MLB Player News

Murphy went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's victory over the Red Sox.

Murphy has been red hot for the past week, going 10-for-22 (.455) with a pair of homers in his last six games. The 32-year-old backstop now has a 1.294 OPS since June 23 (17 games). Murphy's hot stretch has earned him a larger share of the workload behind the plate, with Cal Raleigh seeing more time at DH. Overall, Murphy's slash line is up to .300/.340/.577 with eight homers, 17 runs scored and 16 RBI across 141 plate appearances this season.

Jansen is not in the lineup Thursday against the Orioles.

Alejandro Kirk will start at catcher and hit sixth for the Blue Jays as they take on right-hander Jack Flaherty in his O's debut. Brandon Belt is serving as the Jays' designated hitter and batting second.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Heim (wrist) could begin taking dry swings next week, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Heim was placed on the injured list last Friday because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. It's only a partial tear, though, and the 28-year-old catcher expressed optimism after a visit with hand specialist Dr. Don Sheridan that he could delay surgery until the offseason -- or even avoid it altogether. If everything goes smoothly once he resumes baseball activities, Heim might be able to return to the Rangers before the end of August.

Alvarez is not in the lineup Thursday at Kansas City.

Omar Narvaez will start behind the plate and bat seventh for the visiting Mets as Alvarez grabs a bit of rest. The 21-year--old catcher boasts a .997 OPS with nine home runs and 18 RBI in 22 games (86 plate appearances) since the beginning of July.

Fortes is out of the lineup Thursday versus the Phillies.

Fortes has claimed a larger share of the catching duties in Miami over the last several weeks, but he'll grab a seat Thursday as Jacob Stallings takes a turn behind the dish. Both backstops have struggled offensively this year.

Realmuto (hand) is batting sixth and starting behind the plate Thursday against the Marlins.

He was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a cut on his hand and was also held out Wednesday. Realmuto is hitting .240 with four home runs, 14 runs, 14 RBI and two steals in his last 75 at-bats.

Huff started at catcher and went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Wednesday's 11-1 win over the White Sox.

Huff recorded hits in his first three plate appearances in what was his best game of the season. He's scuffled in multiple short stints in the majors this season, most recently going 1-for-11 over five games during his third tour. With Jonah Heim (wrist) landing on the injured list, Huff and Mitch Garver are splitting the catching chores. The Rangers have since added defensive specialist Austin Hedges, but according to Justice delos Santos and Kennedi Landry of MLB.com, the Garver/Huff duo will continue to get the bulk of playing time behind the plate, while Hedges gives manager Bruce Bochy roster and lineup flexibility until Heim returns.

Langeliers went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's 10-1 loss to the Dodgers.

Langeliers' third-inning blast helped the Athletics avoid getting shut out, but that was the only bright spot in the contest. The catcher snapped his 16-game homer drought with the blast, his 11th of the season. He's maintained a .203/.268/.373 slash line with 36 RBI, 36 runs scored, a stolen base, 14 doubles and three triples over 92 contests in his first full major-league season.

Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's 6-3 victory over the Red Sox.

Raleigh got Seattle's comeback effort started Wednesday with a two-run homer off John Schreiber in the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 3-2. It's Raleigh's third home run in his last three games and his 17th of the year. The 26-year-old backstop has been swinging a hot bat of late -- he's now 12-for-37 (.324) with four long balls in his last 10 contests. Overall, Raleigh's now slashing .230/.308/.447 with 50 runs scored and 45 RBI across 354 plate appearances this season.

Rogers recorded a pinch-hit home run in Wednesday's win over the Pirates.

Rogers took a seat to begin the game, with Eric Haase getting the start behind the plate, but the former made an impact in his lone at-bat during the eighth inning. Rogers now has 13 home runs and a .748 OPS this season, compared to just three long balls and a .506 OPS for Haase. The superior offensive performance should keep Rogers in the lineup most days moving forward.