MLB Player News

Dingler went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 8-0 win over the Mariners.

This was Dingler's fourth multi-hit effort in his last eight games, a span in which he has gone 11-for-40 (.275) with two homers and seven RBI. That's right in line with the catcher's season-long production -- he's hitting .272 with an .855 OPS through 104 contests. Dingler has added 24 homers, 73 RBI, 60 runs scored, 22 doubles and two triples to cement his place as one of the top offensive catchers in the league this year.

The Rays optioned Piper to Double-A Montgomery on Tuesday, though he'll remain with the big-league club through Wednesday's series finale in Colorado as a member of the taxi squad.

The 28-year-old was promoted Monday to provide catching depth in the wake of Hunter Feduccia's departure at the trade deadline, but trade-acquisition Liam Hicks has quickly joined the active roster. Piper started Monday's contest and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in his major-league debut. He should return to Montgomery later this week, as long as Hicks and backup Nick Fortes stay healthy.

Manager Craig Albernaz said Tuesday that Basallo (shoulder) is close to participating in both his catching and hitting progressions and could be cleared for a rehab assignment within the next two weeks, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The 21-year-old was shut down in late July after receiving an injection to help his right shoulder inflammation, and he appears close to being cleared for most baseball activities. Given that he'll require a rehab assignment and still has at least a few steps before getting to that point, Basallo is tracking toward a return from the injured list in the second half of August.

The Mariners recalled Pereda from Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

The Mariners have released Mitch Garver and will carry Pereda as their backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. Pereda has slashed .270/.324/.365 with two homers in 63 plate appearances with Seattle this season.

Kirk went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 3-1 victory over the Astros.

Kirk opened the scoring with a solo shot over the left-field wall in the second inning. The catcher is in the midst of a 10-game on-base streak, during which he has clubbed two homers and driven in six runs. The 27-year-old is slowly trending in the right direction amid an injury-affected and otherwise lackluster campaign. Kirk is slashing .237/.318/.359 with four homers, 15 RBI and 10 runs across 39 contests.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants.

Diaz will get a breather after he started behind the plate in the final two games of the Rangers' weekend series in Houston. Austin Wynn will handle catching duties Monday.

The Rays selected Piper's contract from Double-A Montgomery on Monday. He'll start at catcher and bat eighth in the series opener against the Rockies.

The Rays traded Hunter Feduccia to the Dodgers on Monday, and while they also brought in Liam Hicks from the Marlins, Hicks won't be able to join the team in time for Monday's game. As a result, Piper was brought aboard to give the Rays another option beyond Nick Fortes at catcher, though Piper could be sent back to the minors as soon as Hicks joins the team. Piper, 28, has slashed .253/.358/.498 with 11 home runs and 11 steals in 64 games at Double-A this season.

The White Sox optioned Quero to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

After acquiring catcher Joey Bart on Monday, the White Sox have optioned Quero to Charlotte. In 193 plate appearances this season, Quero has slashed .194/.257/.235 with two home runs and 16 RBI. The White Sox will operate with Bart and Drew Romo behind the plate for now, with Kyle Teel (ankle) on the injured list for an extended period.

The White Sox acquired Bart from Atlanta on Monday in exchange for right-hander Duncan Davitt, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Bart's time in Atlanta had an expiration date with Sean Murphy (finger) due back from the injured list this week, and the 29-year-old ended up landing in what appears to be a favorable spot for his playing-time outlook. With Kyle Teel (ankle) likely to be out until at least early September, Bart could immediately emerge as the No. 1 catcher in Chicago, as the White Sox have received little in the way of production from either Drew Romo (.504 OPS in 151 plate appearances) or Edgar Quero (.492 OPS in 193 plate appearances) this season. Bart, meanwhile, has supplied a .226/.303/.377 slash line in 119 plate appearances between stops with Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

The Red Sox acquired Rogers, catcher Adley Rutschman (wrist) and cash from the Orioles on Monday in exchange for catcher Carlos Narvaez, right-handers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Enddy Azocar and a player to be named later, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Rogers will be on the move for the second time in less than a week, after he played in just three games for the Orioles after being acquired from the Tigers last Thursday. While with Boston, he'll likely form a timeshare with Connor Wong at catcher in the short term, but Rogers could be in danger of being designated for assignment once Rutschman is ready to come off the injured list. Between his stops with Detroit and Baltimore, Rogers has posted an abysmal .163/.270/.296 batting line over 116 plate appearances, but he's valued mainly for his game-calling ability and defensive savvy more so than anything he does with the bat.