• Return could be delayed
    Alvarez (thumb) has flown back to his native Venezuela to tend to a family matter, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

    Advice: Alvarez had been set for activation June 11 upon the Mets' return home from London, but he might now be back a day or two later. 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. Rotowire.com Today, 6:14 am
  • Alvarez’ return from IL to be delayed
    Francisco Alvarez’ (thumb) return from the injury list is likely to be delayed for a non-injury reason, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.

    Advice: Alvarez’ could’ve returned to action as early as next Tuesday, but now he’ll be delayed by a day or two. He had to fly home to Venezuela due to a family matter. Rotoworld Today, 6:09 am
  • On base four times in win
    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.

    Advice: Wong, who is enjoying a breakout campaign, raised his batting average to .327 and OBP to .382. Those career-best marks are heavily influenced by a .387 BABIP, making the backstop a strong sell-high candidate. Per MLB's Statcast, Wong's expected batting average is only .255. Rotowire.com Today, 5:46 am
     
  • Launches third homer
    Higashioka went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.

    Advice: 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. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:15 pm
     
  • Clubs second homer
    Moreno went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Padres.

    Advice: 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. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 10:02 pm
  • Outrighted to Triple-A
    Koch was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

    Advice: 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. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 9:44 pm
    Grant KochPIT - C
    W, 3-0 vs MIN
     
  • X-rays clean after HBP
    X-rays on Stephenson's right hand came back clean Thursday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: 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. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 7:53 pm
     
  • Pirates outright Grant Koch to Triple-A
    Pirates sent C Grant Koch outright to Triple-A Indianapolis.

    Advice: Koch was booted from Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster earlier this week and promptly went unclaimed on waivers. The 27-year-old backstop will head back to the minors as extra organizational catching depth after being designated for assignment for the first time in his career. He went 0-for-7 with six strikeouts and one walk in three games with the Pirates. Rotoworld Yesterday, 4:11 pm
    Grant KochPIT - C
    W, 3-0 vs MIN
     
  • Willson Contreras continues making rapid progress
    Willson Contreras (forearm) progressed to throwing and catching on Thursday at Busch Stadium.

    Advice: Contreras is making rapid progress in his recovery from surgery to repair a fractured left forearm and there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to return earlier than originally anticipated. The 32-year-old backstop wasn’t expected back until sometime around the All-Star break, but it’s looking like he could return before the end of the month, barring any setbacks. There should be some clarity on his timeline once he undergoes a CT scan on Friday to determine whether he’ll be cleared to resume hitting. Rotoworld Yesterday, 3:15 pm