MLB Player News
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Reese McGuire C | CHC
Cubs' Reese McGuire: Drawing start for day game
McGuire will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Brewers.
Carson Kelly caught all nine innings of the Cubs' 4-3 win Wednesday night, so he'll get a breather for Thursday's matinee and give way to McGuire behind the plate. McGuire looked to be at risk at losing out on the top backup catcher role when Miguel Amaya was activated from the 60-day injured list Aug. 12 after a lengthy absence due to an oblique injury, but Amaya sustained a sprained left ankle in his first game back in action and went back on the IL two days later.
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Hunter Goodman RF | COL
Rockies' Hunter Goodman: On bench for series finale
Goodman is out of the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Dodgers.
Goodman will receive a routine day off after he started each of the first three games of the four-game set. Braxton Fulford will fill in at catcher and bat sixth.
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Jonah Heim C | TEX
Rangers' Jonah Heim: Nabbing sixth straight start
Heim will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Royals.
Heim will be included in the lineup for a sixth straight game, but he's likely to see his playing time tail off after Kyle Higashioka returned to the starting nine behind the plate in Wednesday's 6-3 win. Before playing Wednesday, Higashioka had missed out on three consecutive starts due to a hamstring injury, and though he's out of the lineup Thursday, his absence appears to be mostly for maintenance purposes as the Rangers wrap up their series in Kansas City with a day game. Heim will head into the series finale with a four-game hitting streak, but Higashioka has been the far more productive hitter of the two catchers since the All-Star break, posting a .902 OPS to Heim's .654 mark over that same stretch.
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Kyle Higashioka C | TEX
Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Resting for day game
Higashioka is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.
After missing three straight starts due to a hamstring injury, Higashioka returned to the lineup for Wednesday's 6-3 win and made his presence felt with a tie-breaking three-run double in the top of the ninth. Higashioka will rest for the day game after a night game, but he should settle back in as the Rangers' primary backstop now that the hamstring issue is seemingly behind him.
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Shea Langeliers C | ATH
Athletics' Shea Langeliers: Idle for series finale
Langeliers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins.
Langeliers had started every game at either catcher or designated hitter since the All-Star break, so he'll get a well overdue day off as the Athletics close out their series in Minnesota. Willie MacIver will receive a turn behind the dish Thursday.
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Austin Wells C | NYY
Yankees' Austin Wells: Smacks two homers in Tampa
Wells went 2-for-4 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 6-4 extra-inning win over the Rays.
Wells took Drew Rasmussen deep in the fifth inning, then went back-to-back with Giancarlo Stanton in the 10th off Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks. The backstop has been losing playing time lately to Ben Rice due to a slump that had seen him bat just .119 (7-for-59) since the All-Star break, but Wednesday's breakout -- Wells' first multi-hit performance since July 9 -- might be a sign he's ready to reclaim No. 1 duties behind the plate.
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Ryan Jeffers C | MIN
Twins' Ryan Jeffers: Resting up Thursday
Jeffers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
Jeffers had started behind the plate in each of the Twins' last four games, so he'll be getting a routine breather Thursday as Minnesota closes out its series against the Athletics with a day game. Mickey Gasper will handle catching duties for the Twins and will form a battery with starting pitcher Jose Urena.