MLB Player News

Diaz went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run Wednesday against the Nationals.

Diaz delivered his 15th home run of the season in the sixth inning and has now gone deep in consecutive games. He's picked up his performance considerably across July, homering five times with nine RBI and 10 runs scored across 19 contests. After a very slow start to the season, Diaz has topped a .700 OPS for the first time since Opening Day.

Quero went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run home run Wednesday against the Phillies.

Quero didn't homer across the first 55 games of his big-league career, but he now has three home runs across 14 contests. He's also recorded six doubles in that span while driving in eight and scoring 10 runs. Quero has also started to see more consistent playing time, starting eight of 12 games since the All-Star break.

Teel went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Phillies.

Starting at DH on Wednesday, Teel opened the scoring with a leadoff blast off Taijuan Walker in the second inning, his second homer this year. The 23-year-old Teel has been swinging the bat well, going 10-for-25 with a 1.080 OPS over his last seven games. Overall, he's slashing .277/.378/.394 with nine RBI, 17 runs scored and a steal across his first 112 big-league plate appearances.

The Dodgers acquired Rortvedt on Wednesday in a three-team trade with the Rays and Reds, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Dodgers will send Hunter Feduccia to Tampa Bay to receive Rortvedt and Paul Gervase, and Los Angeles will also bring in Adam Serwinowski from Cincinnati, which is receiving Zack Littell. Rortvedt has tallied just six hits in 63 big-league at-bats this season, and with a .598 OPS in Triple-A, he hasn't been particularly effective in the minors either. The 27-year-old will act as organizational depth at catcher and isn't likely to spend a lot of time in Los Angeles.

Alvarez (head) passed the concussion protocol Wednesday and will fly back with the team to New York, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez left in the sixth inning of Wednesday's 5-0 loss to the Padres after a foul tip deflected off his catcher's helmet. He was able to avoid a concussion diagnosis, and with the Mets off Thursday, he could be back in the lineup for Friday's weekend series opener against the Giants.

The Twins acquired Tait and Mick Abel from the Phillies on Wednesday in exchange for Jhoan Duran, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Tait, one of the top prospects in the Phillies' system, started the season with Single-A Clearwater before being promoted to High-A Jersey Shore. He's appeared in just seven games in High-A but has done well at the plate in a short time, going 8-for-27 (.296) with three doubles and six RBI. Tait turns 19 on Aug. 27, and the lefty-hitting catcher will now have the opportunity to work his way up through the Twins' farm system.

Alvarez was removed from Wednesday's game against the Padres after getting hit in the head by a foul ball in the fifth inning, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez managed to finish the inning after the foul tip deflected off his catcher's helmet, but he didn't come back out on defense for the start of the sixth. The Mets will likely evaluate him for a concussion and may offer an update on his status shortly. Meanwhile, Luis Torrens stands to benefit from increased playing time behind the plate.

The Yankees optioned Escarra to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.

The move will make room on the 26-man active roster for outfielder Austin Slater, whom the Yankees acquired from the White Sox. Escarra has appeared in 39 games for the Yankees this season and has slashed .205/.299/.337 with one steal, two home runs and 10 RBI across 97 plate appearances. With Escarra down in Triple-A, Ben Rice will serve as the top backup to No. 1 catcher Austin Wells.

Pages is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

Pages will get a breather for the series finale while Yohel Pozo receives a turn at catcher Wednesday. Though the Cardinals appear to have ruled out Ivan Herrera from playing behind the plate anytime soon, Pages' grasp on the No. 1 catcher role appears to be slipping. He's getting on base at a .147 clip and hasn't produced an extra-base hit in 10 games since the All-Star break, with his offensive struggles opening the door for Pozo to pick up more playing time.

Hicks is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals.

Hicks will head to the bench for the series finale in St. Louis after he went hitless with five strikeouts in 12 at-bats while starting in each of the previous three contests. With Hicks sitting out Wednesday, Agustin Ramirez will start at catcher and Kyle Stowers will serve as Miami's designated hitter.