MLB Player News

Higashioka (hamstring) will start at catcher and bat cleanup in Wednesday's game against the Royalls.

Higashioka had been out of the Rangers' lineup for the past four games due to a hamstring injury, but he has been given the green light to play Wednesday. In 17 games since the All-Star break, Higashioka has slashed .298/.322/.579 with four home runs, one stolen base, nine runs and eight RBI over 59 plate appearances.

Quero is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Atlanta.

Quero and Kyle Teel both received steady playing time between the catcher and designated-hitter spots last week, but Quero's opportunities have begun to tail off. He'll be on the bench Wednesday for the second time in the series and the third time in five games while Teel starts behind the plate and Mike Tauchman serves as Chicago's DH.

Baldwin is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.

With lefty Martin Perez toeing the rubber for the White Sox, the left-handed-hitting Baldwin will cede catching duties to Sean Murphy in the series finale. Baldwin was behind the dish for the first two games of the three-game set with Chicago and went 1-for-9 with a walk, three RBI and one run.

Perez (illness) will start at catcher and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

Perez missed each of the previous two contests with an illness, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go Wednesday. The Royals will be going for their sixth straight victory and eighth win over their last nine contests.

Adams is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.

Drew Millas will pick up a start behind the plate while Adams sits for the second time in three games. Adams is slashing .302/.388/.419 since the beginning of August and is still projected to see the bulk of the playing time at catcher until Keibert Ruiz (concussion) is activated from the 7-day injured list.

Torrens will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

Torrens will stay in the lineup for a second straight game and is poised to serve as the Mets' primary backstop after Francisco Alvarez was diagnosed earlier this week with a UCL sprain in his right thumb, which could threaten his availability for the rest of the season. Though Torrens should provide an upgrade defensively behind the plate, he'll likely struggle to match the production Alvarez provided as a hitter. Over 229 plate appearances on the season, Torrens has contributed a .214/.279/.305 slash line with two home runs, 16 RBI and 10 runs across 77 games.

Pages is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Miami.

Pages started at catcher in both of the first two games of the series but will get a breather for Wednesday's finale. Yohel Pozo will fill behind the dish and bat seventh as the Cardinals go for the series sweep.

Bart is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Bart will yield to Henry Davis at catcher for the second day in a row after he had started both of the two games prior to that. Neither catcher has made much of a case offensively for more playing time, though Bart has put up an .846 OPS in a nine-game sample in August.

The Reds placed Stephenson on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a fractured left thumb.

Cincinnati had previously labeled the injury that had kept Stephenson from playing in the last four games as a sore thumb, but X-rays evidently revealed that the backstop sustained structural damage to the finger. The team hasn't provided word on the severity of the fracture nor indicated whether Stephenson will require surgery, so his timeline for a return is unclear at the moment. Cincinnati called up Will Banfield from Triple-A Louisville to provide the team with another option behind the plate, but Jose Trevino is expected to receive the bulk of the starts at catcher while Stephenson is on the shelf.

The Reds selected Banfield's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.

Banfield will serve as the backup catcher behind Jose Trevino while Tyler Stephenson (thumb) is on the shelf. The 25-year-old Banfield has slashed .220/.277/.304 with two home runs this season with Louisville and will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.