MLB Player News
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Connor Wong C | BOS
Red Sox's Connor Wong: Handles staff, drives in run
Wong went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays.
Wong, who stepped in as the starting catcher after both Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki were added to the COVID-19 injury list, produced the game-winning run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly. He has familiarity with the staff, catching during spring training games and bullpen sessions, so Red Sox manager Alex Cora was confident in the young backstop. All three of his starts in 2021 saw him serve as a battery mate for Nathan Eovaldi, who was also Tuesday's starter. Wong also guided four relievers through 4.1 scoreless innings against a potent Toronto lineup, and he'll remain the primary catcher until Vazquez and/or Plawecki can return to the club.
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Christian Bethancourt C | CHC
Athletics' Christian Bethancourt: Notches steal, on base three times
Bethancourt went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base in Tuesday's 2-1 win against the Orioles.
Bethancourt singled and stole second in the second inning, singled and scored in the sixth and walked in the eighth to record his best all-around game of the season. The 30-year-old has appeared in all five games since being promoted from Triple-A and is seeing his first big-league action since 2017. He's responded by going 4-for-16, with all four hits coming in two of those games.
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Salvador Perez C | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Two blasts in win
Perez (eye) went 2-for-3 with two solo homers and a walk Tuesday in the Royals' 4-3 win over the Twins.
Perez homered in the fourth off starter Chris Archer and in the sixth off reliever Tyler Duffey. After going hitless in his first three games, the seven-time All-Star has four multi-hit games and two multi-homer games in his last six, slashing .348/.400/.913 in that span. He served as the designated hitter Tuesday for the second time this season while he's dealing with an eye issue that has limited his ability to catch.
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Zack Collins C | CLE
Blue Jays' Zack Collins: Stays hot Tuesday
Collins went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the Blue Jays' loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday.
Collins stayed hot in this one, launching a solo shot off Nathan Eovaldi in top of the second inning before adding a single in the eighth frame. With Teoscar Hernandez (oblique) on the shelf, the 27-year-old Collins has started four straight games, producing an impressive eight hits in 15 at-bats including two homers and four extra-base hits overall.
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Salvador Perez C | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: DHing due to eye issue
Perez shifted from catcher to designated hitter in the Royals' updated lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins due to an eye issue, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The issue is one that Perez dealt with in both of the last two seasons. It seems on the surface quite surprising that he'd be able to hit despite vision issues, but he's been cleared by a specialist and the Royals are evidently confident that he'll be fine. It's possible the vision issue explains his slow start at the plate, as he's hit .188/.212/.406 through eight games.
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Max Stassi C | SF
Angels' Max Stassi: Heads to bench
Stassi will sit Tuesday against Houston, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.
Stassi has hit .250/.357/.542 with a pair of homers through seven games, though his 35.7 percent strikeout rate is a potential worry. He'll get a rest Tuesday as Kurt Suzuki takes over behind the plate.
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Francisco Mejia C | TB
Rays' Francisco Mejia: Sitting again Tuesday
Mejia is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cubs, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Mejia and Mike Zunino have alternated starts to this point this season, but Zunino will receive the nod for the second straight game Tuesday. Mejia is 6-for-20 with a home run, seven RBI and three runs this year.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Athletics' Sean Murphy: Laces two-bagger in win
Murphy went 1-for-4 with a double in a win over the Orioles on Monday.
Murphy's two-bagger was already his ninth extra-base hit of the season, particularly noteworthy considering he has just 11 hits overall. The steady stream of hard contact has helped lead to an impressive .558 slugging percentage for Murphy over his first 47 plate appearances, while his current .256 average is a 40-point improvement on his .216 figure from 2021.
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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Sitting Tuesday
Raleigh is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Texas.
Raleigh started behind the plate on Opening Day, but it doesn't appear as though the Mariners have a true starting catcher this season. Through 11 games, he's started four times, while Tuesday's starter Tom Murphy has also started four games. Luis Torrens has picked up the remaining three starts and has an additional start as the designated hitter.
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Connor Wong C | BOS
Red Sox's Connor Wong: Steps into starting role
Wong will start at catcher and bat ninth in Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.
After being called up just a couple hours prior to Monday's Patriots' Day loss to the Twins, Wong suddenly finds himself atop the depth chart at catcher. Christian Vazquez (illness) joined Kevin Plawecki (illness) on the COVID-19-related injured list Tuesday, leaving Wong in line to start at catcher for at least the next two days, according to Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald. Ronaldo Hernandez, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, will likely replace Wong behind the plate in Thursday's series finale, which is a day game after a night game.