MLB Player News

Kirk is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Guardians.

Kirk will hit the bench for the series opener after he had started in each of the last four games, with the most recent two coming at catcher while Danny Jansen (wrist) dealt with an injury. Jansen is back behind the plate Monday, but Kirk has made the case to remain part of a timeshare on the days he's not being used as a designated hitter. Though Kirk has been disappointing on the whole in 2023, he's in the midst of one of his best offensive stretches of the season. Dating back to July 20, Kirk has slashed .395/.500/.651 with three home runs and 8:4 BB:K in 13 games.

Jansen (wrist) will start at catcher and bat fifth in Monday's game against the Guardians.

Jansen will check back in behind the plate after an inflamed right wrist kept him out of the lineup the past two days. With Jansen back in the fold, Alejandro Kirk will head to the bench for the series opener in Cleveland.

Fermin went 2-for-4 with a double in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies.

Fermin closed out the weekend with a fourth consecutive two-hit game, and he's now slashing a blistering .388/.404/.714 with four home runs, eight RBI and 11 runs in 13 games since the All-Star break. An injury to Nick Pratto (groin) along with his own hot bat has allowed Fermin to take hold of a regular spot in the lineup alongside veteran catcher Salvador Perez, who has been seeing more time at first base and designated hitter of late. Perez is out of the lineup Monday in Boston due to what appears to be a minor hand injury, so Matt Beaty will fill in at first base while Fermin bats sixth and settles in behind the plate for what will be his fifth consecutive start.

Perez (hand) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox.

Though he'll be on the bench for the series opener at Fenway Park, Perez appears to have avoided a major injury scare after he was removed from Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Phillies when he was hit in the left hand by a pitch. X-rays later cleared Perez of any structural damage, so he'll be viewed as day-to-day while he heals up from the hand contusion. With Perez on the bench Monday, Freddy Fermin will start behind the plate while Matt Beaty gets the nod at first base.

Thaiss went 1-for-3 with a solo home run against Seattle in Sunday's extra-inning loss.

Thaiss hit a big solo shot in the seventh inning to tie the game 2-2, but the Mariners ended up pulling out the win in the the 10th frame. The long ball was Thaiss's first since July 18, a span of 13 games. The catcher struggled mightily during that stretch, slashing .103/.200/.103 with no extra-base hits and a 33.3 percent strikeout rate over 45 plate appearances. Thaiss has held onto the primary catcher role since Chad Wallach hasn't hit any better, but both will likely see their playing time reduced when Logan O'Hoppe (shoulder) is ready to return, likely near the end of August.

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Vazquez will give way to Ryan Jeffers behind the dish for the series opener. The two backstops have now alternated starts at catcher over the last eight games.

Bethancourt went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Tigers.

Bethancourt tallied his first multi-hit effort since June 30 and had just his second extra-base hit in his last 20 games. The 31-year-old has had a rough go at the plate this year, slashing .218/.251/.368 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 33 runs and an 11:63 BB:K in 248 plate appearances. Despite his struggles, Bethancourt faces little competition for starts behind the dish since Francisco Mejia (knee) went down with a sprained knee July 20.

O'Hoppe (shoulder) will report to Single-A Inland Empire this week to begin a rehab assignment, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.

O'Hoppe has been sidelined since late April while working his way back from surgery to repair a torn labrum. He's reached the final stage of his arduous recovery program by heading out on a rehab assignment, but because of his lengthy layoff, O'Hoppe will likely require most of the 20-day rehab window to regain his timing at the plate before he's activated from the 60-day injured list. Once he's activated, O'Hoppe could supplant Matt Thaiss as the Angels' everyday catcher.

Perez was diagnosed with a bruised left hand after exiting Sunday's game against the Phillies after two innings, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

While serving as the Royals' starting catcher Sunday, Perez went 1-for-1 with a base hit and a run before leaving the contest following his second plate appearance of the day, when he was hit in the hand by a pitch. Fortunately for the veteran backstop, initial scans ruled out any structural damage. Perez could be dealing with soreness or swelling to the hand, however, making it uncertain if he'll be ready to return to the lineup for Monday's series opener in Boston.

Perez was removed from Sunday's game against the Phillies after being hit by a pitch on the hand, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas Cityreports.

Perez ran the bases after being hit by a pitch during the top of the second inning but didn't take the field for the bottom of the frame. Freddy Fermin has taken over behind the plate, which forced the Royals to give up the designated hitter for the remainder of Sunday's contest. Perez is likely to undergo precautionary X-rays and should be considered day-to-day until more information is available.