffers has slashed .228/.343/.439 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 67 plate appearances in June.

Fermin is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Fermin's playing time had been trending up toward the end of last week, but he'll be on the bench Wednesday for the third time in four games. Due to the Royals' willingness to keep top backstop Salvador Perez fresh by occasionally using him at designated hitter and first base, Fermin should start more frequently than most No. 2 catchers, though probably not enough to make him a usable option in the majority of fantasy leagues.

Diaz is not in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt versus the Phillies.

Diaz just had a day off Sunday, but he will get another breather Wednesday in the second game of the series against the Phillies. Victor Caratini will start at catcher and bat cleanup for the Astros.

Wynns is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Wynns will get a breather Wednesday after he had started behind the dish in three of the Athletics' previous four games. With Wynns on the bench, Willie MacIver will handle catching duties for the Athletics.

O'Hoppe is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Red Sox, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-4 while playing 10 innings behind the plate in Tuesday night's 3-2 win and will now get a breather for Wednesday's matinee. Travis d'Arnaud will start behind the dish and bat sixth for the Angels.