MLB Player News

Higashioka is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.

The Rangers will keep Higashioka on the bench for a second straight game while Elias Diaz is rewarded with another start after driving in two runs during Saturday's 7-4 win. Higashioka should still be well positioned to see the larger share of the starts at catcher while Danny Jansen (forearm) is on the shelf.

Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Reds.

Davis will claim his third start in four games after going 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two additional runs in his previous three contests. He looks to have worked his way into a timeshare at catcher with Endy Rodriguez, who has been the far better performer of the two through the halfway point of the season.

Rodriguez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.

The 26-year-old is on the bench for the third time in four games and looks to be part of a timeshare at catcher with Henry Davis. Rodriguez has been the far better producer of the two this season, submitting an .823 OPS in 99 plate appearances with the Pirates. Davis, meanwhile, has delivered a .558 OPS over 157 plate appearances.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

The Brewers will hand Contreras a breather in the series finale after he had started at catcher or designated hitter in each of the club's last eight games. Gary Sanchez will step in behind the plate Sunday and form a battery with starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff.

The Orioles reinstated Rutschman (concussion) from the 7-day injured list Sunday. He'll start at catcher and bat third in the Orioles' series finale with the Nationals.

Rutschman missed about a week and a half due to a concussion, which he sustained June 18 game in Seattle. While he's expected to immediately step in as the team's No. 1 backstop, the Orioles could look to use him a bit more at designated hitter in the short term until the concussion is further in the rear-view mirror. Baltimore will keep Chadwick Tromp around on the 26-man active roster for the time being as a third option at catcher behind Rutschman and Samuel Basallo.

Heim went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Angels.

Six of Heim's seven home runs this season have come over his last 18 games. He's batting .308 (16-for-52) with 12 RBI in that span. Heim continues to fill the backup catching job behind Shea Langeliers, though his steady hitting of late has helped Heim get more looks at designated hitter.

Rushing went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 15-3 win over the Padres.

Rushing entered the contest having gone 0-for-12 over his previous five games. He started off quiet Saturday, but he then went back-to-back with Kyle Tucker during the Dodgers' sixth-inning rally. The homer was Rushing's first since June 7 versus the Angels. The catcher is batting .240 with an .800 OPS, nine homers, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored, seven doubles and no stolen bases over 49 contests this season.

Goodman went 3-for-5 with three home runs and five RBI in an 8-5 victory against Minnesota on Saturday.

Goodman was a force to be reckoned with in the win, producing the first three-homer game of his career. None of the long balls were cheap shots -- each was estimated at over 400 feet. Goodman has racked up four homers and eight RBI over his past two games, and he now leads all MLB catchers with 25 home runs on the season. The Rockies record for homers in a campaign is 49 (set by Larry Walker in 1997 and Todd Helton in 2002), and given that the team is only 83 games into the current season, Goodman has a legitimate chance of challenging that franchise mark if he keeps up a similar pace.

Ruiz is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles.

After going 1-for-3 with an RBI in the series opener against Baltimore, Ruiz will ride the bench for the second game of the series. Drew Millas will be behind the plate and bat ninth Saturday.

The Orioles claimed Keegan off waivers from the Rays on Saturday and optioned him to Double-A Chesapeake, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Keegan was DFA'd by the Rays on Tuesday, but he'll retain a spot on a 40-man roster upon joining the Orioles organization. The 25-year-old backstop has spent the entire season at Triple-A, slashing .185/.322/.298 with six homers, 23 RBI, 24 runs and six steals through 214 plate appearances. He'll move down to Double-A to begin his tenure with the O's, but he could reach Triple-A Norfolk at some point if his hitting improves.