MLB Player News

The Twins acquired Leon from the Guardians on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Ian Hamilton.

The move restores some catching depth in the upper levels of the Twins' minor-league system after Caleb Hamilton was promoted from Triple-A St. Paul following Ryan Jeffers' (thumb) placement on the injured list shortly before the All-Star break. Leon, who is now with his third organization of the season, will report to St. Paul.

The Mariners acquired Casali (oblique) and Matthew Boyd (elbow) from the Giants on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Michael Stryffeler, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

Casali is on the injured list due to a right oblique strain, but he's already made three minor-league rehab appearances and should be ready to come off the IL by the end of the week. In his new destination, Casali will likely serve as the understudy to Cal Raleigh, who has shown enough strides at the plate over the past two months to hang on to the No. 1 job. In San Francisco, Casali had been occupying a larger side of a timeshare behind the dish with Joey Bart, but the trade should pave the way for Bart to see the lion's share of the starts at catcher for the Giants over the final two months of the season.

Vazquez will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Vazquez was sent from Boston to Houston on Monday while the two teams were about to start a series at Minute Maid Park. Vazquez has been on the bench for his first two games with his new team, but that's presumably due to the fact that he's not yet settled into his new surroundings, as his .759 OPS dwarfs incumbent primary catcher Martin Maldonado's .582 mark.

The Astros optioned Lee to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday.

Lee slashed .160/.192/.240 with a pair of doubles and four RBI in 26 plate appearances after his July 1 call-up. The small sample doesn't tell us much about Lee as a prospect. He now returns to the minors to clear space for the newly acquired Christian Vazquez, and barring injury to Vazquez or Martin Maldonado, Lee is unlikely to see significant big-league action in 2022.

Heim is not starting Tuesday's game against the Orioles.

Consecutive hitless performances have Heim hitting .244 with five doubles and four RBI in 12 games since the break. He rests Tuesday and cedes catching duties to Meibrys Viloria.

O'Hoppe was traded from the Phillies to the Angels on Tuesday in exchange for Brandon Marsh, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

O'Hoppe is one of the better catching prospects in the upper levels of the minors, and it's a slight boost for his fantasy value to be in a different organization than J.T. Realmuto. The 22-year-old backstop hit .269/.385/.492 with 15 home runs and 39:52 BB:K in 74 games at Double-A.

Hedges is on the bench for Tuesday's game versus the Diamondbacks, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Hedges has started consecutive games, going 1-for-5 with two walks and a pair of RBI. Unless the Guardians add an offensively-adept catcher before Tuesday's deadline, the 29-year-old should start the majority of Cleveland's remaining games.

Pinto is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

After starting three of the past four games behind the plate, Pinto will cede catching duties to Christian Bethancourt on Tuesday. Though Pinto temporarily finds himself atop the depth chart at catcher, both he and Bethancourt could soon see their opportunities take a hit after top backstop Francisco Mejia (shoulder) was cleared to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with the Rays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate.

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.