MLB Player News

Atlanta claimed Handley off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

With both Drake Baldwin (oblique) and Sean Murphy (finger) on the injured list, Atlanta is a bit thin at catcher at the moment, so the team will bring in Handley to provide some extra depth at the position. He'll report to Triple-A and would likely join the big club only if an injury strikes another backstop. Hurston Waldrep (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.

Diaz went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss against the Red Sox.

Diaz put his club ahead with a two-run, 102.5 mph rocket over the left-center field wall in the fifth inning, though the bullpen would relinquish the lead as the Royals were unable to avoid being swept. As the third catcher on the roster behind Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen, playing opportunities for Diaz have been sporadic and limited. The veteran has gone 5-for-22 (.227) with four extra-base hits (two homers), five RBI and three runs scored across 10 appearances.

Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored Wednesday against the Cardinals.

Rodriguez struck out in his first plate appearance but reached base in his next four at-bats. He made his third start since being recalled to the majors, while Henry Davis has made five starts in that same span. Rodriguez has gone 4-for-16 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI in his big-league sample, and he could continue to push for playing time given the lack of production from Davis.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with three singles, one walk and a run scored in Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Cubs.

It was Contreras' third multi-hit game in his last four contests, and he's now logged multiple hits in seven of 20 games over the last month. Contreras is on a six-game hitting streak, and while the power numbers haven't been there, the catcher remains an on-base machine that doesn't strike out much. On the season, Contreras is slashing .294/.366/.389 with three home runs, 27 RBI, 26 runs scored and a 20:23 BB:K across 202 plate appearances.

Perez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Red Sox.

Perez got the scoring started by taking lefty Connelly Early deep on a 94-mph fastball in the bottom of the first inning. He later singled in the sixth and eighth innings, giving Perez his third three-hit game of the season. He saw his average dip below the Mendoza Line with two hitless showings in the first two games versus the Red Sox, but the veteran backstop is now slashing .211/.259/.368 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 18 runs scored and a 9:42 BB:K across 201 plate appearances this season. After being in the 91st percentile with a 14.8 percent barrel rate last season, Perez is barreling just 8.5 percent of his batted balls in 2026. He's also experienced sharp declines in his hard-hit rate and bat speed at 36 years old.

Pereda went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the White Sox.

Making just his sixth start this season, Pereda led off the seventh inning with a 392-foot blast off Sean Newcomb, his first major-league home run, to put the Mariners ahead 3-2. While the 30-year-old Pereda has been used sparingly in the majors, he swung the bat well with Triple-A Tacoma this year, slashing .321/.414/.417 with a pair of homers across 25 games. Pereda should continue to back up Mitch Garver while Cal Raleigh (oblique) is sidelined.

Caratini went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Astros.

Making his second straight start at catcher since Ryan Jeffers (hand) landed on the IL, Caratini launched a Mike Burrows fastball over the fence in right-center field for his second homer of the year. It was Caratini's first multi-hit performance since April 19, while the long ball was his first since April 13. The 32-year-old seemed to wear down quickly to begin the season while seeing regular playing time between catcher and first base, and even after Wednesday's effort his slash line on the season is just .198/.304/.261 through 111 plate appearances. The Twins may give Alex Jackson more action than expected behind the plate while Jeffers is on the shelf in an effort to keep Caratini fresh.

Feduccia 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Orioles.

The backstop took Shane Baz deep in the second inning for the Rays' only offense until they erupted for four runs in the eighth to steal a win. It was Feduccia's first long ball of the year, and he's slashing .278/.365/.370 through 54 plate appearances on the season. It appears he's taken hold of the primary catching job with five starts in Tampa Bay's past seven games.

Davis is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Davis will head to the bench after starting behind the plate in each of the previous three games while going 0-for-9 with two strikeouts. Now batting just .137 on the season, Davis could be at risk of falling into more of a timeshare at catcher with Endy Rodriguez, who draws the starting nod Wednesday.

Mack is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.

After drawing a start against lefty Martin Perez in Tuesday's 8-4 loss, Mack will hit the bench while Atlanta sends another southpaw (Chris Sale) to the hill Wednesday. Liam Hicks will handle catching duties in place of Mack, who is batting .205 with six RBI and six runs through his first 14 games following his May 4 call-up to the majors.