MLB Player News

Fermin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Cubs.

Fermin worked behind the plate the previous three games and will receive a day off after going 3-for-10 with a double, a walk and two RBI. Salvador Perez will move back to catcher while Matt Beaty starts at first base.

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Vazquez will hit the bench after he went 5-for-12 with two doubles and four runs while starting behind the dish in each of the last three contests. Ryan Jeffers wasn't available for either of the last two games due to back soreness, but now that Jeffers has been cleared to start Sunday, Vazquez could find himself back in a timeshare at catcher.

Alvarez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.

Alvarez was behind the plate for New York's previous three games and will take a seat for the series finale in St. Louis. Omar Narvaez will catch for Carlos Carrasco and bat seventh Sunday.

Sabol is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.

Sabol had started at either catcher or in left field in five of the past six games, but he'll join several of the Giants' left-handed hitters on the bench Sunday while Atlanta brings southpaw Max Fried to the hill. Though he's continued to receive fairly steady playing time of late, Sabol has mustered a lowly .483 OPS while striking out at a 43.5 percent clip since the All-Star break.

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

Kirk is on the bench for the series finale, but he appears to have overtaken Danny Jansen as the Blue Jays' top option behind the dish. The 24-year-old started at catcher in six of Toronto's last seven games, going 3-for-24 with an RBI during that stretch.

Jeffers (back) is starting behind the plate and batting seventh Sunday versus the Pirates.

The 26-year-old was held out of the starting nine the past two games due to back soreness, but he'll rejoin the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Pirates. Jeffers will look to continue his hot hitting in August, as he has a 1.020 OPS with four homers and three doubles through 40 at-bats this month.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers.

The Guardians and Tigers are wrapping up their four-game series with a day game, and left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez is on the hill for Detroit, so Cleveland manager Terry Francona decided it was an optimal time to withhold the lefty-hitting Naylor from the starting nine. Gavin Collins will step in for Naylor behind the dish, catching for starting pitcher Logan Allen.

Naylor went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Tigers.

The rookie backstop ripped a double off Matt Manning in the fifth inning and followed it up with another double off Will Vest in the seventh. Prior to Saturday, Naylor was in the midst of an extended slump, hitting just .095 (4-for-42) with 14 strikeouts and eight walks over his previous 16 games. The three-hit performance brings his season-long slash line up to .198/.281/.355 across 40 games.

Diaz will start at catcher and bat cleanup in Sunday's game against the Mariners.

After going 4-for-8 with a solo home run and a pair of doubles in the first two games of the series while making starts at first base, Diaz will move behind the dish for Sunday's finale as top backstop Martin Maldonado gets a day off. Though Diaz is without a clear path to an everyday role at any one spot, expect the Astros to find ways to keep his hot bat in the lineup at first base, catcher or designated hitter. Since the All-Star break, Diaz ranks fourth among all Astros hitters with a .976 OPS.

Maldonado is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners.

Yainer Diaz will get the nod behind the plate while Maldonado rests after catching each of the last three contests. Despite going hitless during that three-game stretch to bring his batting average down to .172 for the season, Maldonado still appears to be the Astros' preferred backstop due mostly to his skills as a pitch framer and game caller.