MLB Player News
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Kyle Higashioka C | TEX
Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Managing hamstring injury
Higashioka reported tightness in his hamstring and is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
The Rangers are going to hold off on placing Higashioka on the injured list for now, but he may need to be deactivated if his condition doesn't improve after a few days of rest. Tucker Barnhart was added to the active roster from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday to give Texas another option behind the plate while Higashioka recovers.
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Tucker Barnhart C | TEX
Rangers' Tucker Barnhart: Joins big club
The Rangers selected Barnhart's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Barnhart will join the major-league roster for the first time this season to provide Texas with some depth behind the plate while Kyle Higashioka nurses a hamstring injury. Barnhart owns just a .541 OPS in the majors since 2022 but has shown more promise in the minors this year with a .246/.354/.391 slash line through 89 plate appearances.
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Elias Diaz C | KC
Padres' Elias Diaz: Getting second straight start
Diaz will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Giants.
Diaz and Martin Maldonado have now made 15 starts apiece behind the plate through the Padres' first 30 games of the season, but the former offers more offensive upside at this stage of his career and could eventually recapture the lion's share of the playing time at catcher. The Padres will hand Diaz his second straight start after he brought his season average up to .192 with a 2-for-4 performance in Tuesday's 7-4 win.
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Martin Maldonado C | SD
Padres' Martin Maldonado: Sitting in second straight
Maldonado is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants.
Maldonado will hit the bench for the second day in a row while Elias Diaz picks up another start behind the dish. The playing time at catcher had been tilting in Maldonado's favor in recent weeks, but Diaz brings more offensive upside to the table and showed signs of breaking out of his season-long funk at the plate Tuesday, when he went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Padres' 7-4 win. Maldonado could see his opportunities take a hit if Diaz is able to build on Tuesday's performance.
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Sean Murphy C | ATL
Braves' Sean Murphy: Sitting out matinee
Murphy is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Colorado.
After catching each of the first two games of the series, Murphy will begin Wednesday's finale on the bench. Drake Baldwin is behind the dish and batting seventh as Atlanta goes for the sweep.
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Will Smith C | LAD
Dodgers' Will Smith: Getting day off
Smith is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Marlins, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Smith caught both of the first two games of the series, so he'll get a breather in Wednesday's finale. Austin Barnes will start behind the plate and bat ninth Wednesday as the Dodgers try to complete the sweep.
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Ivan Herrera C | STL
Cardinals' Ivan Herrera: Cleared for rehab assignment
Herrera (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Herrera is slated to serve as Memphis' designated hitter for five innings Thursday and then catch for them Friday. The Cardinals haven't revealed how many rehab games Herrera will play, but a return from the 10-day injured list sometime next week seems likely as long as he doesn't suffered any setbacks. Herrera has been shelved since early April with a left knee bone bruise.
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William Contreras C | MIL
Brewers' William Contreras: Swipes bag Tuesday
Contreras went 1-for-3 with two walks, a steal, an RBI and a run scored in Tuesday's win over the White Sox.
Contreras had an RBI single in the sixth to knot the game at two apiece and extend his hit streak to eight games. He's had at least one hit in all but one game in which he's appeared since April 5. His early power numbers are down from previous seasons, but he's posted a career-high walk rate and career-low strikeout rate over the first month and he's well on pace to reach double-digit steals for the first time after swiping his fourth bag Tuesday.