MLB Player News

Sabol is starting at catcher Thursday against the White Sox.

Sabol has been part of the Giants' starting lineup for every game so far this season, whether in left field or behind the dish. But the Rule 5 Draft pick hasn't quite taken advantage of the opportunity, going 1-for-12 with one walk and four strikeouts through five games. He's batting ninth Thursday in Chicago.

Kirk is absent from the Blue Jays' lineup for Thursday's game against the Royals.

He caught Wednesday night, so it will be Danny Jansen for a day game after a night game. Kirk has exactly one hit in each of his four games this season and has two RBI and one run scored.

Narvaez (calf) could be headed to the 10-day injured list after leaving Wednesday's loss to Milwaukee, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.

Narvaez was sent for imaging scans after making an early exit from Wednesday's contest due to discomfort in his left calf. Martino notes that top prospect Francisco Alvarez has already been summoned to New York and could be active at catcher for the Mets' rescheduled home opener Friday versus the Marlins. Alvarez would probably share time behind the plate with Tomas Nido while also working into the DH mix.

Perez is not in the lineup Thursday afternoon against the White Sox.

Blake Sabol will take a turn behind the plate and bat ninth versus White Sox righty Lance Lynn. LaMonte Wade is in left field and batting leadoff. Perez seems to have emerged as the Giants' primary catcher with Joey Bart (back) on the injured list, but he'll grab some rest during Thursday's matinee game in Chicago.

Grandal is not in the White Sox' lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Giants.

Grandal will get some rest after catching three straight and five of the first six games this season. Seby Zavala will catch Lance Lynn.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a 4-3 win over Seattle on Wednesday.

O'Hoppe's lone hit of the game was a big one, as his two-run homer in the second inning gave the Angels a lead that they did not relinquish. The rookie catcher has gone deep twice in his past three games, displaying the type of power that helped him hit 26 homers in the minors last season. Max Stassi (hip) could return from the injured list in less than 10 days, but O'Hoppe's strong start to the campaign may help him remain the team's primary backstop even when that happens.

Alvarez is headed to New York to join the Mets in the event he is needed on the active roster, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.

Omar Narvaez exited Wednesday's game in Milwaukee with a calf injury and will be evaluated by team doctors when the team arrives in New York. If he needs to go on the injured list, Alvarez will be the one to replace him. The young catcher is 3-for-12 with a home run and a double in the early going at Triple-A Syracuse. If he's added to the Mets' roster, Alvarez would likely share time with Tomas Nido behind the plate and perhaps see some starts at designated hitter while Narvaez is out. He's worth scooping up in certain fantasy leagues, but keep in mind he might only be DH-eligible initially.

Narvaez was removed late in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to Milwaukee with a left calf injury, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. He went 1-for-4 with a base hit prior to departing the game.

Narvaez felt something in the calf during his last plate appearance and was taken out in the final frame. He'll be examined but is being referred to as day-to-day for now. If Narvaez winds up having to miss some time, it could clear the way for a Francisco Alvarez promotion.

Smith went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a run-scoring double in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Rockies.

Smith left the yard for the third game in a row and appears to have settled in just fine after moving up to the No. 3 spot in the order in 2023 after primarily batting cleanup last season. He's recorded at least one hit while starting in five of the Dodgers' first six games and is tied for the MLB lead in RBI with 10.

Raleigh went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI in Tuesday's 11-2 win over the Angels.

Raleigh was one of six Mariners batters who finished the night with exactly two hits as the team put an end to a four-game losing streak. After leading all catchers in baseball with 27 home runs in 2022, Raleigh has yet to leave the yard through the first six games of the season, but his power hasn't completely gone missing. He's already accrued three doubles, and he's also done well to limit his punchouts early on (three in 18 plate appearances) after striking out at a 29.4 percent clip a season ago.