MLB Player News

Bleday went 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs in a win over the Mets on Tuesday.

One game after unloading for his 14th home run of the season and crossing the 40-RBI mark, Bleday got it done in small-ball style Tuesday. The hot-hitting outfielder lifted his OBP on the season to .326 with his three trips on the basepaths, and he now boasts a .333 average and .956 OPS with five extra-base hits, five RBI and nine runs across his last 13 games.

Kelly will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game versus the Red Sox.

Kelly will get his second straight start and fourth start over the last five games after beginning his Rangers career by going 7-for-21 with a home run. Jonah Heim remains the favorite to see the bulk of the starts at catcher for Texas over the remainder of the season, but the Rangers are riding the hot hand for now.

Heim is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Boston.

Heim has now been on the bench for two straight games and in four of the last five contests in favor of Carson Kelly. It's unlikely there's a changing of the guard at catcher, but Kelly looks set to play more than former No. 2 backstop Andrew Knizner did. Heim is in a 8-for-47 (.170 average) drought at the plate.

Gelof went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base in a win over the Mets on Tuesday.

Gelof operated out of the No. 7 spot in the order and continued his recent encouraging stretch of hitting. The steal was also Gelof's first in the six games since he recorded pilfers in back-to-back contests Aug. 4-5. Gelof has edged his season average back over the Mendoza Line to .202 with the surge, but he still has plenty of ground to make up over the last month and a half of the regular season to even get into the neighborhood of his rookie-season figures of a .267 average and .841 OPS.

Jung is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game in Boston.

Jung is batting just .194 with a 14:0 K:BB over his last 31 plate appearances, so he'll get a day to regroup. Josh Smith will handle third base for the Rangers while Adolis Garcia settles into the designated hitter slot.

Brown went 1-for-5 with a three-run double in a win over the Mets on Tuesday.

Brown flipped the switch for what has become an increasingly productive Athletics offense, coming through with the bases loaded in the first inning to give Oakland an early 3-0 lead. The outfielder continues to struggle overall in August, however, as he still carries just a .174 average during the month across 24 plate appearances.

Wong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

Wong will get a rest after he started at catcher each of the past three days while going 4-for-12 with a home run, a double, a walk, three RBI and three runs. Danny Jansen will check in for Wong behind the plate in the series finale.

Duran will start in left field and bat leadoff Wednesday against the Rangers after being reinstated from his two-game suspension.

The Red Sox handed Duran a two-game, unpaid ban after he was heard using a homophobic slur toward a heckler during Sunday's loss to the Astros. The suspension was announced after the Red Sox consulted with Major League Baseball on the matter, so Duran isn't expected to be subject to any further discipline from the team or the league. The reigning All-Star Game MVP is back in action for the series finale with the Rangers in his customary leadoff spot.

Dingler is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Mariners, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Jake Rogers will make a second straight start at catcher after Dingler had started both of the two games prior to that. The two have split the catching duties evenly, with both getting seven starts apiece since Dingler was promoted from Triple-A Toledo on July 29.

Malloy is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Malloy has now sat out both contests since Kerry Carpenter was reinstated from the injured list Tuesday. Carpenter has served as the Tigers' designated hitter both times, so Malloy could see his playing time tick back up if Detroit elects to deploy Carpenter in right field more frequently down the road.