MLB Player News

Thaiss went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Guardians.

Thaiss has gotten into just three games since returning Sept. 3 from a short trip on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. His homer Saturday was his first hit in nine at-bats during that span. The catcher has nine long balls, 31 RBI, 32 runs scored, two stolen bases and six doubles over 93 contests this year. Thaiss is likely to fill a backup role behind Logan O'Hoppe for the remainder of the year.

Heim will not start Saturday's game against Oakland.

Heim hits the bench for the first time in a week. He's faded down the stretch along with the entire Rangers team, hitting just .177/.227/.258 since returning from a wrist injury in mid-August. Austin Hedges will start behind the plate.

Bethancourt will sit for the second straight game Saturday against the Mariners, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bethancourt has hit just .240/.264/.380 over the last month, striking out 21 times to go with just two walks. Rene Pinto will get another start behind the plate.

Raleigh will be on the bench Saturday against the Rays.

Raleigh has gone 5-for-12 with a pair of homers across his last three games but will hit the bench in favor of Brian O'Keefe. Raleigh's recent hot streak, which includes a 1.085 OPS over his last 16 games, has dragged his wRC+ up to 118, a near match for his 120 wRC+ from last season.

Perez went 3-for-5 with one RBI in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

Perez has a trio of multi-hit efforts over his six games in September, going 8-for-27 (.296) with seven RBI in that span. With Freddy Fermin (finger) going on the injured list for what could be a season-ending injury, Perez will likely move back behind the dish on a more permanent basis. The 33-year-old veteran has a .249/.289/.418 slash line with 21 home runs, 64 RBI, 53 runs scored and 19 doubles over 126 contests in what's been a bit of a down year.

Fermin was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left middle finger Saturday.

The Royals haven't given a timeline for Fermin's return, but given the timing, the injury seemingly has a good chance of being season-ending. If that's the case, Fermin will end the year with a .281/.321/.461 line in 70 games, good for a 107 wRC+. Tyler Cropley was called up to take his place on the roster and provide additional catching depth.

Alvarez isn't in the Mets' lineup Saturday against the Twins.

Alvarez will take a seat Saturday after going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's series opener. Omar Narvaez will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.

Rutschman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 11-2 win over the Red Sox.

The backstop played a big role in the rout, and he capped his night by hooking a solo shot off John Schreiber just inside Pesky's Pole in the eighth inning. Rutschman is having a strong finish to his second MLB season, slashing .290/.367/.443 through 33 games since the beginning of August with four of his 18 homers and 23 of his 70 RBI on the season.

Diaz went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 9-8 loss to the Giants.

Diaz went 12 games between homers, hitting a modest .244 with three doubles and five RBI in that span. The catcher's blast put the Rockies ahead in the seventh inning, but their offense stalled out while the Giants rallied over the next two frames. Diaz is slashing .267/.313/.419 with 14 long balls, 67 RBI, 42 runs scored and a stolen base over 124 contests this season.

Sabol went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's 9-8 win over the Rockies.

Playing time has been fairly sparse for Sabol lately, but he's gone 7-for-23 (.304) across his last eight contests. His homer Friday was his 12th of the season, but his first since July 19. The rookie catcher/outfielder is at a .245/.304/.404 slash line with 40 RBI, 34 runs scored, two stolen bases and nine doubles through 97 contests. Sabol and Joey Bart will likely split time behind the plate while Patrick Bailey (concussion) is out -- Bart has drawn the start at catcher in two of the three games Bailey's missed so far.