MLB Player News

Zavala is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Beginning July 26, Zavala began a stretch in which he made six starts behind the dish in seven games, but he's now been on the bench for four consecutive contests. With Zavala having mustered a lowly .439 OPS since the beginning of July, the White Sox appear to have pulled the plug on him as their primary catcher and have turned those duties back over to Yasmani Grandal.

Heim (wrist) played catch Saturday, his first activity since landing on the injured list, MLB.com reports.

Heim's injury may eventually require surgery, but the Rangers are hoping a period of rest will allow him to come back in a couple of weeks and put off surgery until the offseason. The switch-hitting Heim may be limited to hitting from the left side when he returns.

Jeffers went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a double and four total RBI in a 12-1 rout of the Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Jeffers' big offensive game included a two-run homer in the second inning, a run-scoring double in the third and a solo shot in the fifth. The backstop has gone deep three times in his past two contests, driving in six runs over that stretch. Jeffers remains in a timeshare with Christian Vazquez behind the plate, but the former's hot bat may result in him being in the lineup more often. Since the All-Star break, Jeffers is batting .421 (16-for-38) with four homers, nine runs, 11 RBI and three stolen bases over 13 contests.

Smith went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Padres.

Smith has hit safely in four straight games, and he's driven in a run in each of them. The homer was his first since July 7, while the steal was his second of the campaign. The catcher is slashing .276/.384/.474 with 14 long balls, 56 RBI, 57 runs scored and 17 doubles through 85 contests overall.

Jansen was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's game against the Red Sox with right wrist inflammation.

As Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star notes, Jansen was plunked on his wrist by a Shintaro Fujinami pitch during Wednesday's game. It would seem Jansen is still dealing with some lingering effects, which brings his availability for the rest of the weekend into question. Jansen has an .853 OPS and four homers in 16 games since the All-Star break.

Stephenson is not in the lineup for Saturday's game versus the Nationals.

Stephenson has a .528 OPS in 15 games since the All-Star break and will hit the bench Saturday for the second time in the past three games. Luke Maile will receive another start behind the plate for Cincinnati.

Garver is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Marlins.

Garver started the previous nine games and will receive a day off after he posted a 1.172 OPS with three homers during that stretch. Austin Hedges will take over behind the plate for Saturday's contest.

McCann went 3-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored, five RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 10-3 win over the Mets.

Facing the team that traded him this winter, McCann came through with his best performance of the season. He opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a two-run single, before adding a two-run double in the sixth and a final RBI single in the seventh as the Orioles pulled away. The veteran catcher had a tough first few months with Baltimore, but since returning from an ankle injury in early July he's batting .270 (10-for-37) with five doubles, five runs, eight RBI and a surprising two steals in 13 games.

Diaz went 2-for-5 with two RBI on Friday against the Cardinals.

Diaz came out of the All-Star break without much punch at the plate, though he's changed that across his last six games. In that span, he's collected 11 hits in 25 at-bats while also tacking on four RBI and two runs scored. Since C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk were dealt away, Diaz has hit cleanup twice, though he hit in his more customary sixth position Friday.

Moreno (shoulder) has begun hitting off a tee and hitting flips in the batting cage, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The Diamondbacks are hopeful that Moreno can ramp up further and begin taking practice by early next week. The catcher has exceeded the 10-day minimum and can be activated at any time.