MLB Player News

Kirk isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Royals.

Kirk has crossed the plate in four consecutive matchups, and he went 8-for-16 with two homers, six runs, three RBI, three walks and two strikeouts during that time. Zack Collins will start behind the dish and bat eighth.

Heineman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Heineman has seemingly usurped Michael Perez as Pittsburgh's No. 1 catcher, but Perez will get the nod in the series finale as the Pirates and Tigers get together for a day game after a night game. In Tuesday's 5-3 loss, Heineman was behind the plate for all nine innings and was hitless over his three plate appearances.

Barnhart is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

With the Tigers wrapping up their series in Pittsburgh with a day game after a night game, Barnhart gets a breather after he caught all nine innings of the Tigers' 5-3 win Tuesday while going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and an RBI. Eric Haase will step in for Barnhart behind the plate Wednesday.

Fortes went 2-for-2 with two walks, a home run, three runs scored and four RBI in Tuesday's 12-2 rout of the Nationals.

The 25-year-old backstop had another big performance as he continues to make a case for a permanent spot in the majors. Fortes has started five of nine games since his promotion from Triple-A Jacksonville in late May, collecting multiple hits in three of them en route to a .467 (7-for-15) batting average with two homers and six RBI. Nothing in his minor-league track record suggests he'll keep this up for long, but Fortes could supply some short-term fantasy value while he's locked in.

The Blue Jays officially placed Jansen (hand) on the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Royals.

Zack Collins was called up from Triple-A Buffalo to provide depth behind Alejandro Kirk at catcher while Jansen is on the shelf. According to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca, Jansen is dealing with a "small, stable fracture" of the hamate bone near his left pinkie finger, and the Jays are preparing for him to miss at least two weeks. A more precise timeline could be available when Jansen is re-evaluated in 10 days.

Heim went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a stolen base in a 6-3 win over the Guardians during the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.

The homer, a fourth-inning blast off Kirk McCarty, was Heim's seventh of the season, while the steal was his second. The 26-year-old backstop has seized the starting job for Texas this season with a .260/.324/.480 slash line through 39 games.

Stephenson went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI during Tuesday's 14-8 win versus Arizona.

Stephenson contributed an RBI single during the second inning and provided some key insurances runs in the eighth with a two-run homer. The 25-year-old continues to produce as one of the top catchers in baseball this season with a .309/.366/.475 slash line, five home runs and 31 RBI in 41 games.

Kirk went 4-for-5 with a run scored in Tuesday's win over the Royals.

Kirk singled and scored on a Matt Chapman double in the top of the second inning before later adding three more base knocks in the contest. He now has a five-game hit streak, going 10-for-19 with two home runs, three RBI and six runs over that stretch. Since May 23, Kirk has notched at least one hit in 11 out of 12 games, raising his season-long batting average from .260 to .322. He'll likely see an increase in time at catcher with Danny Jansen (hand) being placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, but Kirk has carved out a consistent role as the Blue Jays' top option at designated hitter regardless.

Nido is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game at San Diego, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

Nido started the past two games and will head to the bench Tuesday. Patrick Mazeika will work behind the plate and bat ninth.

Hedges is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Rangers.

Hedges went 0-for-4 during the matinee, and it's not a surprise he won't be starting both ends of the twin bill. Luke Maile will take over behind the plate in the nightcap.