MLB Player News

The Guardians placed Hedges on the 7-day concussion injured list Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The head injury likely explains why Hedges was withheld from the lineup for back-to-back games Sunday and Monday, even though he's operated as the Guardians' No. 1 backstop throughout the season. Cleveland acquired Sandy Leon from Cincinnati on Tuesday to add some depth behind the plate while Hedges is sidelined, but Luke Maile will likely serve as the Guardians' primary backstop in the short term.

Jeffers is out of the lineup for the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader in Cleveland.

Gary Sanchez will get the nod behind the plate for the early game, setting Jeffers up to catch for rookie starting pitcher Josh Winder in the nightcap. Jeffers went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Monday in the Twins' 11-1 win in the series opener.

Sanchez went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Monday's 11-1 rout of the Guardians.

He got the Twins rolling with a three-run shot off Triston McKenzie in the second inning. Sanchez hasn't managed to turn things around in his first season with Minnesota -- in fact, his 6.5 percent walk rate would be the worst mark of his career -- but he can still punish mistakes. Through 58 games this season, he's slashing .227/.289/.436 with nine homers and 34 RBI.

Garver went 2-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Monday's 10-4 win over the Royals.

The home run comes one day after Garver acknowledged the need for surgery to address a right forearm injury that has prevented him from catching since early May. Since then, he's served as the DH and batted .211. The Rangers mentioned having surgery during the season, which would wipe out the rest of 2022. That decision should come no later than the All-Star break. Jonah Heim has served as the primary catcher since early May and should continue to do so going forward.

Thaiss was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday.

Thaiss has spent the bulk of this season at catcher after converting back to the position he played in college, though he's up to replace Matt Duffy (back), so he may be needed more in the infield for now. He hasn't swung a particularly hot bat at the Triple-A level this season, as his .265/.365/.444 line is merely good for a 104 wRC+, and he hasn't been good in 64 career major-league games, either, hitting .200/.289/.394 (80 wRC+).

McGuire isn't starting Monday's game against the Angels.

McGuire started in two consecutive games during the White Sox's weekend series against the Orioles but went 0-for-4. He'll be on the bench for a second consecutive matchup while Seby Zavala starts behind the plate and bats seventh.

Jansen (finger) was spotted tracking pitches during live batting practice Monday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.

Jansen had been limited to hitting off a tee a week ago, but he looks as though he might be ready to take full swings in the near future. The Blue Jays will likely assess Jansen over a series of workouts this week before potentially mapping out a minor-league rehab assignment for the 27-year-old catcher.

Hedges will sit Monday against Minnesota.

Hedges finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row. His .494 OPS makes it hard to justify his everyday role, though Luke Maile, who starts again Monday, has a similarly uninspiring .572 OPS and doesn't share Hedges' defensive reputation, so a permanent change to the depth chart seems unlikely.

Kirk went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's loss against the Brewers.

Kirk launched a three-run blast in the first inning that scored George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero, the only runs that Toronto would score in the loss. The homer was Kirk's fourth in five games. Additionally, the catcher has nine hits during that span, including two two-hit performances and a four-hit game. Kirk is now slashing .322/.409/.523 on the season to go along with 10 home runs.

Heim went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in a 6-4 loss to the Nationals on Sunday.

Heim hit his 10th home run of the year to tie his season total from 2021. The 26-year-old catcher has taken 171 at-bats to reach the double-digit home run mark, compared to 265 at-bats a year ago. The increased home-run rate combined with a serviceable .246 average make him a player of interest in two-catcher fantasy leagues.