MLB Player News
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Alejandro Kirk C | TOR
Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk: In Saturday's lineup
Kirk (elbow) will start at catcher and bat fourth Saturday against the Yankees.
Kirk had to sit out Toronto's last two games after taking a pitch off his left elbow Tuesday, but he seems to be feeling well enough to start behind the dish Saturday. The 25-year-old backstop has gone 7-for-22 with two RBI and two runs scored in six games since the All-Star break.
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Brian Serven C | TOR
Blue Jays' Brian Serven: Drives in two in Friday's start
Serven went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in Friday's 8-5 win over the Yankees.
Batting ninth and getting another start behind the plate while Alejandro Kirk nurses a bruised elbow, Serven came through with a two-run single in the third inning. The hits and RBI were the 29-year-old's first since he was added back to the big-league roster July 28 following the Danny Jansen trade, but with Kirk not expected to miss much more time, Serven will likely return to the bench before the weekend is over.
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Christian Bethancourt C | CHC
Cubs' Christian Bethancourt: Goes deep in win
Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's 6-3 win over the Cardinals.
Bethancourt provided a key blast against new St. Louis starter Erick Fedde, which proved to be the difference in the game. It was just the third home run of the season for Bethancourt, who is batting .183 with a .547 OPS while playing for both the Marlins and now the Cubs. However, in four games since having his contract selected from Triple-A Iowa, the catcher has gone 4-for-11 with two extra-base hits and four RBI. Bethancourt will likely slow down at some point, and his fantasy appeal is limited by his timeshare with Miguel Amaya behind the plate.
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Shea Langeliers C | OAK
Athletics' Shea Langeliers: Pops homer in win
Langeliers went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-5 win over the Dodgers.
Langeliers' solo shot was his third homer over the last seven games. While he's making good contact -- he's added three doubles in that span -- he's also struck out nine times over those contests. The catcher is up to a .215/.272/.457 slash line with 21 homers, 57 RBI, 40 runs scored and four stolen bases over 93 games this season. He needs one more long ball to match his total from 135 games in 2023.
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Connor Wong C | BOS
Red Sox's Connor Wong: Fuels offense in win
Wong went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and one RBI in Friday's 11-6 victory over the Rangers.
The Boston backstop posted his third four-hit game of the season with this effort, knocking four singles. After batting just .211 (16-for-76) in July, this performance was a welcome sight for Wong since he may have to compete for playing time with the recently acquired Danny Jansen. Overall, Wong is now slashing .304/.366/.450 with 10 homers, 39 runs scored and 37 RBI across 320 plate appearances this season.
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Salvador Perez C | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Homer, three hits vs. Tigers
Perez went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, an RBI double and three total runs scored in Friday's 9-2 win over Detroit.
Perez got the Royals on the board in the second inning, blasting a Tarik Skubal slider 448 feet for his 20th homer of the year. Perez would drive in a second run in the seventh with a double, extending Kansas City's lead to 7-2. The veteran backstop has been swinging a hot bat, going 9-for-22 (.409) while striking out just twice in his last five games. Overall, Perez is slashing .282/.339/.476 with 75 RBI and 46 runs scored through 440 plate appearances this season.
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Gabriel Moreno C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Rejoining lineup Friday
Moreno (wrist) is starting behind the plate and batting sixth Friday against the Pirates.
The 24-year-old was on the bench Wednesday after being struck in the wrist by a foul ball during Tuesday's contest, but he's back in the starting nine after Arizona's team day off Thursday. Moreno delivered his most productive month of the season in July with six doubles, a homer, 14 RBI, 11 runs and an .864 OPS in 22 games.
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Bo Naylor C | CLE
Guardians' Bo Naylor: Resting Friday
Naylor is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against Baltimore.
Naylor has blasted a three-run home run in each of his last two outings, and he will get a breather for Friday's contest. Austin Hedges will start behind home plate and bat ninth against Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer.
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Jonah Heim C | TEX
Rangers' Jonah Heim: Receiving Friday off
Heim is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox.
It's the second straight contest on the bench for the 29-year-old after a run of five straight starts. Heim has a .618 OPS through 93 games this season, and he could have less of an everyday role after the Rangers acquired Carson Kelly, who is starting Friday, from the Tigers last weekend.