MLB Player News

Stassi isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Stassi will retreat to the bench after he went 0-for-8 with five strikeouts over the last two games. Kurt Suzuki is starting behind the plate and batting sixth.

Rutschman isn't starting Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Rutschman is getting a rare day off after he hit .250 with two homers, a double and four RBI over the last five games. Robinson Chirinos will take his place behind the dish and bat ninth Wednesday.

Ruiz (head/knee) is starting Wednesday against the Cubs, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

Ruiz was out of the lineup Tuesday after he took multiple foul tips in his catcher's mask and one in his right knee Monday. However, he appeared off the bench in Tuesday's extra-innings loss to the Cubs and went 1-for-2 with a walk. He's starting behind the plate and batting fifth Wednesday.

Contreras isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

Contreras went 0-for-9 with a run, an RBI and four strikeouts over the last two games and will take a seat for Wednesday's series finale in Washington. Yan Gomes is starting behind the dish and batting eighth.

Stubbs went 2-for-3 with a home run, two walks, three RBI and an additional run in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Reds.

Stubbs slugged one of five Phillies home runs on the night and now sports a superb .898 OPS over 90 plate appearances this season. Though his production would warrant more playing time on most teams, Stubbs is expected to remain one of baseball's more lightly used No. 2 catchers while J.T. Realmuto is available. Realmuto is back in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale after getting a rare rest day Tuesday.

Heim went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Athletics.

Heim's sixth-inning single brought home the Rangers' lone run, but he could have had another RBI two innings earlier. With two outs and Nathaniel Lowe on first base, Heim doubled, but Lowe, who appeared to hesitate on what might be considered an aggressive send by third base coach Corey Ragsdale, was thrown out at home. Heim has taken on a larger-than-expected workload in 2022, thanks in part to Mitch Garver's arm injury, and has responded well. His 340 plate appearances are a career high in the majors, and the catcher is slashing .252/.324/.443.

Murphy went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Rangers.

Murphy went yard off Kohei Arihara to give the Athletics a 3-0 lead in the third inning. It's been a productive August for Murphy -- he's batting .304 (14-for-46) with two homers and eight RBI in 13 games. The catcher is up to a .246/.324/.429 slash line, 14 long balls, 49 RBI, 48 runs scored, one stolen base and 26 doubles through 106 contests. With top prospect Shea Langeliers joining the Athletics on Tuesday, Murphy could see a slight reduction in playing time, though it's expected he'll still regularly serve as the designated hitter when he's not behind the plate.

Langeliers went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Athletics.

Langeliers was able to get a few milestones checked off in his big-league debut, including his first hit and first run. Despite three strikeouts Tuesday, the 24-year-old shouldn't struggle in a major way with contact -- he struck out at a 21.9 percent clip while slashing .283/.366/.510 with 19 home runs, 56 RBI, 62 runs scored and five stolen bases with Triple-A Las Vegas prior to his call-up. The catching prospect is a solid defender and should get a long audition for an everyday role, sharing time with current No. 1 catcher Sean Murphy behind the dish and at designated hitter for the remainder of the season.

Bethancourt went 0-for-3 with a stolen base in a 3-1 win Tuesday against the Yankees.

Bethancourt reached on an error in the fourth and stole second base. It was his fifth steal in six attempts this season. Since joining the Rays in July, he's posted a .176/.192/.255 line with one homer in 16 games. Thirteen of his 14 starts for Tampa Bay have come behind the plate.

Fortes went 3-for-4 with two solo homers and three runs scored in a 4-3 win Tuesday over San Diego.

Fortes took Sean Manaea deep for solo homers in his first two plate appearances and singled and scored the winning run in the seventh. It was his first two-homer game in the majors. The big game may help snap a prolonged slump for the 25-year-old; he was 10-for-54 since July 13 entering Tuesday's contest.