MLB Player News

Kirk went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in a 4-2 loss to the Rays on Wednesday.

Kirk smashed his first home run since June 27 to deep left field off of Cam Booser in the seventh inning. The 27-year-old is starting to bounce back after missing over two months with a thumb injury and then putting up mostly middling numbers since his June 12 return. Kirk is now slashing .270/.400/.405 across 45 July plate appearances, albeit with only one long ball and four RBI over a 13-game sample. However, he's been making consistent contact, striking out just three times in that span.

Caratini was removed from Wednesday's game against the Guardians due to a right knee contusion, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Caratini wasn't able to finish his at-bat in the fifth inning after fouling a ball off his knee. He appears to have escaped the incident without suffering any structural damage, though the Twins could still give him a day or two off to recover as a precaution.

Wells isn't in the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Pirates.

Wells went 1-for-1 with a walk and a run scored during the first half of the twin bill and will watch the nightcap from the bench while Ali Sanchez starts at catcher and bats ninth.

Wong isn't in the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Baltimore.

After going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during Boston's matinee victory, Wong will get a chance to rest his legs during Game 2. Carlos Narvaez will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.

Huff is out of the lineup for the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Chadwick Tromp will step in behind the plate after Huff started at catcher in the Orioles' 6-3 loss in the first game of the day. With Samuel Basallo (shoulder) joining Adley Rutschman (wrist) on the injured list Wednesday, Huff looks to be the new No. 1 option on the depth chart, but he's provided little reason for fantasy players to rush to the waiver wire to pick him up. Since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Huff has gone 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Caratini will start at first base and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Guardians.

Caratini sat out the Twins' first game following the All-Star break, but he's been included in the lineup for each of the ensuing five contests while the team has gone up against three left-handed and two right-handed starters. The Twins will continue to make room for Caratini in the lineup versus lefties, but he may be stuck in more of a part-time role versus righties following Ryan Jeffers' recent return from the injured list.

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

Jeffers will retreat to the bench after he had started in five of the Twins' last six games. Alex Jackson will get the nod behind the plate in place of Jeffers, who has gone 5-for-21 with two home runs, two doubles, three walks and six RBI in six contests since returning from the injured list July 10.

O'Hoppe is out of the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Cardinals, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

O'Hoppe started at catcher in the first two games of the series, so he'll get a breather during Wednesday's matinee. Tyler Heineman will be behind the plate and will bat ninth as the Angels try to complete the sweep.

The Orioles placed Basallo on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation.

The Orioles had seemed optimistic that Basallo could return to action in short order, but they've opted to play things conservatively. Basallo will be eligible for activation July 31, and he has a good chance to be ready to go on that date if all goes well on his rehab. With Adley Rutschman (wrist) also out, the Orioles are down to Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp at catcher.

Basallo (shoulder) is out of the lineup for the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader versus the Red Sox, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Basallo will be on the bench for a second straight game due to right shoulder discomfort, but the Orioles are classifying him as day-to-day, and he remains optimistic that he'll avoid a stint on the injured list. With the Red Sox expected to send a lefty starter (Ranger Suarez) to the bump for the second game of the twin bill, it wouldn't be surprising if the Orioles continued to keep the left-handed-hitting Basallo out of the lineup for the nightcap. According to Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com, manager Craig Albernaz said Wednesday that Basallo is trending in the right direction, but acknowledged that "it's going to be a TBD thing" regarding whether the backstop will be available for either game of doubleheader.