MLB Player News

Soderstrom went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Thursday in a loss to the Dodgers.

Though his eighth-inning solo shot didn't have much of an impact on the final score, it was certainly a big moment for Soderstrom since it was the first homer of his major-league career. In fact, it was the first extra-base hit of any sort for the rookie, who came into the contest with just eight singles over 47 plate appearances. Soderstrom has seen his playing time fluctuate but appears to be getting into a groove at the plate, as he's batting .300 (6-for-20) over his past six games.

Diaz is out of the lineup Thursday against the Yankees.

Martin Maldonado will start at catcher and bat ninth as the Astros open a big four-game series at Yankee Stadium. Diaz should start at least two of the games, whether behind the plate or as Houston's designated hitter.

Stephenson is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cubs.

Stephenson has a .547 OPS in 14 games since the All-Star break and will head to the bench Thursday after starting the previous two contests. Luke Maile will work behind the plate and bat ninth in the series finale at Chicago.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Twins, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Contreras started the first two games of the series versus Minnesota and went 2-for-4 with a stolen base Wednesday, but he'll take a seat for Thursday's finale. Andrew Knizner will step in behind the plate to catch for Matthew Liberatore.

Higashioka is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Astros.

Ben Rortvedt will get a second straight start at catcher for the Yankees after recording his first major-league hit since May 20 in Wednesday's win over the Rays. Higashioka should still be in line for the bulk of playing time down the stretch.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Twins.

This was Contreras' third multi-hit effort in his last 10 games, a span in which he's gone 9-for-24 with an .865 OPS. The catcher is up to a career-high six steals this season. He's maintained a .249/.344/.423 slash line with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 38 runs scored and 22 doubles through 92 contests.

Murphy went 3-for-4 with a run scored in Wednesday's victory over the Red Sox.

Murphy has been red hot for the past week, going 10-for-22 (.455) with a pair of homers in his last six games. The 32-year-old backstop now has a 1.294 OPS since June 23 (17 games). Murphy's hot stretch has earned him a larger share of the workload behind the plate, with Cal Raleigh seeing more time at DH. Overall, Murphy's slash line is up to .300/.340/.577 with eight homers, 17 runs scored and 16 RBI across 141 plate appearances this season.

Jansen is not in the lineup Thursday against the Orioles.

Alejandro Kirk will start at catcher and hit sixth for the Blue Jays as they take on right-hander Jack Flaherty in his O's debut. Brandon Belt is serving as the Jays' designated hitter and batting second.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Heim (wrist) could begin taking dry swings next week, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Heim was placed on the injured list last Friday because of a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. It's only a partial tear, though, and the 28-year-old catcher expressed optimism after a visit with hand specialist Dr. Don Sheridan that he could delay surgery until the offseason -- or even avoid it altogether. If everything goes smoothly once he resumes baseball activities, Heim might be able to return to the Rangers before the end of August.

Alvarez is not in the lineup Thursday at Kansas City.

Omar Narvaez will start behind the plate and bat seventh for the visiting Mets as Alvarez grabs a bit of rest. The 21-year--old catcher boasts a .997 OPS with nine home runs and 18 RBI in 22 games (86 plate appearances) since the beginning of July.