MLB Player News
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Salvador Perez C | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Goes yard in three-hit day
Perez went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and three runs scored in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Athletics.
Perez notched his second three-hit effort of the year and his second multi-hit performance in as many games. He started things off with a solo home run in the first and followed up with singles in the fourth and eighth innings and scored both times. The 33-year-old has been seeing the ball well so far, slashing .290/.341/.516 with seven homers, 19 RBI, 17 runs and a 6:23 BB:K over 135 plate appearances. He's currently striking out just 17 percent of the time, which would be his first mark underneath 20 percent since 2018.
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Christian Bethancourt C | CHC
Rays' Christian Bethancourt: Hits clutch three-run homer
Bethancourt went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Yankees in extras.
Bethancourt chased Gerrit Cole in the sixth inning with a game-tying, three-run home run. The catcher now has six homers and 14 RBI across 21 games (80 plate appearances), and he continues to operate as the No. 1 catcher, while Francisco Mejia (16 games and 57 plate appearances) serves as the backup.
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Matt Thaiss C | BOS
Angels' Matt Thaiss: Posts three hits in Sunday's loss
Thaiss went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Sunday's 16-8 loss to the Rangers.
This was Thaiss's second three-hit effort in his last three games. The catcher's productive hitting of late has raised his batting average from .207 at the end of April to .300 after Sunday's contest. He's added a home run, six RBI, nine runs scored and two doubles through 46 plate appearances this season. Thaiss and Chad Wallach are seeing a roughly even split of playing time behind the dish over the last week.
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Yasmani Grandal C | PIT
White Sox's Yasmani Grandal: Playing through back spasm
Grandal will serve as the White Sox's designated hitter and No. 6 batter in Sunday's game against the Reds and may not catch for the next few days while he works through a minor back spasm, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Fortunately for Grandal, the White Sox have a regular spot available at DH after Eloy Jimenez (appendectomy) landed on the injured list Sunday, so the 34-year-old isn't expected to miss out on any starts on account of the back issue. Seby Zavala will serve as the White Sox's primary backstop until Grandal feels physically ready to resume duties behind the plate.
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Chad Wallach C | ATH
Angels' Chad Wallach: Hits bench again Sunday
Wallach is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.
On the bench for the third time in four games, Wallach may have ceded the Angels' No. 1 catcher role to Matt Thaiss for the time being. Both backstops will likely see their opportunities take a hit whenever Max Stassi (hip/personal) is cleared to return from the 10-day injured list, though that's not likely to happen for several weeks.
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Eric Haase C | SF
Tigers' Eric Haase: Slides to left Sunday
Haase is starting in left field and batting sixth in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Haase started Saturday's game behind the plate. He'll give way to Jake Rogers there Sunday, but his versatility will allow him to make another start. Rogers has seemingly inched ahead as the team's top catcher, though Haase will continue to see plenty of time there and in the outfield.
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Jake Rogers C | DET
Tigers' Jake Rogers: Starting behind plate Sunday
Rogers is starting at catcher and batting ninth in Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Rogers has seemingly inched ahead of Eric Haase as the primary starter behind the plate, though the latter will start in left field Sunday. Both players should continue to split playing time, at least until someone gets hot and earns a larger role. Rogers has some pop but is slashing only .200/.313/.418 this year.
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Carlos Perez C | CHW
White Sox's Carlos Perez: Moves up from Triple-A
The White Sox recalled Perez from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.
He'll join the White Sox as a replacement on the 26-man active roster for outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jimenez, who was placed on the 10-day injured list after undergoing an appendectomy Saturday. Though Jimenez's absence opens up a spot in the everyday lineup, Perez's call-up looks to be mainly the result of the White Sox desiring another healthy body at catcher while Yasmani Grandal manages a minor back issue, according to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. Grandal is expected to replace Jimenez as Chicago's primary DH in the short term, while Perez will likely serve as an extra option at catcher behind Seby Zavala.
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Shea Langeliers C | ATH
Athletics' Shea Langeliers: Takes seat Sunday
Langeliers is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.
The young backstop will be getting some maintenance for Sunday's matinee after he started at catcher in five of the past six games while going 2-for-16 at the dish. Carlos Perez will spell Langeliers behind the plate in the series finale.
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Alejandro Kirk C | TOR
Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk: Receives breather Sunday
Kirk is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
With a quick turnaround for Sunday's series finale, Kirk will get a breather after he caught all nine innings while going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run in Saturday's 8-2 win. Danny Jansen will slot in behind the plate while shortstop Bo Bichette gets a day out of the field and serves as Toronto's designated hitter.