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.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: On bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Higashioka is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rays.
Ben Rortvedt will start behind the plate and bat ninth after Higashioka went 0-for-3 with a strikeout Tuesday as his season slash line fell to .225/.259/.376. Higashioka should still be the Yankees' primary catcher the rest of the way with Jose Trevino (wrist) officially done for the year.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Sitting Monday
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Higashioka is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.
Ben Rortvedt will get the nod behind the plate while Higashioka rests for the series opener. Higashioka started at catcher in the final two games of the Yankees' series with the Orioles over the weekend, going 4-for-8 with a solo home run and an additional run.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Bursts out of slump
Rotowire
Higashioka went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 8-3 win over the Orioles.
After entering Saturday's contest 2-for-24 (.083) in his last 11 appearances, Higashioka delivered a trio of hits, including a solo homer off Cole Irvin in the sixth. The outing was much-needed for Higashioka, who assumed primary catching duties earlier this week with Jose Trevino (wrist) undergoing season-ending surgery but had gone hitless since receiving the starting job. Though Ben Rortvedt could push Higashioka for catching duties if his struggles at the plate continue, Saturday's outing likely earned Higashioka more opportunities to cement himself as the clear No. 1 option.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Takes over as primary backstop
Rotowire
Higashioka will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Royals.
Higashioka will be making his fourth start in five games and looks poised to serve as the Yankees' top backstop after Jose Trevino was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier in the weekend with a wrist injury that will require season-ending surgery. Over 165 plate appearances this season, Higashioka has hit .227 while providing a modicum of pop (five home runs). Ben Rortvedt will serve as Higashioka's understudy for the time being but could get a look in the No. 1 role if Higashioka's high-strikeout tendencies send his batting average further south.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Launches fifth homer
Rotowire
Higashioka went 3-for-4 with a home run, one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's loss against the Cubs.
Higashioka paired up with Anthony Volpe in the sixth inning for back-to-back home runs, a stretch that resulted in opposing starter Kyle Hendricks getting pulled from the game. Though the long ball was Higashioka's fifth of the season, it was his second in his last four games, a stretch in which he's hitting 6-for-11 (.545).
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Goes deep Monday
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Higashioka went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and a double in Monday's 6-3 victory versus the Orioles.
Higashioka followed Anthony Volpe's fifth-inning solo shot with one of his own to help the Yankees rally from an early deficit. The long ball was the backstop's first since May 13, a span of 34 games. Higashioka went deep 10 times in each of the past two seasons but may have trouble reaching that mark this year, as he's tallied just four homers with more than half of the campaign in the rearview mirror.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Three hits, two doubles in win
Rotowire
Higashioka went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 10-7 win over the Padres.
It's the first multi-hit game of the season for Higashioka, who'd been stuck in a 1-for-18 slump coming into Sunday's contest. The 33-year-old backstop is now slashing .203./259/.380 with three homers and 13 RBI in 85 plate appearances this season. Higashioka should continue to see the majority of starts behind the plate while Jose Trevino (hamstring) is sidelined, though Trevino could return as soon as Tuesday against Seattle.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Filling in for injured Trevino
Rotowire
Higashioka will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Orioles.
Higashioka is behind the plate for the fifth time in six games, with his increase in playing time coinciding with top backstop Jose Trevino's recent move to the 10-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. Though Higashioka is capable of popping the occasional home run, his high strikeout rates have made him a batting-average drain throughout his time in the majors. The 33-year-old should be on the fantasy radar only in AL-only leagues or in mixed leagues that start two catchers.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Goes deep Saturday
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Higashioka went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run and a walk against the Rays in a 9-8 victory Saturday.
Higashioka drew the start behind the plate and kicked off a big Yankees comeback with his two-run shot to left field in the fifth inning. It was the third long ball of the season for the backstop, who is working as New York's No. 2 catcher behind Jose Trevino this season. Higashioka is back on the bench to begin Sunday's contest, with Trevino starting and batting eighth.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Cranks second homer
Rotowire
Higashioka went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-1 win over the Twins.
The catcher got the Yankees on the board in the second inning, taking Tyler Mahle deep to right-center field for his second homer of the season. Higashioka is batting only .150 (3-for-20) as New York's No. 2 backstop, but he has four RBI in six games.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Swats first homer
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Higashioka went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Sunday in a 6-0 win against the Giants.
Higashioka saw action for the first time this season Sunday while Jose Trevino got a breather. The backup backstop took advantage of the opportunity, belting a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. Higashioka has shown moderate power by hitting 10 homers each of the past two seasons, but he's firmly behind Trevino on the Yankees' catcher depth chart for the time being.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Wraps uneventful spring
Rotowire
Higashioka slashed .200/.333/.467 with a home run, a double, four RBI and a 3:4 BB:K over 19 Grapefruit League plate appearances.
Higashioka was one of the big stories of spring training in 2022, when he led all players with seven long balls. That performance didn't quite carry over into the regular season, though the backstop did tie his career high with 10 homers over 248 plate appearances. Higashioka is expected to serve as New York's No. 2 catcher behind Jose Trevino this season.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Reaches deal without arbitration
Rotowire
Higashioka and the Yankees avoided arbitration Friday by agreeing to a one-year deal.
Higashioka homered 10 times in 248 plate appearances last season, but his .227/.264/.389 slash line was good for just an 83 wRC+. He'll enter the 2023 season as Jose Trevino's backup behind the plate.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Homers, grabs three hits
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Higashioka went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's victory over Baltimore.
Higashikoka recorded hits in each of his first three at-bats, including a solo homer off Austin Voth in the second inning to extend New York's lead. The backstop has now collected three hits in two of his last three games and is hitting .462 over that short stretch.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Tallies three hits Tuesday
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Higashioka went 3-for-4 with a double and scored two runs in Tuesday's 5-2 victory versus the Blue Jays.
Higashioka scored New York's first run after leading off the third inning with a single, and he crossed the plate again in the sixth following a one-out double. The backstop continues to rank behind Jose Trevino on the depth chart, but Higashioka has taken advantage of his opportunities of late, going 6-for-13 with two doubles, three runs and four RBI over his past four contests. He's slashing .214/.252/.362 over 228 plate appearances on the season.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Launches solo shot in loss
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Higashioka went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Rays.
Higashioka blasted a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to attempt a comeback, but it would not be enough as the Yankees would lose by two. The home run was Higashioka's eighth of the season in limited time. Although he has an unimpressive .205 batting average, something seems to be clicking for the catcher over his last four games. He has gone 5-for-12 (.417) and raised his average by 12 points during that span.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Homers in loss
Rotowire
Higashioka went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a double in Wednesday's loss to Seattle.
The Yankees weren't able to muster much offense in the contest, so Higashioka's seventh-inning two-run shot made only a small dent in a big Seattle lead. Nonetheless, it was a positive development for the catcher, whose previous homer came nearly a month ago. Higashioka has six long balls on the season, four of which came during a four-game stretch in mid-June.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Productive night in blowout win
Rotowire
Higashioka went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 16-0 win over the Pirates.
Higashioka homered in the seventh inning, bringing New York's lead to 5-0. He came around to score in the next inning on Aaron Judge's grand slam, then knocked in Josh Donaldson for the final score of the game in the ninth inning. This was the catcher's second appearance in July. He picked up his first hits since June 21. Higashioka raised his batting average 10 points thanks to the two-hit performance, taking it to .174 on the year.
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Yankees' Kyle Higashioka: Goes deep again Sunday
Rotowire
Higashioka went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a loss to Toronto on Sunday.
Higashioka hit one of five New York homers in the contest, swatting a 426-foot solo shot in the sixth inning. The backstop didn't go deep in any of his first 34 contests this season but has since left the yard in three of his past four games. Over that stretch, he is batting .313 (5-for-16) with four homers, seven RBI and five runs.
