MLB Player News

Herrera is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.

Herrera will take a seat for the series finale, as No. 1 backstop Carson Kelly checks back into the Arizona lineup. Though Kelly remains atop the depth chart, his ongoing struggles at the dish have opened the door for Herrera to push for a larger share of the catching duties. Herrera and Kelly have now alternated turns behind the dish over the last seven games.

Grandal is serving as the designated hitter in Wednesday's matchup against the Royals, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Grandal exited Tuesday's loss to Kansas City since he was experiencing some leg soreness after sliding into second base. Although he won't be behind the dish Wednesday, he's been cleared to remain in the lineup. The 33-year-old has gone 3-for-10 with two doubles, an RBI, two walks and three strikeouts in his last three appearance.

Smith is not starting Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Smith started each of the last two games at catcher, going 3-for-7 with a double, homer and four RBI, but he'll take a seat Wednesday. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth as the Dodgers finish their series against the Diamondbacks.

McCann is not in the lineup for Wednesday's matchup with the Cardinals, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

The catcher will get a day off after starting three straight contests, most notably putting together a three-hit effort Tuesday. McCann will be replaced by Tomas Nido who will bat ninth Wednesday.

McCann went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 3-0 win over the Cardinals.

The veteran catcher came into Tuesday with only four hits in 12 games, but he nearly doubled that total in one night. McCann's sluggish beginning to the season has left him with a .194/.286/.333 slash line, but he's in no danger of losing his starting spot behind the plate and should compile decent counting stats even if his overall performance doesn't improve significantly. That said, he posted an .896 OPS as recently as 2020, and the 31-year-old could still have a lot left in the tank.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk and two RBI on Tuesday against the Brewers.

Perez enjoyed one of his more productive performances of the season, which began with an RBI double in the second inning. He later grounded into a fielder's choice in the final frame to knock in his second run. Perez is hitting only .231 on the season, though he has collected at least one hit in three of his last four starts, and he also boasts a .362 on-base percentage.

Realmuto went 1-for-4 with a run and a stolen base in a 10-3 win Tuesday over the Rockies.

Realmuto singled, stole second and scored in the four-run fourth inning. He started the game at catcher and moved to first base in the eighth inning. Tuesday was the three-time All-Star's first appearance at first base this season after he made 16 appearances there last season. While he's yet to hit for much power, the 31-year-old has a solid .303 average and .343 OBP. With at least 10 homers in seven consecutive seasons, it's just a matter of time before the power stroke returns.

Pinto went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in an 8-4 loss Tuesday against the Mariners.

Pinto entered the game in the fifth inning as a defensive replacement after Mike Zunino left with a biceps strain. After striking out in his first at-bat, he homered off Matt Koch in the seventh for his first major-league hit. The 25-year-old has been in the Rays organization since 2014, compiling a .278/.334/.434 batting line across eight minor-league seasons. With Zunino leaving the game with an injury and Francisco Mejia on the COVID-19 injured list, Pinto may be in line for more playing time in the near future.

Sanchez (abdomen) could still be placed on the injured list if he doesn't feel good Wednesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez has already been out for six days, well past the point at which the Twins could backdate any injured list move to the beginning of his absence. He's expected to try to ramp up with some light activity Wednesday, but if that doesn't go well, he'll be placed on the injured list.

Jansen (oblique) will begin hitting off a tee Tuesday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Jansen has missed over two weeks already with a strained left oblique. He's seemingly making progress but doesn't appear to be particularly close to a return to action.