MLB Player News

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said that Grandal was removed from Tuesday's 7-0 loss to the Blue Jays due to back spasms and is considered day-to-day, James Fegan of The Athletic reports. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout before leaving.

The backstop was replaced by Seby Zavala in the loss. Grifol believes that Grandal could catch in an emergency, and the skipper doesn't think that the team will have to make a roster move. Even so, Grandal will most likely sit out Wednesday's series finale.

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

Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers have now alternated turns behind the dish for the eighth consecutive game, with both backstops drawing four starts apiece. Manager Rocco Baldelli hasn't indicated whether this trend will continue for the balance of the season, or if it's merely a byproduct of Jeffers swinging a hotter bat early on to earn some extra opportunities. Entering Tuesday, Jeffers holds a 269-point edge over Vazquez in OPS, though Jeffers' .471 BABIP and 31.2 percent strikeout rate suggests he's a candidate to regress sooner or later.

Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Astros, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Bethancourt appears to have settled in as the Rays' preferred starter behind the plate, but like most catchers, he'll still be subject to at least a couple days off per week. Francisco Mejia will form a battery with starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen on Tuesday while Bethancourt heads to the bench.

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

Danny Jansen is handling catching duties and Brandon Belt is serving as the Blue Jays' designated hitter, closing off Kirk's two avenues to playing time. Kirk is most likely just receiving a breather after he started at either catcher or DH each of the previous three days.

McCann is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.

McCann is back on the bench after he had been included in the lineup each of the past three days, making two starts at catcher and one as a designated hitter. The Orioles' lack of an everyday DH means that manager Brandon Hyde will likely continue to rotate several players at that spot, including No. 1 catcher Adley Rutschman. As such, McCann could continue to play more than most No. 2 catchers around the league, though he's still unlikely to see enough playing time to warrant attention outside of AL-only leagues.

Wong is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Orioles, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

With Reese McGuire (hand) cleared to start Tuesday, Wong will get a breather after starting behind the plate each of the past three days. Wong still looks like Boston's nominal No. 1 catcher, though his pedestrian .549 OPS could soon cost him playing time since McGuire (.850 OPS) has soundly outperformed him at the dish.

McGuire (hand) will start at catcher and bat ninth in Tuesday's game in Baltimore, Tyler Milliken of 98.5 The Sports Hub Boston reports.

McGuire was out of commission for a couple days after taking a foul tip off the hand, but he's fine. He'll catch starting pitcher Corey Kluber on Tuesday while No. 1 backstop Connor Wong gets a breather.

Bethancourt went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored Monday against the Astros.

Bethancourt started the season in an even split behind the plate with Francisco Mejia, but the former has now started six of the last eight games behind the plate. He's earned that extra run, as he's in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .400 with three homers, eight RBI and seven runs scored. Overall, Bethancourt has maintained a 170 wRC+ and a .409 wOBA across 54 plate appearances on the campaign.

O'Hoppe (shoulder) is set to undergo surgery on his torn labrum Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

O'Hoppe is expected to miss 4-to-6 months after being diagnosed with the tear over the weekend. The 23-year-old could return to the Angels before the end of the season, but is just as likely -- if not more so -- to not return to the Angels in 2024.

Heim is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Reds.

After making four consecutive starts behind the plate, Heim will get a day off as the Rangers open a three-game set in Cincinnati. Sandy Leon will draw the start at catcher and will bat eighth Monday.