MLB Player News

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Alvarez appears to be receiving some routine maintenance while the Mets and Pirates conclude their series with a day game after a night game. Omar Narvaez will check in behind the dish in place of Alvarez, whose production has slowed down thus far in August with one home run and a .184 average on the month.

Haase is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Haase had started in three of the last four games -- two at catcher and one in left field -- but he'll head to the bench Wednesday as Jake Rogers and Akil Baddoo step in at those respective positions. The Tigers still appear to view Haase primarily as a catcher, and Rogers should remain the team's preferred option behind the plate given Haase's season-long struggles. Among the 275 players in the majors with at least 250 plate appearances this season, Haase ranks 274th with a 44 wRC+.

The Rangers released Plawecki on Tuesday.

Texas acquired Plawecki from the Padres in late July to add catching depth at Triple-A Round Rock after All-Star backstop Jonah Heim hit the shelf with a wrist injury. Heim has recently been activated from the injured list and the Rangers have sent another catcher in Sam Huff back to Round Rock, so the organization no longer had room for Plawecki.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 10-3 win over the Orioles.

Sanchez's big blast in the first inning gave the Padres all they needed for the win. He's hitting .300 in August (9-for-30) with four homers and nine RBI over eight games this month. Overall, the catcher is at a .221/.297/.503 slash line with 16 homers, 41 RBI, 30 runs scored and seven doubles through 219 plate appearances. Despite the strong recent form at the plate, Sanchez has been splitting time pretty evenly with Luis Campusano.

Diaz went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Tuesday against the Marlins.

Diaz drew the start behind the dish for the third time in Houston's last six games. He has earned that increase in playing time at the plate, as he's maintained a .299 batting average with six homers, 20 RBI and 12 runs scored across 77 at-bats since the All-Star break. Diaz has also gotten sporadic looks at designated hitter, even since the return of Yordan Alvarez.

O'Hoppe (shoulder) had his minor-league rehab assignment moved from Single-A Inland Empire to Triple-A Salt Lake City on Tuesday.

O'Hoppe kicked off his rehab stint last week and played six games at Single-A, slashing .316/.409/.474 with three doubles, three RBI, four runs and a 3:5 BB:K. The rookie catcher hasn't seen action for the Angels since tearing the labrum in his left shoulder in a game against the Yankees on April 20. Due to the long layoff, O'Hoppe is expected to need 1-to-2 more weeks before he's ready to be activated. When he returns, he should regain his role as the primary catcher for the Angels, as both Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach have struggled in his stead.

Higashioka is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Atlanta.

Higashioka has a .683 OPS through nine games in August and will begin Tuesday's contest in the dugout. Ben Rortvedt will step in behind the plate to catch for Luis Severino.

Thaiss is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rangers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Thaiss is 3-for-26 through 10 games in August and will hit the bench for Tuesday's contest. Chad Wallach will take over behind the plate and bat eighth.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tigers.

It's the second straight game on the bench for Vazquez, who has a .259/.271/.397 slash line in 17 contests since the All-Star break. Ryan Jeffers is working behind the plate and batting sixth Tuesday.

Rogers is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game at Minnesota.

Rogers has a .551 OPS through 11 games in August and will take a seat Tuesday for the second time in Detroit's past three contests. Eric Haase will work behind the plate and bat ninth.