MLB Player News

Stassi went 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Red Sox.

The catcher took Nathan Eovaldi deep in the first inning, Stassi's first homer since June 13 and his sixth of the year. Despite the power outage and his troubles staying healthy in the first half, the 30-year-old is still headed for a career year with a .312/.390/.523 slash line through 36 games.

Rogers went 2-for-4 with a triple and a solo home run in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers.

Rogers is known more for his defensive ability at catcher, but he's held his own at the plate so far this season, as he now has five home runs and a .773 OPS through 31 games. He posted a .481 OPS in 35 games last year, so he's shown marked improvement offensively. Rogers should continue to see regular playing time behind the plate, though Eric Haase remains in the mix.

Haase went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers.

Haase pinch hit in the seventh inning and promptly hit his 12th home run of the season. Considering he came into the year with one career MLB long ball, the power has been a pleasant surprise. Haase should continue to rotate into the lineup at catcher and in the outfield, and given how productive he's been offensively, he figures to see fairly regular playing time moving forward.

The White Sox recalled Zavala from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The 27-year-old will serve as the backup catcher while Yasmani Grandal (knee) misses at least a month. Zavala has hit just .178 in 118 at-bats with Charlotte in 2021, but he has homered five times and drawn 19 walks. He made his major-league debut in 2020 with the White Sox, recording one hit while striking out nine times in 12 at-bats.

Grandal is expected to miss four to six weeks with a torn tendon in his left knee, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The catcher falls victim to a knee injury in his first game back from a relatively minor calf ailment. Specifics about Grandal's return timeline should become available in a few weeks. Zack Collins will be the White Sox's starting catcher, with Seby Zavala, whom the team recalled Tuesday, serving as the backup.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said Tuesday that Kirk (hip) is "100 percent healthy" but will remain on his rehab assignment for now, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk had been dealing with left hip flexor discomfort since the start of May, and he's gone 5-for-13 with a home run, a double, four walks, three RBI and four runs across five rehab games at Triple-A Buffalo. The catcher will remain on the 60-day injured list for now to get some extra plate appearances in the minors, but he should be available to return to the Blue Jays in the near future.

Grandal (calf) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Twins.

The catcher was seen with crutches following Monday's contest, so it's no surprise he isn't playing Tuesday. It remains unclear how severe this calf injury is, but with the All-Star break nearing, an IL stint for Grandal seems likely. Zack Collins is catching Tuesday and will likely do so as long as Grandal is out.

Heim is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against the Tigers.

Heim will get a breather a day after blasting his fourth homer of the season. John Hicks will get the start behind the plate and bat fifth against right-hander Jose Urena.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Monday's 5-4 win over the Angels that Vazquez would be out of the lineup Tuesday for rest purposes, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.

Vazquez has caught each of the past four days, so his planned absence comes as little surprise. Reserve backstop Connor Wong is slated to step in for Vazquez behind the dish, catching for probable starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.

Heim batted fifth and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 7-3 loss to Detroit.

Heim went deep in the ninth inning for his fourth home run of the season. This was the second consecutive game hitting out of the five hole, which has featured six different batters over the last nine games. Manager Chris Woodward is trying to find a solution there, and Heim is the latest to get a shot. At various times, the Rangers have batted Nate Lowe and Adolis Garcia fifth, but they have since settled into second and third, respectively. The other 10 players to hit fifth this season have a combined slash of .193/.267/.287.