MLB Player News

Mejia (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with the Rays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate and will serve as a designated hitter in Tuesday's game, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The fact that the Rays cleared Mejia for a rehab assignment one week after he deactivated suggests that the 26-year-old is tracking toward a return following a near-minimum-length stay on the 10-day injured list. Before he's reinstated, Mejia may need to pick up a start behind the plate in the minors to prove that the right shoulder impingement doesn't affect him when he throws to the bases.

Maldonado went 1-for-3 on Monday against the Red Sox.

Maldonado has been a consistent presence in Houston's lineup this season, largely due to his defensive abilities behind the plate. However, with Christian Vazquez now in the mix, Maldonado will likely have to settle for a backup role. Across 265 plate appearances on the season, Maldonado has maintained a .175/.240/.342 line.

Rutschman went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run in Monday's 7-2 win over the Rangers.

After seeing his five-game hitting streak come to an end in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Reds, Rutschman resumed raking in the series opener in Texas. Dating back to June 10, the rookie ranks first in the majors among all catchers in on-base percentage (.393), OPS (.932) and doubles (19), making him worth the wait for those who invested in him on draft day even though he didn't make his MLB debut until late May.

Trevino went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in Monday's 7-2 win against Seattle.

Trevino produced the game's final two runs with a solo shot in each of the fourth and eighth innings. It was the first multi-homer game of the backstop's career and pushed his season RBI total to a career-high 32. Trevino was an afterthought before the start of the campaign but has emerged as the Yankees' No. 1 option behind the plate and as a solid fantasy option at the position.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 2-1 win over the White Sox.

Perez is up to three homers in four games since returning from thumb surgery, though he hasn't recorded any other hit in 16 at-bats in that span. His blast Monday opened the scoring, and it was a 452-foot moonshot that left his bat at 109.9 mph. The catcher is up to 14 long balls, 42 RBI and 28 runs scored while slashing .209/.249/.448 through 61 contests.

McGuire was traded to the Red Sox from the White Sox on Monday in exchange for pitcher Jake Diekman, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

The Red Sox need catching depth after trading long-time backstop Christian Vazquez, and they decided to bring McGuire into the fold. As things stand, expect McGuire and Kevin Plawecki to share the work behind the plate for Boston.

The Astros acquired Vazquez from the Red Sox on Monday in exchange for infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez and outfielder Wilyer Abreu, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Vazquez should provide the Astros with a big offensive upgrade at catcher from No. 1 option Martin Maldonado without any major downgrade defensively. Maldonado's familiarity with Houston's pitching staff may allow him to pick up a couple starts per week, but Vazquez should get the lion's share of the work behind the dish and is unlikely to see a significant drop in his overall fantasy value as a result of the move. The 31-year-old, who is batting .282 with eight home runs and 42 RBI on the season, will likely be making his Houston debut against his former team; the Astros and Red Sox begin a three-game series Monday.

Haase is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.

Haase appeared to supplant Tucker Barnhart as the Tigers' No. 1 catcher shortly before the All-Star break, but the two may be moving into more of a timeshare at the position. Barnhart will be behind the dish for the second straight game while Haase sits again after he was out of the lineup for Sunday's 4-1 loss to Toronto.

The Twins designated Godoy for assignment Monday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

He'll forfeit his spot on the 40-man roster to right-hander Aaron Sanchez, whose contract was selected from Triple-A St. Paul in advance of his scheduled start Monday against the Tigers. Godoy made two appearances with the big club earlier this season when the Twins required extra catching depth, but he's otherwise toiled at Triple-A St. Paul throughout the campaign.

Soderstrom was promoted to Double-A Midland on Sunday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Soderstrom performed well at High-A Lansing to begin the season, slashing .259/.322/.515 with 20 home runs, 71 RBI and 47 runs over 88 games. The 20-year-old is one of the Athletics' top prospects and has impressed over his first two years in the minors after being selected 26th overall by Oakland in 2020. Soderstrom's defensive abilities lag behind his potential at the plate, but he'll have a chance to prove himself against an increased level of talent.