MLB Player News

Jansen is out of the lineup versus the Yankees on Saturday.

After eight consecutive starts behind the dish, Jansen will get the day off, with Luke Maile getting the nod at catcher instead. Jansen, who struggled for most of the year in regards to his offensive production, is slashing .367/.367/.933 with four home runs and seven RBI in eight games this month. He will receive a much-needed breather and will look to stay hot upon his return to the lineup Sunday versus the Yankees.

Thole was traded from the Dodgers to the Angels on Friday along with Adam McCreery in exchange for cash considerations.

The Angels need another catcher with Jonathan Lucroy out with a concussion and a broken nose and Kevan Smith dealing with a sprained hand. Thole will report to Triple-A Salt Lake, indicating that Smith is likely ready to go. Thole is good enough to fill in at the position if called upon, but nothing about the eight-year veteran's .242/.313/.306 career slash line suggests he'll be a fantasy asset if he gets a chance with the Angels.

Kirk went 2-for-3 with a double for High-A Dunedin on Thursday.

Since his promotion to the Florida State League, the 20-year-old catcher has slashed .323/.428/.436 through 41 games with a remarkable 23:20 BB:K. Kirk is still looking for his first homer with Dunedin after launching three in 21 games for Low-A Lansing, and power may never be a big part of his game given his 5-foot-9 frame, but his hit tool and plate discipline seem strong enough to get him to the majors if his defensive skills continue to develop.

Narvaez went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBI in a loss to Oakland on Sunday.

Narvaez drove in all four Seattle runs in the loss, sandwiching solo home runs in the second and eighth innings around run-scoring singles in the fourth and sixth. The multi-homer game was the first of his career and the four hits established a career single-game high. Narvaez enters the All-Star break with 14 home runs -- the most ever by a Mariners catcher before the break -- along with 36 runs batted in and a .294/.366/.486 slash line in 255 at-bats.

Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's win over the Tigers.

Vazquez delivered a two-run blast over the fence in right during the second inning, putting Boston ahead 2-1. He's been red-hot at the dish heading into the All-Star break, racking up seven extra-base hits (including four homers) over his last seven contests.

Thaiss will start at third base and bat seventh Sunday against the Astros, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Though Thaiss didn't play the hot corner much during his time in the minors, the Angels will give him a chance to prove his worth at the position while Tommy La Stella (lower leg) likely remains sidelined through August. While starting in two of his first four games with the big club, Thaiss has gone 1-for-7 with a double and three strikeouts.

Maile is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.

Maile had fallen into a timeshare behind the plate with Danny Jansen for much of June, but the former looks like the clear No. 2 backstop these days. With Jansen slashing .375/.390/.950 over his last 11 games dating back to June 23, the Blue Jays look set to ride his hot bat for as long as it lasts. Maile will thus find himself on the bench for the seventh time in eight games to close out the first half.

Leon is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.

Leon was behind the plate for each of the past three games but managed only one hit across 11 at-bats. Even with the recent uptick in action, Leon has still been included in the lineup just four times over the last 13 contests. He's the clear No. 2 backstop behind Christian Vazquez.

Vazquez started at designated hitter and went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Tigers.

Vazquez has been a hitting machine over the past month, and manager Alex Cora is looking to get his bat in the lineup. The 28-year-old catcher has slashed .350/.357/.625 with six home runs and 17 RBI over the last 19 games. With J.D. Martinez getting an off day, Vazquez served as the DH and hit in Martinez's third spot in the order. The catcher entered the season with a career .632 OPS, but his hot stretch leaves him at .844 as the season closes in on the All-Star break.

D'Arnaud went 3-for-4 with a walkoff home run, two RBI and two runs in a 4-3 victory over the Yankees on Saturday.

The catcher's power surge continued Saturday, as he now has six homers in 153 plate appearances this season. D'Arnaud started the year 2-for-24, but since joining the Rays he's batting .254 with 11 extra-base hits, 20 RBI and 18 runs in 114 at-bats.