MLB Player News

Raleigh will be on the bench Saturday against the Rays.

Raleigh has gone 5-for-12 with a pair of homers across his last three games but will hit the bench in favor of Brian O'Keefe. Raleigh's recent hot streak, which includes a 1.085 OPS over his last 16 games, has dragged his wRC+ up to 118, a near match for his 120 wRC+ from last season.

Perez went 3-for-5 with one RBI in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

Perez has a trio of multi-hit efforts over his six games in September, going 8-for-27 (.296) with seven RBI in that span. With Freddy Fermin (finger) going on the injured list for what could be a season-ending injury, Perez will likely move back behind the dish on a more permanent basis. The 33-year-old veteran has a .249/.289/.418 slash line with 21 home runs, 64 RBI, 53 runs scored and 19 doubles over 126 contests in what's been a bit of a down year.

Fermin was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left middle finger Saturday.

The Royals haven't given a timeline for Fermin's return, but given the timing, the injury seemingly has a good chance of being season-ending. If that's the case, Fermin will end the year with a .281/.321/.461 line in 70 games, good for a 107 wRC+. Tyler Cropley was called up to take his place on the roster and provide additional catching depth.

Rutschman went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in Friday's 11-2 win over the Red Sox.

The backstop played a big role in the rout, and he capped his night by hooking a solo shot off John Schreiber just inside Pesky's Pole in the eighth inning. Rutschman is having a strong finish to his second MLB season, slashing .290/.367/.443 through 33 games since the beginning of August with four of his 18 homers and 23 of his 70 RBI on the season.

O'Hoppe went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Guardians.

O'Hoppe has homered three times over 16 games since he returned from a shoulder injury. The catcher's sixth-inning blast got the Angels within a run Friday, but they couldn't pull even. He's up to seven long balls with a poor .223/.285/.446 slash line, 17 RBI and 10 runs scored across 123 plate appearances.

Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Rays.

Raleigh tied his home run total from last year (27) with his 418-foot blast off Taj Bradley in the fifth inning. The Seattle backstop leads all catchers in home runs, with Francisco Alvarez being the next closest at 22. Raleigh is slashing .235/.315/.475 through 125 games this season.

Pinto went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 7-4 win over Seattle.

Pinto's 108.7-mph home run in the seventh inning tied things up and chased George Kirby from the game. The backstop has seen increased playing time since Francisco Mejia was outrighted to Triple-A Durham on Aug. 28. Pinto has started six games and hit three home runs since then. He should continue to split time behind the plate with Christian Bethancourt.

Bethancourt isn't in the Rays' lineup Friday against Seattle.

Bethancourt will take a seat Friday after going 0-for-7 with five strikeouts across his last three games. Rene Pinto will start behind the dish and bat ninth.

Jeffers isn't in the Twins' lineup Friday against the Mets.

Jeffers will take a seat after having his three-game hitting streak snapped Thursday against Cleveland. Christian Vazquez will take his turn behind the dish and bat seventh.

Jansen underwent surgery Thursday to insert a pin into his fractured right middle finger, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Jansen's procedure will officially keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. The Blue Jays have not yet ruled out a return during the postseason, so there's still a chance Jansen is able to aid Toronto in its playoff run. He will finish the 2023 campaign with a .228/.312/.474 slash line alongside 17 homers and 53 RBI across 301 plate appearances.