MLB Player News

Thaiss was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Thaiss will return to the big leagues after being sent down July 2. The 27-year-old has only registered two at-bats with the Angels this season, but he's produced a .269 average with 10 homers, 48 RBI, 46 runs and seven stolen bases over 77 games with Salt Lake. Thaiss will provide depth at either corner-infield spot and give the Angels a third catcher option behind Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki.

Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks, three RBI and two runs in his most recent game for Triple-A Syracuse, but he's still hitting just .179/.340/.375 in 32 games since his promotion.

The 20-year-old backstop has seen his power stroke show up only in fits and starts at the highest level of the minors, as Tuesday's long ball snapped a stretch of 11 straight games without any extra-base hits. That said, while his overall stat line with Syracuse is ugly, there are some positives to be found in it. Alvarez has a .209 BABIP in Triple-A that's bound for positive regression, and while his strikeout rate has climbed to an uncomfortable 28.4 percent (from 24 percent in Double-A this year), his walk rate has also spiked to 17.6 percent (from 12.5). It's also worth remembering that Alvarez is exceptionally young for a catching prospect on the doorstep of the major leagues -- for one illustrative example, when Orioles stud rookie backstop Adley Rutschman was Alvarez's age, he was still playing college ball.

Stassi is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Rays, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.

Stassi will get a breather after he went 0-for-9 with four strikeouts while starting the last two contests. Kurt Suzuki will replace him behind the plate and bat seventh in the series finale.

Mejia will sit Thursday versus the Angels, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Mejia will take a seat after he went 0-for-4 with a run scored and a strikeout in Wednesday's win. The red-hot Christian Bethancourt will replace him behind the plate and bat sixth in the series finale.

Realmuto went 3-for-5 with a double and a solo homer in Wednesday's 7-5 victory over the Reds.

Realmuto led off the third inning with a home run off righty starter T.J. Zeuch to give Philadelphia a 3-1 lead. The catcher has been electric lately with a .438 average and 1.236 OPS in 32 at-bats across his last eight games. The 31-year-old has recorded a double in five contests during that span and has gone three straight games without a strikeout.

Barnes went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two additional RBI in a 12-6 victory against the Brewers on Wednesday.

Los Angeles racked up 13 hits and 12 runs in the contest, but Barnes' sixth-inning two-run shot was the team's only long ball. The backup backstop also knocked in a run with a fielder's choice in the third inning and notched an RBI single in the fourth. Barnes is batting a paltry .189 on the season, but he's had a strong August with a .333/.391/.667 slash line, two homers and six RBI over six contests.

Gomes went 0-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 7-1 win over the Cardinals.

Despite failing to record a hit, Gomes contributed with four combined runs and RBI Wednesday. The backup catcher now has 37 combined runs and RBI in 64 games played this season. With Willson Contreras still playing almost every day, Gomes only holds value in deep two-catcher leagues where counting stats are most valued.

Fortes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the A's.

The 25-year-old continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Marlins in the power department after taking Dany Jimenez deep in the ninth inning to force extras, even if Miami couldn't capitalize on the reprieve. Fortes has seven homers and 18 RBI through 146 plate appearances in the majors this season, but his batting average has slipped with regular playing time -- he's hitting only .209 (9-for-43) in August.

Contreras went 2-for-5 with a walk, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 14-2 rout of the Pirates.

The rookie backstop got Atlanta on the board in the second inning by taking Mitch Keller deep. Contreras has started only three of the last seven games despite a strong August in which he's batting .278 (20-for-72) with four of his 17 homers on the season, but there's been no indication from Atlanta the 24-year-old has been nursing any kind of injury.

Kirk went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Wednesday's extra-inning victory over the Red Sox.

The All-Star catcher recorded three hits Wednesday after going hitless in his previous two games. The multi-hit effort pushed Kirk's batting average back over .300. Of catchers with at least 200 plate appearances, Kirk is the only one with an average over that mark, with the second being Chrsitian Vazquez at .288, followed by Will Smith at .270. Sporting an elite batting average, double-digit home runs, and solid counting stats hitting in the middle of Toronto's lineup, Kirk has been one of the greatest surprises of the 2022 season.