MLB Player News

Grandal went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run Saturday against the Rays.

Grandal took Shane McClanahan yard in the fifth inning to tally his second homer of the season. It was Grandal's first long ball since Opening Day, though he has nine total extra-base hits across 72 plate appearances to begin 2023. That stands in contrast to last season, when he managed only 12 total extra-base knocks in 376 plate appearances.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's victory over the Tigers.

McCann piled on with a solo shot in the fourth inning off Joey Wentz. McCann got the start behind the plate as Adley Rutschman slotted in as the designated hitter. McCann had a miserable .195 batting average last season and hasn't gotten off to a good start in 2023 either, as he's hitting .167 over 18 at-bats in his first season with the Orioles.

Murphy went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss against the Astros.

Murphy smacked a solo shot off Framber Valdez in the fourth inning to open the scoring Saturday. The catcher has hit four homers in the last eight games, as his bat has picked up since Travis d'Arnaud suffered a concussion. Murphy is hitting .250, the same average he had in 2022, but his OPS is at 1.033 thanks to the recent power surge.

McGuire is undergoing X-rays on his hand after Saturday's game to the Brewers, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. He went 0-for-2 in the loss.

McGuire came in as a pinch-hitter for Connor Wong and it's unclear when he picked up the injury during Saturday's contest. The backstop should be considered day-to-day at this point.

Rodriguez is dealing with a strained right forearm, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.

Rodriguez hit the minor-league injured list Friday with an arm injury, but his exact diagnosis was not yet available. He'll be evaluated Monday in Pittsburgh, at which point a clearer timeline for his recovery should emerge.

Smith (concussion) is not expected to return during the Dodgers' current road trip, which runs through Thursday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith has missed 10 days while recovering from a concussion and is expected to miss at least five more. He's reportedly making progress, but it will be Austin Barnes and Austin Wynns who remain the Dodgers' catchers for the conclusion of the weekend series against the Cubs as well as the upcoming series against the Pirates.

Jansen hit a pinch hit, two-run home run in Saturday's loss against the Yankees.

Jansen came up clutch in the eighth inning with a two-run shot of Wandy Peralta that tied the scored at 2-2. That's the first homer of the season for the backup backstop, and his first runs driven in since April 15 against the Rays. Jansen was solid with the bat in 2022 with an .855 OPS over 215 at-bats, but his .139/.244/.222 slash even with that homer against the Yankees on Saturday gives an indication of just how much he's struggled over the first few weeks of 2023.

Bethancourt will be on the bench Saturday against the White Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bethancourt has been the primary backstop in Tampa Bay this season, but not by a wide margin. He's started 12 games behind the plate, while Saturday's starter Francisco Mejia will be getting the call for the ninth time.

Ruiz will sit Saturday against the Twins.

Ruiz has handled a very heavy workload behind the plate this season, starting 17 of the team's first 19 games. Riley Adams will get the nod in Game 20.

Gomes will sit Saturday against the Dodgers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes will be on the bench against Dustin May, meaning he's now sat against the last four righties the Cubs have faced. He was starting against righties early in the year, but it's possible he could continue to find himself primarily starting against southpaws going forward. Gomes' .671 OPS in 12 games isn't particularly good, though it's better than Saturday's catcher Tucker Barnhart's .486 OPS.