MLB Player News

Diaz is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

With the Pirates facing a quick turnaround for the series finale with St. Louis, Diaz will just be getting a routine breather for the final game of the homestand. Jacob Stallings will serve as the Pirates' catcher Thursday, working in a battery with Joe Musgrove.

Hedges is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mets.

Hedges will give way to Francisco Mejia in the series finale after manning the catcher spot in Wednesday's 7-2 win and going 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. The Padres seemed to be running more of a timeshare behind the dish coming out of the All-Star break, but Mejia appears to have since recaptured primary catching duties. Mejia will pick up his third start in four games while Hedges sits.

Gomes went 2-for-3 with a solo home run Wednesday in the second game of a doubleheader against the Rockies.

Gomes took Jake McGee deep in the seven inning to record his fourth home run of the season. It marked his first homer since June 21 and just his fourth multi-hit game since May 1. His line for the campaign remains a poor .212/.306/.311 across 219 plate appearances.

Sanchez is dealing with a Grade 1 (minor) groin strain, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Fortunately it is not a serious strain, but manager Aaron Boone still didn't want to offer up a timetable for Sanchez's return. He is eligible to return on Aug. 3. Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka will split the catching duties in the short term.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Tigers.

His fourth-inning shot opened the scoring and proved to be all the offense Vince Velasquez and the Phillies bullpen would need on the afternoon. Realmuto is now slashing .267/.318/.434 on the year with 12 homers and 46 RBI in 96 games.

Perez is not in the lineup Wednesday against Toronto.

Perez has carried a heavy load this season, with his 70 games started behind the plate tying him for fifth in the league. Kevin Plawecki gets the start Wednesday.

Mejia is not starting Wednesday against the Mets.

Mejia has started seven out of 11 games since the All-Star break, posting an .873 OPS over that stretch. Austin Hedges gets the start behind the plate in his absence.

Nola will start at second base and bat seventh Wednesday against the Rangers.

Nola will enter the lineup for a fifth straight game and will make his second consecutive start at the keystone. With Dee Gordon (quadriceps) landing on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Nola may be in line for a trial in an everyday role, potentially making him someone worth keeping an eye on in AL-only or deeper mixed leagues.

Gallagher is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Braves.

Gallagher has been the top option behind the plate in Kansas City since the team traded Martin Maldonado to the Cubs, starting five of seven games prior to Wednesday's contest. Meibrys Viloria gets the nod in his absence.

Stassi went 2-for-3 in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Athletics.

Heading into Tuesday, Stassi had managed just four hits in 28 at-bats over his 11 games since returning from the 10-day injured list in late June. The two-hit performance is a marginal step in the right direction, but Stassi probably won't be in line for a surge in playing time because of it. He's locked in as the clear No. 2 catcher in Houston behind Robinson Chirinos.