MLB Player News

Raleigh isn't starting Wednesday against the Athletics.

Raleigh started in the last three games and went 3-for-11 with a homer, two runs, two RBI and seven strikeouts. Luis Torrens will start behind the dish and bat ninth Wednesday.

Jansen went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Cardinals.

The backstop launched a three-run shot off Jordan Hicks in the fourth inning and a solo blast off Drew VerHagen in the seventh. Jansen has only played in 11 games this season due to an oblique strain, but he's made the most of his chances by hitting .310 (9-for-29) with five homers, six runs and eight RBI.

Jeffers isn't starting Wednesday against the Tigers.

Jeffers started in the last two games and went 0-for-5 with a walk and two strikeouts. Gary Sanchez will start behind the dish while Gilberto Celestino enters the lineup in center field Wednesday.

Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's 16-3 win over the White Sox.

Vazquez drilled a three-run blast in the fifth inning and extended a hitting streak to six games (9-for-20). Following a .217 April, the catcher is slashing .314/.375/.451 over 56 plate appearances during the current month.

Heim started at catcher and went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Angels.

Heim swatted his fifth homer in the eighth inning, giving the Rangers their first run. After a hot start to the season, Heim has scuffled since. His fourth-inning single ended a hitless run of 12 consecutive at-bats, and the catcher is 8-for-41 (.195) over the last 12 games after batting .356 over the first 16 contests. For now, he'll serve as the primary catcher while Mitch Garver is limited to DH duties. Sam Huff lurks on the bench and could emerge with more opportunities if Heim continues to slump.

Garver went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Angels.

Garver singled in the seventh inning before going deep for a solo shot off reliever Aaron Loup in the top of the ninth frame. The 31-year-old has now homered in back-to-back contests and has five long balls on the season. Since returning from the injured list May 19 following a forearm strain, Garver has gone 5-for-18 with three extra-base hits and two RBI over five games while serving as the designated hitter. In his first season with the Rangers, he's batting .219 with five homers, 10 RBI and 10 runs over 96 at-bats in 27 games.

Higashioka was activated off the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday.

Higashioka was out for the last two games due to flu-like symptoms but reportedly tested negative for the virus. He's good to go now, but it will be Jose Trevino who starts behind the plate Tuesday against Baltimore.

Soderstrom has generated a .278 average and .889 OPS across 36 plate appearances over his last eight games with High-A Lansing.

The 20-year-old's numbers were in dire straits as recently as May 13, when he carried a .173/.263/.346 slash line over his first 29 games. However, Soderstrom's current surge has seen him lace five of 10 hits for extra bases, a sample that includes another three home runs to push his season total to seven. The promising prospect's 26.0 percent strikeout rate is currently a tick higher than last season's 24.0 percent figure at Low-A Stockton, but he's also been partly victimized by a .223 BABIP.

Raleigh went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over the Athletics on Monday.

Raleigh drew the start at catcher while Luis Torrens shifted to designated hitter, and the former enjoyed some rare offensive success out of the bottom of the order. The 25-year-old backstop continues to find big-league arms hard to master despite consistent production at Triple-A Tacoma, but four of his six hits with the Mariners across 57 plate appearances have left the yard.

Bethancourt went 2-for-3 with two runs in a loss to the Mariners on Monday.

Bethancourt was effective in setting up some run-scoring opportunities while generating his fourth multi-hit effort of the season. The reserve backstop continues to see semi-regular playing time while Stephen Vogt (knee) remains on the injured list and now carries a .231/.286/.308 slash line across 85 plate appearances.