MLB Player News

Kirk is not in the lineup for the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Kirk served as the catcher in the first game of the doubleheader, so it's no surprise that he'll get some rest. He's been in the lineup for five of seven games since being activated from the injured list June 29, though he's gone just 2-for-16 with no extra-base hits.

Smith is not in the lineup Thursday against the Pirates.

Smith will grab some rest after handling the catching duties in the first three games of the Dodgers' four-game set versus Pittsburgh. Austin Barnes is starting behind the plate and batting ninth in Thursday's series finale.

Realmuto is out of the lineup Thursday against the Rays.

Realmuto gets a breather after making seven straight starts behind the plate for the Phillies. Garrett Stubbs is at catcher in Thursday's series finale versus Tampa Bay.

Jansen isn't in Toronto's lineup for the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the White Sox.

Jansen is 3-for-13 with an RBI across his last four games, and he'll get a breather for the first game of Thursday's twin bill. Alejandro Kirk will take over behind the dish and bat eighth.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 10-9 loss to the Marlins.

Contreras has rattled off three straight multi-hit efforts, going 8-for-12 with three doubles and a home run in that short span. The catcher has shown brief flashes of breaking out at times this season, but his valleys in production have tended to be much longer than his peaks. For the season, he's at a .234/.324/.401 slash line with nine home runs, 34 RBI, 34 runs scored, 19 doubles and five stolen bases through 77 contests. Contreras may actually face more of a challenge for playing time while Andrew Knizner (groin) is out, as prospect Ivan Herrera will need some at-bats while in the big leagues.

Manager Mark Kotsay said Thursday that Perez will not require surgery on his fractured left thumb, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

He will, however, need to wear a splint for at least two weeks. There is no timetable for Perez's return to the Athletics' active roster.

Contreras is absent from the lineup Thursday against the Cubs.

It's a routine day of rest for Contreras, who had started at either catcher or DH in each of the Brewers' last four games. Victor Caratini is behind the plate Thursday and Jesse Winker is serving as Milwaukee's designated hitter.

Rogers is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.

The Tigers and Athletics are wrapping up their three-game series with a day game after a night game, so Rogers will get a breather after catching the last two contests. Eric Haase will form a battery with starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen.

Raleigh went 2-for-3 with a double in a loss to the Giants on Wednesday.

Raleigh's two-bagger was his first extra-base hit since June 25 and first double since June 14. The backstop has been inching his offensive numbers forward for the better part of the last month, however, producing a .270 average and .758 OPS across his last 18 games. That sample includes three home runs, seven RBI and a 23.9 percent strikeout rate, an improvement on the 26.3 percent figure he went into the stretch with.

Langeliers is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Detroit, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

It's a day game after a night game, so it's a natural spot for Langeliers to get a breather. Manny Pina is catching Hogan Harris.