MLB Player News

Higashioka will hit the bench against the Red Sox on Tuesday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The 28-year-old started the Yankees' previous two games with Austin Romine getting a break, but he'll hit the bench for the club's opener against the Red Sox. He went 1-for-5 with an RBI in those two games after getting called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and figures to see a part-time role filling in on off-days for Romine while Gary Sanchez (calf) is on the injured list.

Gomes is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Giants, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Gomes recorded a base knock in each of his first five games of 2019, but he's struggled at the dish since and is now 0-for-8 over his past two contests. In an effort to get him going at the plate, the Phillies will give him a day off to regroup, opening the door for Kurt Suzuki to nab a start behind the dish.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

The Red Sox shuffled their catcher situation Tuesday, designating Blake Swihart for assignment and selecting Sandy Leon's contract. It remains to be seen how Vazquez and Leon will split time moving forward. Leon gets the call Tuesday, catching Chris Sale.

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Indians on Monday.

Narvaez got the Mariners tantalizingly close in the eighth, launching the second homer of the frame to cut Seattle's deficit down to one run. Although the comeback ultimately fell short, the veteran backstop's work at the plate provided reason for optimism once again. Narvaez has now hit safely in six of his last eight games, a sample that includes one pinch-hit appearance.

Wallach went 1-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Monday's loss to the Cubs.

The catcher took Yu Darvish deep in the fourth inning for his first homer of the year. Jorge Alfaro (chest) is banged up at the moment, so Wallach could see consistent at-bats in the short term. He's taken advantage of his opportunities so far, slashing .333/.462/.524 in eight games, but the 27-year-old's .619 career OPS indicates the bottom could drop out in a hurry.

Stallings isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tigers.

The Pirates made liberal use of No. 2 catcher Elias Diaz last season, but Stallings hasn't been extended the same opportunity while Diaz has been stuck on the injured list all season while working back from an illness. He'll remain on the bench for the third straight game while top backstop Francisco Cervelli sticks in the lineup. Stallings has drawn just two starts through the PIrates' first 15 contests.

Bart is seeing a hand specialist Tuesday after being hit by a pitch Monday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Bart appeared to be in quite some pain following the incident. The Giants are expected to provide an update on the nature and severity of the injury following his visit to the specialist.

Garver is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Garver recorded multiple hits in three consecutive starts but couldn't keep the streak going when he received the leadoff assignment in Monday's 5-3 loss. He went 0-for-4 while striking out twice and now finds himself back on the bench with Jason Castro stepping in behind the dish. The Twins place a premium on the defensive value Castro provides, but Garver should continue to garner at least a couple starts per week thanks to the vast upgrade he provides with the bat in addition to the strides he's made as a game caller since 2018.

Leon's contract was purchased by the Red Sox on Tuesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Leon lost the backup catcher job to Blake Swihart this spring, but the Red Sox have already changed plans in an attempt to help their struggling pitching staff. Leon could start right away, as he's Tuesday's starter Chris Sale's preferred backstop.

Rortvedt is hitting .321 with a home run and a .977 OPS through eight games at High-A Fort Myers.

The 21-year-old 2016 second-round draft pick is a bit old for his level, but he could be a player to watch given Minnesota's lack of catching prospects in the minors. Rortvedt hit just .260 with five home runs and a .745 OPS between Low-A and High-A last season. However, he's show a good eye at the plate with a 10.7 walk rate and a 14.8 percent strikeout rate last season.