MLB Player News

Pinto isn't starting Thursday against the Tigers, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Pinto went 1-for-3 with a strikeout Wednesday against the Blue Jays and will take a seat for the second time in the last three games. Christian Bethancourt will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.

Higashioka went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a double in Wednesday's loss to Seattle.

The Yankees weren't able to muster much offense in the contest, so Higashioka's seventh-inning two-run shot made only a small dent in a big Seattle lead. Nonetheless, it was a positive development for the catcher, whose previous homer came nearly a month ago. Higashioka has six long balls on the season, four of which came during a four-game stretch in mid-June.

Stassi is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

He'll take a seat as the Angels wrap up their series versus Oakland with a matinee game, paving the way for Kurt Suzuki to get a turn behind the dish. Stassi went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in Wednesday's 3-1 loss.

Vazquez went 0-for-4 Wednesday against the Red Sox.

Vazquez was in the lineup for the first time since being traded to Houston, hitting eighth while starting behind the dish. He should overtake Martin Maldonado for the starting role, though Maldonado is still likely to get regular playing time thanks to his defense. On the other hand, Vazquez upgrades the offensive quality at the position significantly, as he's maintained a .278/.322/.425 line across 323 plate appearances on the season.

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI in a 3-1 win against the Angels on Wednesday.

Murphy was responsible for all of the A's runs in the win, knocking an RBI single off Shohei Ohtani in the fourth inning and swatting a two-run homer off the All-Star pitcher in the sixth. It was the second straight two-hit game for the catcher following a 1-for-14 stretch over his previous four contests. Murphy has gone deep 13 times this year and is on pace to surpass the career-high 17 long balls he slugged last season.

Heim went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Orioles.

Heim took Dillon Tate yard in the seventh inning to tally his 13th homer of the season. It was his first long ball since July 3, and entering Wednesday's game, Heim had managed only seven extra-base hits across his last 77 at-bats. Despite the slow stretch, he has a .259/.321/.460 line across 302 plate appearances for the campaign.

Ford has hit .344/.463/.580 with four homers, eight steals and a 24:37 BB:K across his last 34 games for Single-A Modesto.

He opened the season ice cold, so Ford's season-long line still looks good but not great at .266/.412/.423. Nonetheless, the 19-year-old's recent production is far more reflective of the potential he brings to the table. With growing pop and good speed, Ford offers the promise of a tantalizing fantasy package at the catcher position. He's most likely a few years away, though, with his timeline depending on whether the Mariners remain inclined to keep him behind the plate.

Naylor has a .295/.424/.558 batting line with five home runs and four steals through 27 games for Triple-A Columbus.

All told, he's whacked 11 homers (plus 18 doubles and four triples) and swiped 15 bags while getting on base at a spectacular .426 clip across Double-A and Triple-A this season. Naylor has also turned in much-improved work behind the plate this year, slashing his passed-ball numbers drastically while throwing out 41 percent of would-be base stealers. With Austin Hedges and Luke Maile offering almost nothing offensively, it might not be too much longer before the Guardians give Naylor a shot to join his big brother in the majors.

Murphy went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a double and a walk in a loss to the Angels on Tuesday.

Murphy drove in the only run of the night for the Athletics in the fifth inning with a single that plated Jonah Bride. The 27-year-old's two-bagger was his fifth extra-base hit over the last seven games, a span during which he's hitting just .250 but owns a 1.004 OPS.

Maldonado is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Christian Vazquez, whom the Astros acquired from Boston on Monday, will step in behind the plate for his Houston debut Wednesday while opposing his former team. Though he's not expected to play quite as frequently for the Astros as he did with the Red Sox, Vazquez should still operate as his new team's clear No. 1 option behind the plate, resulting in Maldonado's role taking a significant hit. The defensive-minded Maldonado had already been a fringy option in leagues that start two catchers, as he's maintaining a .173 average to go with 10 home runs, 30 RBI and 26 runs over 79 games this season.