San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. This appears to be a routine rest day for Higashioka who has played in each of the last four games. In his absence, Elias Diaz will do the catching and bat eighth versus left-hander Framber Valdez. Diaz is having a decent season with the bat, but has only one hit in 10 plate appearances with the Padres. He'll be an avoidable streaming option against a tough southpaw on Wednesday.

San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Kyle Higashioka will both head to the bench on Wednesday as the team looks for a three-game sweep of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Field. Tyler Wade will start at the 6 and bat ninth, while Luis Campusano will do the catching and hit eighth against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Kim hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in his breakout 2023 season while batting leadoff for the Friars. The 28-year-old South Korean is hitting near the bottom of the lineup this year, but he remains useful in fantasy for his speed (22 stolen bases). After a strong start to the year, Campusano has struggled offensively, allowing Kyle Higashioka to become SD's favored backstop. Higashioka is hitting only .224 (38-for-170), but he already has a career-high 14 homers in his first year in San Diego.

San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka will head to the bench in Sunday's series finale against the hosting Miami Marlins as the Friars go for the three-game sweep. Luis Campusano will be behind the dish and will bat ninth for San Diego against Marlins right-hander Max Meyer. Higashioka and Campusano have been splitting playing time more regularly ever since Campusano returned from an injury earlier this year. In his first year with the Friars, Higashioka is hitting only .230 (38-for-165) but has been useful in fantasy leagues for his power, as he's slugged a career-best 14 home runs after hitting 10 long balls in each of his previous three seasons with the New York Yankees. Campusano, meanwhile, has been a disappointment offensively after a strong start, as he heads into Sunday's game with a .238/.278/.379 slash line with a .658 OPS, seven homers and 37 RBI in 240 at-bats.

San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka is back in the starting lineup as the Padres will look to clinch a series victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Higashioka had the day off on Saturday but has begun to see the majority of the starts behind the dish in San Diego. The 34-year-old began to receive more opportunities while Luis Campusano was on the injured list with a thumb injury but remained the primary backstop since he returned. Since June 26, Higashioka has posted a strong .333/.394/.833 line with five long balls and 13 RBI. Campusano has only made two starts since returning from the injured list last week. While Higashioka may be swinging a hot bat, he should be faded in DFS this afternoon as he will face Atlanta southpaw Chris Sale, who has dominated in the first half of the season and is a front-runner to win the NL Cy Young.

San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka racked up six RBI in Wednesday afternoon's win over the visiting Washington Nationals, smashing two home runs in the victory. After smacking a two-run homer to left field to give the Padres a 2-0 lead in the second inning, Higashioka clobbered his second long ball of the game with a grand slam to left field off Nationals right-hander Tanner Rainey to extend San Diego's lead to 8-0 in the eighth frame. The 34-year-old longtime New York Yankee is worth considering in two-catcher fantasy leagues while starting backstop Luis Campusano (thumb) is on the injured list, slashing a robust .289/.333/.822 with seven big flies and 17 RBI across 45 at-bats during the month of June.

The San Diego Padres officially sent outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday in exchange for right-handers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, and Randy Vasquez, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. The Padres cleared payroll space and acquired some much-needed pitching help with this massive deal. King, 28, could give the team a solid mid-rotation starter, but he struggled in the big leagues before 2023 and has already dealt with a major elbow injury. Thorpe, 23, was the Yankees' No. 5 prospect and could be a rotation option down the line, but he has yet to pitch above Double-A. Brito, 25, doesn't miss many bats and is likely ticketed for a relief role after struggling as a starter in the majors. Vasquez, 25, has durability questions but could serve as a back-end starter for the Friars. And Higashioka, 34, has some decent power and should serve as ... [More]

The New York Yankees placed outfielder Joey Gallo and catcher Kyle Higashioka on the COVID-19 injured list prior to Game 1 of the team's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. In corresponding moves, the team called up relief pitcher David McKay from Triple-A and signed catcher Rob Brantly to a major league contract, selecting him to the team's 26-man roster. It's unclear how long both players will be out, but we could see Marwin Gonzalez benefit from Gallo's absence, while Jose Trevino will serve as the team's starting catcher.

New York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka will be behind the plate for Tuesday's Wild Card game against the Red Sox. With Gerrit Cole on the mound, Higashioka will man the catcher spot as the ace right-hander's personal backstop. Starter Gary Sanchez, who hit just eight homers with a .646 OPS in the second half, will head to the bench, though he could have a role late in the game if needed as a pinch hitter. Higashioka did hit 10 homers in the regular season but is most valuable for his defensive contributions behind the plate.

New York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka had a big day at the plate Thursday, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBI, and two runs scored. With Gary Sanchez back in the fold, Higashioka should not be on any fantasy rosters, but he's put together a decent season with a .659 OPS and eight home runs. Still, fantasy managers surely have far better options on the waiver wire.

New York Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka belted his seventh home run of the season in Tuesday's 8-4 loss to the Royals. Higashioka gave the Yankees the lead with his 408-foot blast, which left his bat at 103.7 MPH. The backup catcher had a tough day in the field, making a couple of throwing errors, so it was nice to see him redeem himself somewhat at the dish. Higashioka has been the primary catcher with Gary Sanchez on the COVID-19 injured list, though he offers limited fantasy upside, having posted just a .672 OPS this season.

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ BIG NAMES TEST POSITIVE COVID-19 continues to impact major league rosters more than 16 months after spring training was shut down in 2020 because of the coronavirus. The Washington Nationals will likely be without star shortstop Trea Turner for the next several days, while the Milwaukee Brewers will be missing 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich for more than a week. Turner and Yelich recently tested positive. Yelich and teammate Jace Peterson were placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Turner was pulled in the first inning of Tuesday night's game at Philadelphia. Turner began the day batting .320 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. He singled and scored in the first inning, then headed directly up the tunnel toward the Nationals' clubhouse and was replaced in the bottom of the first. The Phillies announced later in the game that Turner had tested positive, ending speculation that he was lifted for a possible pending trade or due to injury.... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Wednesday: ___ BIG NAMES TEST POSITIVE COVID-19 continues to impact major league rosters more than 16 months after spring training was shut down in 2020 because of the coronavirus. The Washington Nationals will likely be without star shortstop Trea Turner for the next several days, while the Milwaukee Brewers will be missing 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich for more than a week. Turner and Yelich recently tested positive. Yelich and teammate Jace Peterson were placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. Turner was pulled in the first inning of Tuesday night's game at Philadelphia. Turner began the day batting .320 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs. He singled and scored in the first inning, then headed directly up the tunnel toward the Nationals' clubhouse and was replaced in the bottom of the first. The Phillies announced later in the game that Turner had tested positive, ending speculation that he was lifted for a possible pending trade or due... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka have been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list. Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the moves before Tuesday night's game at Tampa Bay. Judge started in right field and batted second against the Rays. “It's huge, obviously,” Boone said of Judge's return. “Really excited to have him back. Has been feeling really strong the last few days." Both went on the IL on July 16. The Yankees started Tuesday 9½ games behind AL East-leading Boston and eight back of the second-place Rays. Judge and Higashioka took batting practice on Monday's off day at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training complex, in Tampa, Florida. First baseman Luke Voit, on the IL with left knee inflammation, took batting practice and defensive drills. He is expected back in the next couple days. “I would say he's very close,” Boone said. “We'll have a decision here in the next day or two.” Outfielder Clint... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka have been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list. Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the moves before Tuesday night's game at Tampa Bay. Judge started in right field and batted second against the Rays. Both went on the IL July 16. Judge and Higashioka took batting practice on Monday's off day at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training complex, in Tampa, Florida. The Yankees (51-47) started Tuesday 9½ games behind AL East-leading Boston and eight back of the second-place Rays. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka have been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list. Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced the moves before Tuesday night's game at Tampa Bay. Judge started in right field and batted second against the Rays. Both went on the IL July 16. Judge and Higashioka took batting practice on Monday's off day at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring training complex, in Tampa, Florida. The Yankees (51-47) started Tuesday 9½ games behind AL East-leading Boston and eight back of the second-place Rays. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: ___ HERE WE GO AGAIN The Dodgers and Giants are back at it, renewing their long-standing rivalry in San Francisco with left-hander Julio Urias (12-3, 3.63 ERA) on the mound for Los Angeles against Logan Webb (4-3, 3.54) in the opener of a three-game series. San Francisco took three of four at Dodger Stadium last week and leads the NL West by two games over the defending World Series champions. TAMPA HEAT After losing three of four in Boston last weekend, the New York Yankees play another AL East rival on the road when they begin a critical three-game series at Tampa Bay. New York (51-47) is facing some important decisions with Friday’s trade deadline looming, and owner Hal Steinbrenner, who lives in the area, likely will be in attendance at Tropicana Field. Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka took another step toward returning from the COVID-19 injured list by taking batting practice Monday at Steinbrenner... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors Tuesday: ___ HERE WE GO AGAIN The Dodgers and Giants are back at it, renewing their long rivalry in San Francisco with left-hander Julio Urias (12-3, 3.63 ERA) on the mound for Los Angeles against Logan Webb (4-3, 3.54) in the opener of a three-game series. San Francisco took three of four at Dodger Stadium last week and leads the NL West by two games over the defending World Series champions. TAMPA HEAT After losing three of four in Boston last weekend, the New York Yankees play another AL East rival on the road when they begin a critical three-game series at Tampa Bay. New York (51-47) is facing some important decisions with Friday’s trade deadline looming, and owner Hal Steinbrenner, who lives in the area, likely will be in attendance at Tropicana Field. Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka took another step toward returning from the COVID-19 injured list by taking batting practice Monday at Steinbrenner Field... [More]

TAMPA. Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka took another step in returning from the COVID-19 injured list by taking batting practice Monday at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. First baseman Luke Voit, on the IL with left knee inflammation, also took part in the workout at the Yankees’ spring training complex. With manager Aaron Boone present, Judge also did defensive drills in right field. New York was off Monday before opening a key series Tuesday night in nearby St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays. Judge and Higashioka, placed on the IL July 16, are expected back during the three-game set. The Yankees (51-47) started Monday nine games behind AL East-leading Boston and eight back of the second-place Rays. New York is facing some important decisions with Friday’s trade deadline looming and owner Hal Steinbrenner, who lives in the Tampa area, likely will be in attendance at Tropicana Field. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt, out since... [More]

TAMPA. Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge and catcher Kyle Higashioka took another step in returning from the COVID-19 injured list by taking batting practice Monday at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. First baseman Luke Voit, on the IL with left knee inflammation, also took part in the workout at the Yankees’ spring training complex. With manager Aaron Boone present, Judge also did defensive drills in right field. New York was off Monday before opening a key series Tuesday night in nearby St. Petersburg against the Tampa Bay Rays. Judge and Higashioka, placed on the IL July 16, are expected back during the three-game set. The Yankees (51-47) started Monday nine games behind AL East-leading Boston and eight back of the second-place Rays. New York is facing some important decisions with Friday’s trade deadline looming and owner Hal Steinbrenner, who lives in the Tampa area, likely will be in attendance at Tropicana Field. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt, out since spring training with an elbow strain, allowed one hit and struck out five over three innings for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees against the FCL Tigers West. He threw 24 of 30 pitches for strikes during his first rehab start. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports