MLB Player News
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Travis d'Arnaud C | LAA
Braves' Travis d'Arnaud: Goes yard again
D'Arnaud went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's win over Miami.
D'Arnaud knocked a 365-foot home run off Ryan Weathers in the fourth inning to give him his fifth homer in four games. The recent hot stretch is a welcome sight for the veteran catcher as he was previously slashing .200/.250/.311 over 48 plate appearances. D'Arnaud should continue garnering the majority of playing time in Atlanta until Sean Murphy (oblique) returns.
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Jake Rogers C | DET
Tigers' Jake Rogers: Snaps out of slump
Rogers went 2-for-3 with a run scored in Monday's 7-1 win over the Rays.
Rogers came into the contest having gone 0-for-16 across his previous seven games, so the hits were much needed, though he's still batting just .119 overall in what's been a rough start to the year. The backstop is also still sitting on just one home run for the season, and he'll need to find his power stroke soon to make a fantasy impact and hold off Carson Kelly for playing time.
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David Banuelos DH | MIN
Orioles' David Banuelos: Joins major-league roster
Banuelos had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk by the Orioles on Monday.
Banuelos was optioned outright to Norfolk on Friday after clearing waivers, but he'll now return to the big-league roster. The catcher appeared in the team's 11-3 win over the Twins on April 16, failing to get on base in his only at-bat of the season. He'll replace Austin Hays (calf) on Baltimore's roster after Hays was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday, while outfielder Peyton Burdick was designated for assignment, opening a spot on the 40-man roster for Banuelos.
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Martin Maldonado C | SD
White Sox's Martin Maldonado: Sitting Monday
Maldonado is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.
Maldonado and Korey Lee have now alternated turns behind the dish over the past six games, with both backstops drawing three starts apiece. With the White Sox sitting at 3-18 on the season and already shaping up as non-contenders, the 37-year-old Maldonado could become less of a priority as the campaign rolls along and the organization aims to get more of an evaluation of the 25-year-old Lee.
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Carson Kelly C | CHC
Tigers' Carson Kelly: Losing work to Jake Rogers
Kelly is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.
Kelly is on the bench for a third straight game and may have moved into the clear No. 2 role behind the plate for the Tigers after he and Jake Rogers had operated in a timeshare for much of the first month of the season. Kelly's playing time has tailed off as his bat has cooled down; since going 3-for-5 in his first start of the season March 30 versus the White Sox, Kelly has slashed .139/.184/.250.
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Christian Bethancourt C | CHC
Marlins' Christian Bethancourt: Starts up rehab assignment
Bethancourt (illness) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday and went 3-for-13 with a double and a stolen base across his first three games with the affiliate.
Bethancourt was placed on the 10-day IL on April 15 after coming down with a viral illness, but his ability to return to game action a few days later suggests that he's tracking toward a minimum-length stay on the shelf. Once Bethancourt is activated, he'll likely be part of a timeshare with Nick Fortes behind the plate.
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Seby Zavala C | LAD
Mariners' Seby Zavala: Produces in rare start
Zavala went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, a double and two runs during a win over the Rockies in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday.
Zavala got in on the Mariners' much-needed offensive breakout in a major way, as he paced the team with his three-hit day. The reserve backstop had only 12 plate appearances on the season coming into Sunday, last having played April 13. Cal Raleigh, who belted his team-leading fifth home run in Sunday's second game, has understandably been laying claim to the bulk of playing time behind the dish, although both he and Zavala were in the lineup for the closing installment of the twin bill since Raleigh filled the designated-hitter role.
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Keibert Ruiz C | WAS
Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Likely headed for rehab stint
Ruiz (illness) indicated Sunday that he is almost fully recovered from the bout of the flu that landed him on the 10-day injured list, but he's expected to go on a short rehab stint before being activated, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
The 25-year-old catcher has lost nearly 20 pounds while battling the bug, but he's begun taking part in some baseball activities and lifting weights again. He also tried to spin the weight loss as a positive. "But I feel good. I feel lighter," Ruiz said. "So I've got to take the positives. I feel like I can run better, move better. And I gain weight fast, too. I'm going to eat a couple burgers." Ruiz will likely be assigned to Double-A Harrisburg to get back into game shape, and while he's eligible to come off the IL as soon as Tuesday, a return this weekend for a series in Miami seems more plausible.