MLB Player News
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Connor Wong C | BOS
Red Sox's Connor Wong: Knocks in lone run
Wong went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Friday's 1-0 win over the Yankees.
Wong played the hero in the seventh inning, knocking the second of back-to-back doubles to produce the game's lone run. It's been rough year for Wong, who lost his job as the starting catcher, but the bat has come around recently. He's 9-for-29 (.310) with three doubles and four RBI over the last nine contests.
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Gary Sanchez C | MIL
Orioles' Gary Sanchez: Moves to 60-day IL
The Orioles transferred Sanchez (knee) to the 60-day injured list Friday.
The veteran catcher was ruled out 8-to-10 weeks after being diagnosed with a right knee sprain in early July, so it's not a surprise he eventually made his way to the 60-day IL. Sanchez will be eligible to be reinstated in early September, though it's unclear if he's expected to be available at that point.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: On bench Friday
Basallo is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Basallo inked an eight-year extension with the Orioles earlier Friday, and he'll get the night off to rest after what interim manager Tony Mansolino called a "rigorous" medical examination leading up to the extension. The 21-year-old had started in three of four games since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, and he should be a near-everyday player going forward.
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Korey Lee C | CHW
White Sox's Korey Lee: Recalled from Triple-A
The White Sox recalled Lee from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.
Lee will join the active roster ahead of Friday's game against the Twins. The 27-year-old will be the third catcher on the depth chart behind rookies Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero. Lee has been in the minors since early June. Josh Rojas was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Lands $67 million deal with Orioles
Basallo and the Orioles are finalizing an eight-year, $67 million contract extension Friday, which includes a club option for 2034, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 21-year-old is one of the top prospects in baseball and was called up for his MLB debut last weekend, and the Orioles wasted little time locking him in long term. Basallo has gone 4-for-14 with a double and five RBI in his first four big-league games after posting a .966 OPS with 23 homers in 76 contests for Triple-A Norfolk this year. The extension maxes out at $88.5 million if the option is exercised and all the escalators are achieved. With Adley Rutschman (oblique) landing on the injured list Thursday, Basallo is poised to operate as Baltimore's No. 1 catcher for the immediate future, though the rookie is also likely to see a lot of time at designated hitter.
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Ali Sanchez C | BOS
Red Sox's Ali Sanchez: Clears waivers
Sanchez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday.
Sanchez lost his roster spot Monday and went unclaimed on waivers. He'll likely spend the rest of the season with Worcester, though he could be a depth option for the big-league club.
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Yainer Diaz C | HOU
Astros' Yainer Diaz: Goes yard Thursday
Diaz went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Orioles.
Diaz provided the Astros' last runs of the game in the third inning. He's been fairly steady of late, going 11-for-35 (.314) with two homers and five RBI over his last nine games. For the season, the catcher is up to 18 homers, 55 RBI, 46 runs scored, one stolen base and a .254/.283/.419 slash line across 114 games.
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Adley Rutschman C | BAL
Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Lands on IL with strained oblique
The Orioles placed Rutschman on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a mild right oblique strain, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Rutschman missed time earlier this season with a left oblique strain, and now he'll be down at least until late August after tweaking his other oblique. Samuel Basallo is doing the catching for the Orioles on Thursday and will be the everyday guy behind the dish while Rutschman is out.
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Jonah Heim C | ATL
Rangers' Jonah Heim: Nabbing sixth straight start
Heim will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Royals.
Heim will be included in the lineup for a sixth straight game, but he's likely to see his playing time tail off after Kyle Higashioka returned to the starting nine behind the plate in Wednesday's 6-3 win. Before playing Wednesday, Higashioka had missed out on three consecutive starts due to a hamstring injury, and though he's out of the lineup Thursday, his absence appears to be mostly for maintenance purposes as the Rangers wrap up their series in Kansas City with a day game. Heim will head into the series finale with a four-game hitting streak, but Higashioka has been the far more productive hitter of the two catchers since the All-Star break, posting a .902 OPS to Heim's .654 mark over that same stretch.