MLB Player News

Jeffers' contract was purchased by the Twins on Thursday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

The Twins were in need of catching depth after Mitch Garver (side) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday. Jeffers will start Thursday's contest against the Brewers and bat ninth as he'll make his major-league debut. While Alex Avila should have the slight edge for playing time while Garver is sidelined, Jeffers could see a fair amount of time behind the plate in the coming days.

Garver was placed on the 10-day injured list with a low-grade right intercostal strain Thursday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Garver exited Wednesday's game against the Brewers with a right side injury, and the injury is apparently relatively serious since he'll be sidelined for at least 10 days. It's unclear whether he'll be able to return after spending the minimum amount of time on the injured list. Ryan Jeffers' contract was selected by the Twins in a corresponding move, and he'll start behind the dish Thursday.

Perez is not starting Thursday against the Pirates.

Perez, who returned from the injured list earlier in the week, will head to the bench after starting the past two games and going 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts. Beau Taylor is starting behind the dish Thursday.

Grandal (back) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers.

Grandal will sit for the third day in a row while he deals with lower-back stiffness. The White Sox continue to view Grandal's injury as a day-to-day situation, so the club is seemingly hopeful he'll check back into the starting nine for this weekend's series with the Cubs. James McCann will catch for Lucas Giolito in the series finale against Detroit.

Jansen is out of the lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader with the Phillies.

The Blue Jays are presumably saving Jansen for the second game of the doubleheader, when he'll be catching for starting pitcher Trent Thornton (elbow). Reese McGuire will catch for Chase Anderson in the front end of the twin bill.

Sanchez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.

Sanchez will get a day off for the first time since Aug. 8 while the Yankees and Rays conclude their series with a matinee game. Erik Kratz will replace Sanchez behind the plate, and Aaron Hicks will serve as the Yankees' designated hitter. Sanchez is batting only .175 in August, but he's slugged six home runs in 17 games.

Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 13-6 road win over Colorado.

Maldonado's shot in the third inning started the Astros' offensive onslaught. His stick in 2020 is more potent than it's ever been, as Maldonado has a career-high .802 OPS. The nine-hole hitter is reaping the benefits of a Houston lineup that is one of the best in MLB; Maldonado has 16 RBI over 20 games (58 at-bats), well ahead of any pace in previous seasons.

Nola went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and four RBI during Wednesday's win over the Dodgers.

Nola gave the Mariners the first lead of the game with a two-out RBI single against Julio Urias in the first inning. He then regained the lead for Seattle in the third with a two-run homer off Dennis Santana. The 30-year-old has been solid so far this season, racking up three long balls and 12 RBI while batting .279/.338/.515.

Collins went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-3 win over Detroit.

Collins' fifth-inning double was his first hit of the season. He got the start at catcher with Yasmani Grandal (back) on the shelf for a few days. Grandal is not expected back before the weekend, so Collins could get a few more opportunities in the coming days. The catcher is now 1-for-16 overall.

Garver was removed from Wednesday's game against the Brewers with right side soreness, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

The 29-year-old was seen clutching his right side after striking out during the sixth inning, and he was replaced by Alex Avila for the following frame. The Twins were already trailing 8-1, so the team may simply have been exercising caution while facing a significant deficit. Regardless, Garver should be considered day-to-day until the team indicates the severity of the injury.