MLB Player News

Murphy went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Rays.

He crushed the second pitch he saw from Diego Castillo in the ninth inning over the fence in left-center field to bring the A's within a run, but they couldn't find an equalizer. Murphy has gone yard in back-to-back games and slugged all three of his homers on the year in his last eight contests, but on the season he's still only slashing .185/.323/.407.

Nola (finger) could be activated this weekend against the Giants, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Last week, manager Jayce Tingler said it was realistic that Nola could return for the first series of the week, but that now seems unlikely. Victor Caratini will continue to serve as the primary catcher until Nola is activated.

Manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday that Higashioka has earned more playing time, Sweeny Murti of Sports Radio 66 WFAN reports.

Higashioka is starting at catcher and hitting eighth against the Orioles. He's hitting .286/.400/.810 with three home runs in 21 at-bats this season while providing his typically solid defense. Meanwhile, Gary Sanchez is in the midst of a 2-for-28 slump over his last nine games. "It'll be kind of a day-by-day thing," Boone said regarding the playing-time split behind the dish.

Maile was recalled by the Brewers on Tuesday.

Maile will serve as the backup to Omar Narvaez while Manny Pina remains sidelined with a broken toe. Narvaez owns an excellent 1.051 OPS this season, so Maile may not get too many opportunities to start.

Jansen is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Nationals.

His last hit came April 7 in Texas, as Jansen is now 0-for-30 over his last 11 games. Alejandro Kirk will start behind the dish and hit ninth.

Sanchez is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Orioles.

Sanchez is 2-for-28 with 10 strikeouts and four walks over his last nine games (28 at-bats). Kyle Higashioka, on the other hand, is looking like the better player on both sides of the ball, hitting .286/.400/.810 with three home runs in a small 10-game sample.

Gomes will hit the bench Tuesday against Toronto.

Gomes and Alex Avila have been alternating starts for the last six games. Avila gets the nod behind the plate Tuesday, but Gomes should return for Wednesday's contest if the pattern holds.

Jeffers is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Cleveland.

Jeffers will take a seat after starting four of the last six games behind the plate. While his heavier workload of late would suggest that he's leapfrogged Mitch Garver on the depth chart, Jeffers is far from locked in as the No. 1 option due to his abysmal start to the season as a hitter. Jeffers' .393 OPS places ahead of only four other catchers (Danny Jansen, Luis Campusano, Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz) with at least 30 plate appearances in 2021.

D'Arnaud went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Monday's 8-7 win over the Cubs.

D'Arnaud got on the board early in Monday's slugfest, plating both runs in the first inning to give Atlanta an early lead. The 32-year-old has been off to a slow start this year, hitting only .209 with two home runs across 72 plate appearances. His early struggles have not kept d'Arnaud out of the lineup, as he's started behind the plate in 17 out of the team's 22 games this season.

Perez (thumb) will start at catcher and bat third Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Perez looked like a strong candidate to receive his first day off of the season Tuesday after he exited Monday's 3-2 win over the Tigers with a jammed thumb, but he'll keep his ironman streak intact, as the injury was apparently only a minor concern. The 30-year-old backstop has played an integral role in the Royals' MLB-best 14-7 start to the season, posting a .771 OPS while shepherding a pitching staff that has exceeded expectations thus far.