MLB Player News

Kirk is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Nationals.

Kirk started the previous two games and will get a breather Tuesday after going 2-for-7 with a walk and a strikeout. Brandon Valenzuela will step in behind the plate to catch veteran righty Shane Bieber while batting sixth.

Basallo (shoulder) will be reassessed to resume baseball activities during the Orioles' upcoming homestand, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Basallo has been shut down from all activities due to an inflamed right shoulder that sent him to the injured list last Wednesday. The Orioles will begin a series at home against Philadelphia on Friday. At that point, Basallo could be cleared to begin ramping up, and a clearer timeline for his return may be established.

Rutschman (wrist) will be reassessed to begin baseball activities during the Orioles' upcoming homestand, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Rutschman landed on the injured list July 20 and was cleared to throw over the weekend, but he has yet to resume catching or begin any other sort of activity. The earliest he can be evaluated is Friday when the O's return to Baltimore to play the Phillies, and he will likely require a ramp-up period and a rehab assignment before returning to action.

The Yankees signed Bethancourt to a minor-league contract Tuesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Bethancourt had been at Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs organization before being released earlier this month. The 34-year-old is a career .229/.259/.362 hitter across parts of eight big-league seasons, though he hasn't seen any action in the majors since 2024.

The Athletics announced that Langeliers underwent a successful medial meniscectomy Tuesday in Los Angeles and also received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his right knee, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Gallegos previously reported Monday that Langeliers was expected to undergo a meniscus repair, but the catcher instead required a trim of the meniscus. A meniscectomy typically entails a recovery period of about 3-to-6 weeks, and given that timeline, the Athletics haven't officially ruled Langeliers out for the season. That said, manager Mark Kotsay already told Jason Burke of Roundtable.io on Monday that he expects Langeliers to be shut down for the remainder of the 2026 campaign, and the 44-62 Athletics will have little incentive to rush the All-Star backstop back into action at the tail end of the season even if his rehab goes swimmingly. Jonah Heim is poised to take over as the Athletics' primary catcher in Langeliers' absence.

Heim went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Red Sox.

Heim crushed a solo shot to center field in the sixth inning, his 10th homer of the season. It's been a fairly lackluster July for the switch hitter, as he's slashing .197/.229/.348 with three homers, 12 RBI and five runs scored across 17 contests this month. With Shea Langeliers (knee) likely out for the remainder of the season, Heim is in line to serve as the Athletics' primary catcher moving forward.

Sanchez went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run against the White Sox in a 9-5 win Monday.

Sanchez went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in his first three plate appearances, but he redeemed himself in the eighth inning with a three-run blast to left field that increased New York's lead from two runs to five. The home run was the first of the journeyman's big-league career in his 75th regular-season game. The Yankees have faced a left-handed starter on four consecutive days, and Sanchez has started three of those contests, so he appears to be working on the short side of a platoon with Austin Wells behind the plate.

Diaz is not in the Astros' starting lineup against the Angels on Monday.

Diaz will grab a seat for Monday's series opener while Christian Vazquez starts behind home plate and bats ninth while forming a battery with right-hander Tatsuya Imai. Diaz has gone 3-for-24 with two runs and five strikeouts over six games since the All-Star break.

Langeliers will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right meniscus, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Langeliers might have had a chance at making a late-season return if he required a meniscectomy or trim of the meniscus, but he'll end up being shut down for the season since he'll require a full repair, which typically carries a recovery timeline of 3-to-6 months. With Langeliers on the shelf, Jonah Heim will serve as the Athletics' starting catcher moving forward, while Brian Serven operates in a backup role. Langeliers will conclude his 2026 campaign with a .263/.332/.497 slash line, 23 home runs, two stolen bases, 51 RBI and 55 runs in 93 games.

Heineman will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Astros.

Logan O'Hoppe started each of the last two days versus lefties, but this will be the third straight start for the switch-hitting Heineman against a righty. Heineman is 7-for-27 with a 3:3 BB:K in 11 games since joining the Angels in mid-June.