MLB Player News
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Austin Wells C | NYY
Yankees' Austin Wells: Losing out on playing time
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said in his appearance on Jomboy Media's "Talkin' Yanks" podcast that Wells will be out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rays.
Wells will head to the bench for the fifth time in seven games and appears to have moved into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart while the Yankees have become increasingly more comfortable with using Ben Rice behind the plate. Though Wells remains the superior defender of the two, he hasn't helped his case for earning regular playing time by slashing an abysmal .119/.172/.186 with a 25 percent strikeout rate since the All-Star break.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Heading to IL with thumb injury
The Mets will place Alvarez on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right thumb injury, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Alvarez injured the thumb during Sunday's win over the Mariners and had been set to undergo an MRI. It's not clear what exactly the MRI revealed, but Andy Martino of SNY.tv relays that the Mets have some concern the injury could be a season-ending concern. Luis Torrens will serve as the Mets' primary catcher while Alvarez is shelved.
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Carson Kelly C | CHC
Cubs' Carson Kelly: Resting for early game
Kelly is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Brewers.
Reese McGuire will draw the start behind the dish for the first game of the day, but Kelly should form a battery with starting pitcher Jameson Taillon (calf) in the second contest of the twin bill. Kelly continues to uphold an excellent .819 OPS on the season, but his production has tailed off a bit thus far in August, as the veteran backstop is slashing .256/.347/.256 through 14 games.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Final rehab test coming
Moreno (finger) will catch back-to-back games for Triple-A Reno on Tuesday and Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
The two-game set will serve as a final test before Moreno is activated. He's alternated between catcher and DH over his first four rehab appearances but hasn't caught a full nine-inning game. Presumably, in addition to catching back-to-back, the Diamondbacks want to see him on the field for full games in both.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Drives in pair of runs
Basallo went 2-for-5 with a two-run double and a run scored in Monday's 6-3 victory over Boston.
Basallo has made his presence felt right away at the big-league level, driving in two runs in each of his first two games and notching his first extra-base hit Monday. The top prospect drew the start behind the plate in the contest, and while Adley Rutschman's presence means he won't hold that role on a full-time basis, Basallo should still find regular at-bats at first base or designated hitter when he isn't catching.
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Kyle Teel C | CHW
White Sox's Kyle Teel: Pops third homer
Teel went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored Monday against Atlanta.
Teel entered Monday's game hitless in his last three starts, but he turned things around with a trio of singles as well as a solo home run. He now has three homers and seven doubles across 164 plate appearances since being promoted to the majors in early June, good for a .113 ISO. While it would be nice to see some additional power production, he has maintained a .270 batting average and a respectable 24.4 percent strikeout rate.
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Kyle Higashioka C | TEX
Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Dealing with hamstring issue
Higashioka is out of the lineup for a third straight game Monday against the Royals due to a hamstring injury, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy has labeled Higashioka's injury as "very, very, very mild," so the expectation is that the catcher will avoid a stint on the injured list. Jonah Heim will handle catching duties Monday, but Higashioka could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Fades into timeshare
Murphy is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the White Sox.
With Atlanta reopening a regular spot in the lineup for Marcell Ozuna at designated hitter over the last couple of weeks, Murphy has faded into more of a timeshare at catcher with Drake Baldwin. The right-handed-hitting Murphy should see the bulk of the starts versus left-handed pitching, but the lefty-hitting Baldwin will likely be Atlanta's top choice to start against righties.
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Tyler Stephenson C | CIN
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Not listed in starting lineup
Stephenson (thumb) isn't listed in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Angels.
Stephenson is still being slowed by a sore left thumb, opening up another opportunity for Jose Trevino behind the dish. Stephenson can continue to be considered day-to-day until the team provides another update.