MLB Player News

Kirk went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Tigers.

After the catcher got the Blue Jays on the board in the second inning with an RBI single, Kirk jumped all over a Mason Englert offering in the eighth inning and drove it down the left-field line for a three-run shot. It's the first homer, and first multi-hit game, of the season for the 24-year-old. Kirk is batting just .222 (6-for-27) through eight contests.

Langeliers went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in a loss to the Orioles on Tuesday.

Langeliers gave Oakland a 7-3 lead with a three-run homer off Austin Voth in the fifth inning. The backstop has now gone deep twice in 2023 while driving in four runs along with a .222/.263/.389 slash over 36 at-bats in 10 games. This was Langeliers' first multi-RBI game of the young season.

Heim went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run during Tuesday's 8-5 win against the Royals.

Heim was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts before coming to the plate with two runners on during the 10th inning, but he turned his evening around with a walkoff homer. It's the second straight day with a long ball for the 27-year-old, and he now has a .276/.300/.517 slash line with two home runs, six RBI and seven runs through eight games this season.

Rutschman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 5-1 win over the Athletics.

Rutschman's third-inning blast gave the Orioles a 3-1 lead. The catcher has hit safely in eight of 10 games so far, and he's slashing .375/.457/.600 with three homers, seven RBI, six runs scored and a 6:9 BB:K. He's playing nearly every day between catcher and designated hitter, and he's shown some clear growth in the power department after he hit a just-okay 13 long balls over 113 contests last season.

Heim went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Monday's 11-2 victory over the Royals.

Heim hit one of thee Rangers homers in the contest, hammering a 413-foot solo shot in the fourth inning. The backstop went deep 16 times last season, establishing some moderate fantasy value given the shallow position that he plays. Heim has swung the bat relatively well so far in 2023, slashing .292/.320/.458 through 25 plate appearances. He may see more time behind the plate in the short term with Mitch Garver (knee) going on the injured list Monday.

Raleigh is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs.

Raleigh started each of the Mariners' last five games at either catcher or designated hitter, going 4-for-19 with a home run, four walks and three RBI. He'll get the night off Monday while Tom Murphy receives a turn behind the plate and Cooper Hummel serves as Seattle's DH.

The Rangers selected Leon's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday.

Leon will serve as Jonah Heim's backup while Mitch Garver (knee) is sidelined. The 34-year-old has a career .592 OPS over parts of 11 major-league seasons.

The Rangers placed Garver on the 10-day injured list Monday with a mild left knee sprain.

There's no immediate word on a timetable, but given how Garver's injury is being labeled, he wouldn't seem to be at risk of a long-term absence. Sandy Leon has been called up from Triple-A Round Rock to take Garver's spot on the active roster and will serve as the backup to No. 1 catcher Jonah Heim.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-5 with a solo home run Sunday in a 10-inning loss to Toronto.

O'Hoppe gave the Angels what appeared to be a secure six-run lead with his 424-foot solo shot in the fourth inning. The rookie backstop has taken advantage of near-everyday playing time that became available when Max Stassi (hip) opened the campaign on the injured list, as he is tied for the team lead with nine RBI. Among big-league catchers, O'Hoppe is tied with Will Smith for the lead in homers with three on the campaign.

Stassi (hip) has been able to participate in some baseball activities lately, Angels manager Phil Nevin told MLB.com Sunday.

Stassi is making some progress with the hip injury which has forced an IL stint to start the season, but it's not clear when he might be ready for a rehab assignment. Also complicating a potential return date is the catcher dealing with an ongoing family emergency. It's possible Stassi could be back before the end of April, but that's hardly set in stone.