MLB Player News

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.

Rutschman went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

The Orioles had just six hits Sunday, and Rutschman supplied four of them, including his eighth-inning solo shot. He also has a five-hit game to his name this season, though he went just 5-for-27 between his two biggest contests of the young campaign. The 25-year-old catcher is slashing .389/.476/.556 with two homers, six RBI and five runs scored through nine games.

Raleigh went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run, a walk and an additional run in an extra-innings loss to the Guardians on Sunday.

Raleigh's 375-foot shot to right with Ty France aboard in the second inning opened the scoring on the afternoon. The power-hitting backstop has already laced four of his eight hits for extra bases, and Sunday's homer helped him snap a brief 1-for-13 skid that had encompassed his previous three games.

Kirk is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Angels, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk will get a day of rest Sunday while Danny Jansen gets the start behind the plate. The 24-year-old has gotten off to a slow start with the bat to begin 2023 with a .182/.308/.182 slash line over 22 at-bats in six games.