MLB Player News

Raleigh went 0-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run in a win over the Athletics on Thursday.

The slugging backstop played some effective small ball Thursday, recording his first steal since 2022 in the process. Raleigh has actually been in a multi-week power drought since slugging his most recent homer May 22, as he has only one extra-base hit, a double, over the 44 plate appearances he's logged in his subsequent 13 games.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed Friday that Alvarez (thumb) has flown back to his native Venezuela to tend to a family matter, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Alvarez had been set for activation on June 11 upon the Mets' return home from London, but he might now be back a day or two after that as he deal with a personal issue, per Mendoza. The young catcher has been sidelined since April 20 with a fractured left thumb and has played five rehab games, going 3-for-14 with one home run.

Wong went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's 14-2 win over the White Sox. He was also hit by a pitch.

Wong, who is enjoying a breakout campaign, raised his average to .327 and on-base percentage to .382. Those career-best marks are heavily influenced by a .387 BABIP, making Wong a classic sell-high candidate. MLB's Statcast estimates his expected batting average to be .255.

Higashioka went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

Higashioka got the Padres on the board in the fifth inning with his solo shot. This was his second homer over three games in June after he hit just one long ball over the first two months of the season. The backup catcher is at a .161/.175/.357 slash line with five RBI, four runs scored and two doubles across 57 plate appearances. Higashioka is unlikely to see much playing time as long as Luis Campusano is healthy.

Moreno went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Padres.

Moreno has gone 10-for-34 (.294) over his last 11 contests, hitting safely in nine of them. The homer was just his second of the year, as the catcher continues to struggle with generating power. Overall, he has a .242/.322/.344 slash line with 20 RBI, 19 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple and no stolen bases through 51 games.

Koch was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Koch was designated for assignment Tuesday and went unclaimed on waivers. He'll remain in the Pirates' organization and serve as depth at catcher, though his chances of reaching the majors again in 2024 appear slim.

X-rays on Stephenson's right hand came back clean Thursday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Stephenson was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning and remained in the game. He apparently had some lingering effects, however, as he got X-rays after the contest. The team may give him an extra day of rest during its weekend series against the Cubs, but Stephenson appears to have avoided serious injury.

Campusano isn't in the Padres' lineup Thursday versus Arizona, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Prior to going 1-for-3 versus the Angels on Wednesday, Campusano had gone hitless across 30 plate appearances in a 10 game span. With the 25-year-old out of the lineup Thursday, Kyle Higashioka will start behind the dish and bat ninth.

Rutschman went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three total RBI in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays.

Rutschman was responsible for the Orioles' first three runs Thursday, launching a solo shot off Yusei Kikuchi in the sixth inning before adding a two-run homer off Zach Pop in the eighth. Rutschman came into the day with just one home run in his previous 17 contests, though he's now hit safely in 10 straight games, going 15-for-42 (.357) in that span. The 26-year-old backstop is slashing .307/.345/.490 through 258 plate appearances this season with 12 homers, 43 RBI and 34 runs scored.

Contreras (forearm) was throwing, catching and running on the field prior to Thursday's game against the Rockies, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Contreras has been participating in all three activities since the Cardinals' last stretch of road games. It's an encouraging sign that the 32-year-old backstop is recovering well from his fractured left forearm, but he still is not expected back until closer to the All-Star break. Until then, Ivan Herrera will continue to serve as St. Louis' primary catcher.