MLB Player News
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Matt Thaiss C | TB
Rays' Matt Thaiss: DFA'd by Tampa Bay
The Rays designated Thaiss for assignment Friday.
Despite Danny Jansen being traded to Milwaukee on Monday, the Rays added to their backstop depth by acquiring Nick Fortes from the Marlins and Hunter Feduccia from the Dodgers. Thaiss is slashing .218/.349/.288 with one steal, one home run and 16 RBI in 190 plate appearances this season.
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Pedro Pages C | STL
Cardinals' Pedro Pages: Not starting Friday
Pages is not in the Cardinals' starting lineup against the Padres on Friday.
Pages has struggled at the plate in his eight appearances since the All-Star break, going 4-for-28 (.143) with two RBI over that span. He'll be on the bench for a second straight game, and he may be losing out on the starting job to Yohel Pozo, who will start behind home plate and bat eighth in Friday's bout.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Not in Friday's lineup
Alvarez is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Giants.
Alvarez has passed the concussion protocol since being struck in the helmet by a foul tip Wednesday, but he'll still be held out of the lineup for Friday's series opener versus San Francisco. Luis Torrens is starting behind the plate and batting eighth for New York.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: On base five times Thursday
Murphy went 2-for-2 with three walks, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's 12-11 extra-inning win over the Reds.
Getting the start behind the plate and batting sixth, Murphy had a perfect night as part of a 13-hit barrage from Atlanta. The veteran catcher got regular playing time in July as both he and rookie Drake Baldwin saw plenty of action at DH, but the fact that Marcell Ozuna remains on the roster after the trade deadline will likely cost Murphy at-bats over the final two months of the campaign. Over 82 plate appearances in July, Murphy slashed .250/.366/.559 with six doubles, five homers, 12 runs and 15 RBI.
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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Launches 42nd homer
Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 6-0 win over the Rangers.
Raleigh didn't homer in the Mariners' three-game series versus the Athletics to begin the week, but he made up for it with a blast off Kumar Rocker in the fifth inning of Thursday's contest. Raleigh has four homers over his last nine games and a total of 42 long balls on the year. The catcher has added a .257/.364/.611 slash line with 88 RBI, 72 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. He batted second in this game, and there may be some movement in the Mariners' lineup after the acquisitions of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez, especially while J.P. Crawford is in a slump.
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Miguel Amaya C | CHC
Cubs' Miguel Amaya: Shifts to 60-day IL
Amaya (oblique) was moved to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.
Amaya has been sidelined since May 25 with an oblique issue but has been on a rehab assignment since July 21. This move shouldn't affect his timeline to return significantly, but it does open a short-term spot on the 40-man roster for Willi Castro.
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Jesus Rodriguez C | SF
Yankees' Jesus Rodriguez: Going to San Francisco
Rodriguez was traded from the Yankees to the Giants on Thursday along with Parks Harber and Trystan Vrieling in exchange for Camilo Doval, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.
Rodriguez is essentially a big-league ready catching option, albeit one with limited power and a slight frame. The 5-foot-10 Rodriguez is slashing .317/.409/.430 with five home runs, 16 steals, a 12.7 percent walk rate and a 15.2 percent strikeout rate in 78 games at Triple-A. His speed and hit tool could make him useful in deeper leagues, especially if he finds his way into a large role, although that doesn't seem likely barring a Patrick Bailey injury. Rodriguez is also capable of playing third base and has started 19 games there this year at Triple-A.
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Brandon Valenzuela C | TOR
Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela: Shipped to Toronto
The Blue Jays acquired Valenzuela from the Padres on Thursday in exchange for Will Wagner.
Valenzuela has slashed .229/.313/.387 with 12 homers over 87 contests at Double-A San Antonio this season. The 24-year-old catcher looks to be mostly a depth addition for Toronto.
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Edgleen Perez C | PIT
Pirates' Edgleen Perez: Heading to Pittsburgh
Perez was traded from the Yankees to the Pirates on Thursday along with Rafael Flores and Brian Sanchez in exchange for David Bednar, Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic reports.
Perez was a prospect of note coming into the year after logging a 136 wRC+ as an 18-year-old catcher in the Florida Complex League in 2024. However, his stock has fallen during his full-season debut, as he is slashing .209/.368/.236 with zero home runs and five steals in 83 games. He is still making good swing decisions (0.92 BB/K), but Perez has just eight extra-base hits (all doubles) without missing any time this year.
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Freddy Fermin C | SD
Padres' Freddy Fermin: Headed to San Diego
The Royals traded Fermin to the Padres on Thursday in exchange for Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Fermin has slashed .255/.309/.339 with three homers, 12 RBI and 17 runs scored across 208 plate appearances with the Royals this season. While those numbers don't exactly jump off the page, they're still good enough to make him the frontrunner for starts behind the plate in San Diego over Elias Diaz (.577 OPS) and Martin Maldonado (.572 OPS).