| Date | News | Comment |
| Nov 4 2024 | Bethancourt elected free agency Monday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cubs cleared some space on their 40-man roster and Bethancourt has decided to hit free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment. Bethancourt finished the 2024 season strong with an .814 OPS in 24 games with the Cubs, but that was after he had a .466 OPS in 38 contests with the Marlins. |
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| Sep 3 2024 | Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Pirates. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has hit safely in his last five games, going 7-for-17 (.412) with 10 RBI and two steals in that span. A seven-RBI game last Wednesday versus the Pirates has fueled much of his recent success. The backup catcher is now at a .224/.262/.414 slash line with three steals, five home runs, 22 RBI and 18 runs scored over 51 contests between the Cubs and the Marlins this season. |
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| Aug 28 2024 | Bethancourt drove in seven runs in Wednesday's comeback win over the Pirates, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a stolen base and three runs scored. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Facing a 10-3 deficit in the seventh inning, Bethancourt slugged a two-run home run off Kyle Nicolas before driving in two more runs on an eighth-inning double to cut the lead to three. With the Cubs trailing 10-9 in the ninth inning, it was none other than Bethancourt who drove in two runs on an RBI single to give the Cubs an 11-10 lead, completing the improbable comeback. The 32-year-old Bethancourt has been highly productive since being acquired by the Cubs in late July, batting .407 with three home runs, eight runs scored and 15 RBI in just 29 plate appearances (11 games) as the Cubs backup catcher behind Miguel Amaya. Bethancourt has certainly made a strong case for more playing time behind the plate, but his career .622 OPS indicates regression could be coming for the veteran. |
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| Aug 21 2024 | Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-2 loss to the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt's fifth inning home run, his fourth of the season, provided all of Chicago's offense. The 32-year-old continues to serve as the backup to Miguel Amaya behind the plate, giving him limited upside in the short term. Neither catcher has been great offensively, however, as Bethancourt is sporting a .196 average and .614 OPS, compared to a .212 average and .584 OPS for Amaya. |
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| Aug 3 2024 | Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's 6-3 win over the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt provided a key blast against new St. Louis starter Erick Fedde, which proved to be the difference in the game. It was just the third home run of the season for Bethancourt, who is batting .183 with a .547 OPS while playing for both the Marlins and now the Cubs. However, in four games since having his contract selected from Triple-A Iowa, the catcher has gone 4-for-11 with two extra-base hits and four RBI. Bethancourt will likely slow down at some point, and his fantasy appeal is limited by his timeshare with Miguel Amaya behind the plate. |
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| Jul 26 2024 | The Cubs selected Bethancourt's contract from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will absorb the roster spot vacated by Tomas Nido (knee) and could share catching duties with Miguel Amaya while Nido recuperates. The 32-year-old slashed just .159/.198/.268 across 88 plate appearances with the Marlins earlier this season. |
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| Jul 5 2024 | Bethancourt signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Friday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt was cut by Miami on June 27 after he slashed just .159/.198/.268 across 88 plate appearances. The 32-year-old will now attempt to get back on track with Triple-A Iowa, but it would likely take a drastic turnaround for the Cubs to consider adding Bethancourt to their big-league roster. |
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| Jun 20 2024 | Bethancourt was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Thursday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has served as Miami's backup catcher this season, but he has struggled to a .466 OPS across 88 plate appearances. Ali Sanchez is expected to take over as the new second catcher on the depth chart. |
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| Jun 19 2024 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Tuesday's extra-inning win over the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran catcher launched a solo shot off Lance Lynn in the sixth inning, Bethancourt's second homer of the season. The hits were his first since May 27, and the 32-year-old has offered little at the plate as the backup to Nick Fortes, slashing a woeful .159/.198/.268 on the year in 88 plate appearances. |
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| Jun 4 2024 | Bethancourt was reinstated from the bereavement list Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: As planned, Bethancourt rejoins the Marlins after a three-game absence. Jhonny Pereda will be sent back to Triple-A Jacksonville. Bethancourt is slashing .162/.208/.250 while splitting catching duties with Nick Fortes. |
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| Jun 1 2024 | The Marlins placed Bethancourt on the bereavement list Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will be away from the team for three games as he tends to more important matters. Jhonny Pereda was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move and will likely split time with Nick Fortes behind the plate while Bethancourt is out. |
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| May 26 2024 | Bethancourt is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against Arizona. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt started behind home plate in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Arizona, going 1-for-3 with two strikeouts. Nick Fortes will serve as the catcher Sunday and bat ninth against Diamondbacks left-hander Blake Walston. |
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| May 20 2024 | Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Mets. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher took Jake Diekman deep in the seventh inning, bringing the Marlins to within a run at 4-3, but it was as close as they got. Bethancourt has offered little at the plate this season -- Sunday's homer was his first of 2024, and he's slashing .143/.186/.232 in 60 plate appearances as the backup to Nick Fortes. |
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| May 15 2024 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will sit for the second day in a row while Nick Fortes receives another turn behind the plate. Neither Bethancourt (.349 OPS) nor Fortes (.336 OPS) has been productive at the plate this season and both typically bat near the bottom of the order when included in the lineup, making it difficult to extract any fantasy value from the Marlins' catching situation. |
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| May 13 2024 | Bethancourt will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will draw his third time in four games, with the playing time behind the dish beginning to tilt more in his favor while he's wielded a hot bat of late. Over his last four starts, Bethancourt has gone 6-for-13 at the plate, but he's still holding down a lowly .346 OPS on the season. That mark is right in line with Nick Fortes' (.345), so as soon as Bethancourt cools off, the two backstops could settle back into more of a timeshare. |
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| Apr 24 2024 | The Marlins activated Bethancourt (illness) from the 10-day injured list Wednesday, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt wound up missing the minimum 10 days with a viral illness. He'll start behind the plate in Wednesday's game in Atlanta, batting ninth. Jhonny Pereda was sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move. |
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| Apr 22 2024 | Bethancourt (illness) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday and went 3-for-13 with a double and a stolen base across his first three games with the affiliate. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt was placed on the 10-day IL on April 15 after coming down with a viral illness, but his ability to return to game action a few days later suggests that he's tracking toward a minimum-length stay on the shelf. Once Bethancourt is activated, he'll likely be part of a timeshare with Nick Fortes behind the plate. |
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| Apr 15 2024 | The Marlins placed Bethancourt (illness) on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to April 14, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt missed Sunday's game against Atlanta due to illness, and it appears serious enough for the 32-year-old to miss extended time. In a corresponding move, the Marlins selected Jhonny Pereda from Triple-A Jacksonville on Monday. Pereda will serve as the backup catcher to Nick Fortes while Bethancourt recovers from his illness. |
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| Apr 14 2024 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will head to the bench for the series finale as he remains part of a wholly unproductive timeshare behind the plate with Nick Fortes, who gets the starting nod Sunday. Neither backstop has cemented himself as the clear top option in Miami, as Bethancourt has reached base in just one of his first 23 plate appearances of the season, while Fortes has mustered a .266 OPS in 24 plate appearances. |
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| Apr 10 2024 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt and Nick Fortes have both alternated turns at catcher over the last six games, with both logging three starts apiece. For the season, Bethancourt owns an .050 OPS to Fortes' .229, so neither backstop is doing much to separate himself from the other in the competition for reps behind the plate. |
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| Apr 6 2024 | Bethancourt isn't in the Marlins' lineup Saturday against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt went 0-for-3 in Thursday's series opener and remains hitless through 13 plate appearances to begin the season. Nick Fortes will get the nod behind the dish instead and bat ninth. |
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| Mar 29 2024 | Bethancourt is starting at catcher and batting ninth in Friday's game versus the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Nick Fortes started at catcher on Opening Day, but it will be Bethancourt behind the dish Friday with A.J. Puk on the mound. It will likely be a fairly even split in playing time this season between the two, limiting the already low fantasy upside of each. |
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| Mar 16 2024 | Bethancourt went 0-for-3 in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran catcher is expected to split work behind the plate with Nick Fortes this season for the Marlins, but Bethancourt has done little in camp to attract attention from fantasy GMs. He's batting .217 (5-for-23) through 10 games with a 1:7 BB:K, and a double stands as his only extra-base hit. Bethancourt has slugged exactly 11 homers each of the last two seasons, but his .239/.268/.395 slash line offers little appeal even as an endgame dart for those not wanting to invest heavily at catcher. |
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| Jan 11 2024 | Bethancourt agreed to a one-year, $2.05 million contract with the Marlins on Thursday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Marlins acquired Bethancourt from the Guardians in exchange for cash back in December and they will pay for his services again to avoid an arbiter. The 32-year-old backstop had a .225/.254/.381 slash line with 11 home runs in 104 games for the Rays last year. He will split time with Nick Fortes in Miami this season. |
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| Dec 10 2023 | Bethancourt was acquired by the Marlins from the Guardians on Sunday for cash considerations, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old was claimed off waivers by Cleveland in early November, but he's now being offloaded following the signing of Austin Hedges. Nick Fortes had a .562 OPS in 108 games for Miami last season and is the only other catcher currently on the big-league roster, which should give Bethancourt a decent path to playing time in 2024. |
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| Nov 6 2023 | The Guardians claimed Bethancourt off waivers from the Rays on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt spent a large portion of the 2023 season as the Rays' No. 1 catcher and put up decent counting statistics over his 332 plate appearances (11 home runs, 49 runs, 33 RBI and one stolen base), but an ugly .225/.254/.381 slash line (74 wRC+) made his less useful at the plate from a real-life standpoint. Still, the 32-year-old graded out as a capable defender behind the dish and wasn't a complete zero with the bat, so he should at least make for a dependable backup option and short-side platoon mate in Cleveland for No. 1 backstop Bo Naylor. |
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| Nov 4 2023 | The Rays placed Bethancourt on outright waivers Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will join teammates on the waiver wire in an effort from the Rays to clear space on the 40-man roster. The 32-year-old backstop slashed .225/.254/.381 across 332 plate appearances in 2023 and could be picked up by another team in search of a backup catcher. |
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| Oct 4 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt also began Game 1 on the bench, although he did enter at catcher late after Rene Pinto was lifted for a pinch hitter. The Rays began leaning toward Pinto over Bethancourt behind the plate in September and that has carried over into the playoffs. |
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| Sep 9 2023 | Bethancourt sits for the second straight game Saturday against the Mariners, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has hit just .240/.264/.380 over the last month, striking out 21 times to go with just two walks. Rene Pinto will get another start behind the plate. |
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| Sep 8 2023 | Bethancourt isn't in the Rays' lineup Friday against Seattle. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will take a seat Friday after going 0-for-7 with five strikeouts across his last three games. Rene Pinto will start behind the dish and bat ninth while Bethancourt regroups. |
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| Sep 6 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt and Rene Pinto have alternated starts over the past 15 games, but Pinto will make his second straight start Wednesday against Boston. Bethancourt has a .226/.258/.375 slash line with nine home runs in 94 games this season and should continue to split time with Pinto down the stretch. |
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| Sep 5 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will retreat to the bench after he caught all nine innings of Monday's 7-3 loss in the series opener while striking out in each of his three plate appearances. Rene Pinto will get a turn behind the plate while he and Bethancourt continue to work in a near-even timeshare at catcher. |
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| Sep 3 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rene Pinto will get the nod behind the dish in the series finale in Cleveland. Bethnacourt and Pinto have alternated starts at catcher over the past 12 games and look to be stuck in a near-even timeshare for now. |
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| Aug 29 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt and Rene Pinto have alternated starts behind the plate over the past eight games, and that trend will continue Tuesday after Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a run during Sunday's series finale against the Yankees. |
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| Aug 26 2023 | Bethancourt will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt's share of the playing time behind the plate hasn't meaningfully changed with the shift from Francisco Mejia to Rene Pinto as the team's second catcher. Bethancourt and Pinto have each started eight of the team's last 16 games. |
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| Aug 23 2023 | Bethancourt will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though he's hitting .300 with a .756 OPS in August, Bethancourt's standing atop the depth chart at catcher may still be somewhat shaky. He was on the bench for four of the previous six games while the Rays opted to give Rene Pinto more work behind the dish. Bethancourt's longer track record should be enough to make him the Rays' nominal No. 1 catcher, and both he and Pinto will no longer be threatened by Francisco Mejia (knee), who was designated for assignment Tuesday after being reinstated from the 10-day injured list. |
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| Aug 15 2023 | Bethancourt went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs and two RBI in Monday's 10-2 rout of the Giants. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt knocked in a run with a single in the fifth inning and added a solo homer to left field in the seventh. He finished with his third three-hit performance of the campaign and swatted his first long ball since May 20, a span of 50 games. Bethancourt hit six homers over his first 21 contests this season but has gone deep just twice in 60 games since. |
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| Aug 12 2023 | Bethancourt will be on the bench for Saturday's game against the Guardians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt hits the bench after starting four of the last five games. He's seen his playing time slightly increase while Francisco Mejia (knee) is on the injured list, but it will be Rene Pinto who squats behind the plate Saturday. |
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| Aug 9 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will be getting a breather Wednesday after he started at catcher in three of the Rays' last four games. Rene Pinto will step in behind the dish and form a battery with starting pitcher Jalen Beeks. |
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| Aug 6 2023 | Bethancourt went 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in Sunday's win over the Tigers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt tallied his first multi-hit effort since June 30 and had just his second extra-base hit in his last 20 games. The 31-year-old has had a rough go at the plate this year, slashing .218/.251/.368 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 33 runs and an 11:63 BB:K in 248 plate appearances. Despite his struggles, Bethancourt faces little competition for starts behind the dish since Francisco Mejia (knee) went down with a sprained knee July 20. |
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| Aug 2 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rene Pinto will start at catcher for the Rays and bat ninth. Bethancourt has gone 1-for-21 (.048) over his last nine games and is slashing just .130/.200/.152 in 50 plate appearances since the beginning of July. |
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| Jul 30 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt is just 3-for-24 since the All-Star break and will take a seat Sunday for the second time in Tampa Bay's last three games. Rene Pinto will take over behind the plate to catch for opener Zack Littell. |
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| Jul 28 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Friday at Houston. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Rene Pinto will start behind the plate and bat ninth versus the Astros and right-hander Cristian Javier. Bethancourt had started at catcher in the Rays' previous three games. |
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| Jul 16 2023 | Bethancourt isn't in the Rays' lineup Sunday against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has essentially alternated starts with Francisco Mejia all season, and Sunday will bring up Mejia's turn behind the plate. Bethancourt is slashing just .167/.211/.167 across 19 plate appearances since the beginning of July. |
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| Jul 8 2023 | Bethancourt will sit Saturday against Atlanta, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has looked like the Rays' clear top catcher over the last two weeks, starting eight of 11 games behind the plate prior to Saturday's contest. That run immediately followed a stretch in which Bethancourt and Francisco Mejia alternated starts for 12 consecutive games, however, so it's not clear that Bethancourt will start much more than half of Tampa Bay's games in the second half. |
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| Jun 24 2023 | Bethancourt is not starting Saturday's game against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt continues to alternate starts with Francisco Mejia behind the plate. He's hit well across his last five starts, collecting six hits in 19 at-bats. |
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| Jun 22 2023 | Bethancourt isn't in the Rays' lineup Thursday against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After an 0-for-4 performance with three strikeouts in Bethancourt's last outing, Thursday will be Francisco Mejia's turn to start behind the dish while batting eighth. |
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| Jun 20 2023 | Bethancourt isn't in the Rays' lineup Tuesday against Baltimore, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Despite recording four hits in his last three games, Bethancourt continues to alternate starts with Francisco Mejia, who will get the nod behind the plate Tuesday and bat ninth. |
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| Jun 17 2023 | Bethancourt will sit Saturday against the Padres, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has the edge in starts over Francisco Mejia on the season by a 43-31 margin, but the pair have taken turns behind the plate over the last six games. An even split better suits their respective performances at the plate, as Bethancourt's .675 OPS isn't meaningfully better than Mejia's .662 mark. |
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| Jun 13 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the starting lineup versus the Athletics on Tuesday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has struggled mightily in the month of June with a slash of .115/.148/.115 over 27 plate appearances. He'll get Tuesday off against Oakland with Francisco Mejia starting behind the plate and hitting ninth. |
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| Jun 7 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Wednesday versus the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt and Francisco Mejia have now alternated catching duties over the past six games, with both backstops drawing three starts apiece. The playing time has generally tilted in Bethancourt's favor this season, so he should still be viewed as Option 1A behind the plate for Tampa Bay. |
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| Jun 5 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will take a seat for the series finale in Boston after he was behind the dish for three of the Rays' previous four games. Francisco Mejia will catch for starting pitcher Shane McClanahan on Monday. |
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| Jun 3 2023 | Bethancourt will be on the bench for the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader against Boston, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt hits the bench after going 1-for-10 with a run scored in the first game of the day. Francisco Mejia will take over behind the plate. Bethancourt still has the clear edge in playing time on the season, starting 35 games to Mejia's 25, though he's yet to make more than two starts in a row at any point this season. |
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| May 30 2023 | Bethancourt isn't in the Rays' lineup Tuesday against the Cubs, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has been seeing the ball well lately, logging a 1.133 OPS across 15 plate appearances over the past week. He'll get a day off Tuesday in favor of Francsico Mejia, who will bat ninth. |
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| May 28 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt was behind the plate for both of the past two games, so it's not surprising that he'll get a breather Sunday while the series finale with the Dodgers begins at 11:35 a.m. ET. Francisco Mejia will start at catcher and form a battery with starting pitcher Josh Fleming. |
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| May 27 2023 | Bethancourt went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI on Friday against the Dodgers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt turned in his second consecutive multi-hit game and third in his last four starts. After slugging five homers in April, Bethancourt has only two long balls -- and six extra-base hits overall -- across 18 games in May. Nevertheless, he's maintained a .275 batting average with five RBI and seven runs scored in that same span. |
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| May 21 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the starting lineup Sunday versus the Brewers, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will get a day off after he went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a strikeout in Saturday's victory. Francisco Mejia will take over behind the plate and bat ninth in the series finale with Milwaukee. |
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| May 17 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will receive some routine maintenance after he caught both of the Rays' past two games. Francisco Mejia will relieve Bethancourt behind the dish Wednesday. |
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| May 13 2023 | Bethancourt will sit Saturday against the Yankees, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Despite the day off, Bethancourt remains the clear primary option behind the plate in Tampa Bay, catching 24 games to Francisco Mejia's 17. Bethancourt's .776 OPS handily beats Mejia's .622 mark, so don't expect the depth chart to flip any time soon. |
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| May 11 2023 | Bethancourt is not starting Thursday versus the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Francisco Mejia will catch and bat ninth in the opening game of the Rays' four-game series in the Bronx. Bethancourt caught the final two games of Tampa Bay's three-game set in Baltimore. |
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| May 8 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will get a breather after he caught both of the final two games of the Rays' series with the Yankees over the weekend. Francisco Mejia will spell Bethancourt behind the dish. |
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| May 7 2023 | Bethancourt went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Yankees in extras. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt chased Gerrit Cole in the sixth inning with a game-tying, three-run home run. The catcher now has six homers and 14 RBI across 21 games (80 plate appearances), and he continues to operate as the No. 1 catcher, while Francisco Mejia (16 games and 57 plate appearances) serves as the backup. |
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| May 3 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll take a seat after going 1-for-8 with a home run while catching in both of the past two games. Francisco Mejia will check in behind the plate in place of Bethancourt. |
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| May 1 2023 | Bethancourt went 1-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI in Sunday's 12-9 loss to the White Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt was quieted at the plate until taking Kendall Graveman deep in the eighth for his fifth home run of the season. The 31-year-old plated his second run of the game the following inning on a sacrifice fly. Bethancourt had a career-high 11 home runs, 34 RBI and 39 runs scored a season ago and seems well on his way to surpassing those marks barring any sort of injury. He's now slashing .250/.303/.567 with nine extra base hits, 11 RBI, 12 runs and a 5:17 BB:K over 66 plate appearances. |
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| Apr 5 2023 | Bethancourt is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale versus the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will head to the bench as he continues to split time with Francisco Mejia this season. Mejia will take over behind the plate and bat ninth against lefty Patrick Corbin. |
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| Apr 3 2023 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt and Francisco Mejia have alternated turns behind the dish for each of the Rays' first four games of the season, with the latter catcher getting the starting nod Monday. Expect a relatively equitable timeshare between the two backstops to remain in place while both are healthy and producing at a similar level. |
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| Apr 1 2023 | Bethancourt will be on the bench Saturday against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt started behind the plate on Opening Day, going 0-for-2 with a walk. Francisco Mejia will be the catcher Saturday. The exact playing-time split between the pair may take some time to determine. |
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| Jan 13 2023 | Bethancourt signed a one-year, $1.35 million contract with the Rays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 2022 was a solid year for Bethancourt, who recorded a career-high .692 OPS over 333 plate appearances between the A's and Rays. Bethancourt will likely split time with Francisco Mejia in 2023, though he should see a larger share of action behind the dish. |
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| Oct 5 2022 | Bethancourt isn't in the lineup Wednesday against Boston, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt started the last three games and went 3-for-8 with an RBI, a walk and two strikeouts. Rene Pinto will take over behind the plate and bat seventh during Wednesday's regular-season finale. |
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| Oct 1 2022 | Bethancourt will sit for the third straight game Saturday against the Astros, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt's consecutive days off immediately follow a stretch in which he started three straight games and seven out of 10. Francisco Mejia remains the starter behind the plate Saturday. |
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| Sep 30 2022 | Bethancourt isn't starting Friday against Houston, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will get a second game off after recording a .467 OPS in the past week. Francisco Mejia will start instead behind the dish and bat sixth. |
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| Sep 29 2022 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup for Thursday's game at Cleveland, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt started the past three games and will take a seat after he went 2-for-11 with an RBI, a run and six strikeouts during that span. Francisco Mejia will step in behind the plate and bat ninth in Thursday's series finale. |
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| Sep 28 2022 | Bethancourt will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Guardians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Now behind the plate for the Rays' third consecutive matchup versus a right-handed pitcher, Bethancourt appears to have overtaken Francisco Mejia as manager Kevin Cash's preferred option at catcher. Bethancourt is slashing .310/.310/.552 with three home runs, five doubles, seven runs and six RBI through 18 games in September. |
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| Sep 19 2022 | Bethancourt went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Filling in behind the dish for a resting Francisco Mejia, Bethancourt came up big on offense, with his two extra-base knocks matching his output from his previous seven contests combined. For his efforts, Bethancourt will be rewarded with another start at catcher in Monday's series opener with the Astros, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Bethancourt is batting eighth Monday. |
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| Sep 7 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt took Eduard Bazardo yard in the sixth inning to tally his 10th home run of the season. That continued his recent binge of power, as he now has five homers across his last 11 starts. Also of note, Bethancourt started at first base over Ji-Man Choi, and he could pick up extra plate appearances moving forward if that usage continues. For the season, Bethancourt has a .240/.275/.403 line across 277 plate appearances. |
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| Sep 3 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and two runs scored Friday against the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt launched a two-run homer in the seventh inning against Domingo German. He now has nine long balls on the season, four of which have come in his last eight contests. Bethancourt has started seven of the Rays' last 11 games and has maintained a .238/.275/.393 line across 266 plate appearances on the season. |
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| Aug 23 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI in Tuesday's 11-1 win over the Angels. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt launched a solo homer off Jesse Chavez in the bottom of the seventh inning before ripping a two-run single later in the frame. The catcher has now gone deep in three straight starts and eight times this season overall. Since the beginning of August, Bethancourt has batted .270 with three home runs, five RBI, seven runs and a stolen base over 37 at-bats in 11 games. |
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| Aug 19 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored Thursday against the Royals. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt took Josh Staumont yard in the eighth inning to record his sixth homer of the season. It was only his second home run since joining the Rays on July 11, and he's maintained a just a .200/.214/.327 line across 55 at-bats with his new team. Bethancourt has lost out on some playing time since the return of Francisco Mejia, but he has still been in the lineup for six of the team's last 12 games. |
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| Aug 16 2022 | Bethancourt went 0-for-3 with a stolen base in a 3-1 win Tuesday against the Yankees. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt reached on an error in the fourth and stole second base. It was his fifth steal in six attempts this season. Since joining the Rays in July he's posted a .176/.192/.255 line with one homer in 16 games. Thirteen of his 14 starts for Tampa Bay have come behind the plate. |
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| Jul 31 2022 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will sit for the third time in four games and may have slipped behind Rene Pinto on the depth chart at catcher. Since being acquired from the Athletics on July 9 to add depth behind the dish, Bethancourt has batted .160 with one extra-base hit in his first eight games with Tampa Bay. |
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| Jul 30 2022 | Bethancourt isn't starting Saturday against Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Friday and will be on the bench for the second time in the last three games. Rene Pinto is starting behind the plate and batting ninth. |
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| Jul 28 2022 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt looks like he'll Option 1A behind the plate for the Rays after Francisco Mejia (shoulder) recently joined Mike Zunino (shoulder) on the injured list, but Bethancourt could still be part of a timeshare at catcher with Rene Pinto, who will get the nod behind the plate in Thursday's series finale. Since being acquired from the Athletics on July 9, Bethancourt has gone 4-for-21 with a home run and a walk through his first seven games with the Rays. |
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| Jul 27 2022 | Bethancourt went 1-for-4 on Tuesday against the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt has been unremarkable since joining the Rays on July 12, collecting only three hits in 17 at-bats. He was in a near exactly even split for playing time behind the plate, but Bethancourt will likely see more consistent plate appearances with Francisco Mejia (shoulder) landing on the injured list. Rene Pinto was recalled to serve as the backup catcher. |
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| Jul 15 2022 | Bethancourt went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run Friday against the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt wasn't in the starting lineup, but he entered the game in the sixth inning and connected on his first homer with the Rays. He's alternated starts with Francisco Mejia since being formally added to the roster and has collected two hits in seven at-bats. For the season, Bethancourt is hitting .250/.298/.398 across 189 plate appearances, and he should benefit from improved lineup context for the rest of the season. |
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| Jul 11 2022 | The Rays added Bethancourt to the 26-man active roster ahead of Monday's game against the Red Sox. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Rays acquired Bethancourt from the Athletics on Saturday, but the team waited a couple days to make a corresponding transaction to create room for him on the active roster. With Rene Pinto heading to Triple-A Durham on Monday, Bethancourt is expected to step in as the No. 2 backstop behind Francisco Mejia while Mike Zunino (shoulder) is on the injured list. The righty-hitting Bethancourt also picked up reps at first base and designated hitter during his time in Oakland and could make starts versus left-handed pitching at either spot for the platoon-happy Rays. |
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| Jul 9 2022 | Bethancourt was traded from the Athletics to the Rays on Saturday in exchange for Cal Stevenson and Christian Fernandez, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's been quite the year for Bethancourt, who returned to the majors for the first time since 2017 and performed well enough to catch the eye of an organization famous for spotting talent. Bethancourt was a light-hitting catcher for the early part of his career, hitting .222/.252/.316 in 161 games from 2013 to 2017, but he's posted a nearly average 99 wRC+ (the product of a .249/.298/.385 slash line) this season while making the majority of his starts at first base. Catcher is likely where the Rays see Bethancourt fitting in, as Mike Zunino remains out with a shoulder injury. His bat should play better there, and there's reason to believe he'll keep up his solid performance despite his lack of a track record, as his 14.0 percent barrel rate this season is quite strong. |
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| Jun 26 2022 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 4-for-30 at the plate with 11 strikeouts over his last eight games, Bethancourt is beginning to see his playing time trend downward. He'll find himself on the bench for the fourth time in seven contests and may need to turn things around quickly to remain a regular in the Oakland lineup. |
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| Jun 24 2022 | Bethancourt will sit Friday against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt may be splitting into the small side of a platoon, as his off day here against Zack Greinke means he's now sat against the last three righties Oakland have faced. That followed a run of five straight starts against righties, though, so it's unclear if that's the case. Sheldon Neuse will be the first baseman Friday. |
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| Jun 22 2022 | Bethancourt isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Mariners. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's series opener against Seattle and will be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Stephen Vogt is starting at first base and batting seventh. |
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| Jun 19 2022 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt is 1-for-14 with nine strikeouts over his past four games and will receive a day off to reset in the series finale versus Kansas City. Seth Brown will move to first base while Cristian Pache starts in the outfield. |
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| Jun 12 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a stolen base and a strikeout in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt started in every matchup during the Athletics' four-game series against Cleveland, and he went 9-for-17 with three homers, two doubles, five runs and five RBI over those four games. The 30-year-old had inconsistent playing time in late May and early June, but the Athletics will likely try to find ways to keep him in the lineup as long as he's swinging a hot bat. |
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| Jun 10 2022 | Bethancourt went 3-for-4 with one double, one home run, two RBI and one additional run scored in Thursday's loss to the Guardians. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt gave the Athletics an early lead with a two-run homer in the second inning. The slugger also came around to score in the sixth after sparking a rally with a two-out single. Across 38 games, Bethancourt is slashing .245/.292/.377 with two home runs and 12 RBI. |
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| Jun 2 2022 | Bethancourt went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Astros. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He took Justin Verlander deep in the seventh inning to give Oakland a 3-1 lead, but the bullpen imploded in the ninth. Bethancourt's blast was his first homer of the season and first extra-base hit since May 14, and the 30-year-old is slashing .229/.282/.323 through 104 plate appearances since joining the A's. |
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| May 29 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a run in a loss to the Rangers on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The reserve backstop reached safely for the fourth time in five games and generated his second multi-hit effort in that span. Bethancourt continues to be an occasional contributor at the plate, but it remains to be seen how much longer his stint on the big-league roster will last with Stephen Vogt (knee) kicking off his rehab assignment Saturday and therefore likely to return to action relatively soon. |
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| May 24 2022 | Bethancourt sent 2-for-3 with two runs in a loss to the Mariners on Monday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt was effective in setting up some run-scoring opportunities while generating his fourth multi-hit effort of the season. The reserve backstop continues to see semi-regular playing time while Stephen Vogt (knee) remains on the injured list and now carries a .231/.286/.308 slash line across 85 plate appearances. |
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| May 13 2022 | Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a two-run single in a win over the Tigers on Thursday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: One game after forging a three-hit effort that included two RBI, Bethancourt continued his timely hitting with a first-inning single that brought home both Jed Lowrie and Sheldon Neuse. The reserve backstop has been a serviceable contributor in the ongoing absence of Stephen Vogt (knee), posting a .250 average and seven RBI over 61 plate appearances. |
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| May 12 2022 | Bethancourt will start at catcher and bat sixth in Thursday's game in Detroit, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With top catcher Sean Murphy receiving a breather on a getaway day, Bethancourt will check in behind the dish after manning first base in Wednesday's 9-0 win. Bethancourt was one of several Oakland hitters to enjoy a big day at the dish in the victory, as he went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. |
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| May 2 2022 | Bethancourt entered Sunday's loss to the Guardians as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning and laced an RBI double, subsequently scoring a run. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The reserve backstop put the first run of the game on the board for the Athletics with his timely two-bagger in the final frame that plated Sean Murphy. Bethancourt hasn't logged a start since Wednesday, and he's expected to head back to the minors once veteran Stephen Vogt (knee) returns from the injured list. |
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| Apr 24 2022 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game agains the Rangers. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After being added to the roster as a COVID-19 replacement April 15, Bethancourt made six consecutive starts, but he's since moved into more of a part-time role as the Athletics have gotten more players back from the injured list. He'll be on the bench for the second time in three games and is likely to see his opportunities grow scarcer from here on out. |
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| Apr 21 2022 | Bethancourt was officially added to Oakland's 40-man roster Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt's contract was selected by the Athletics last week to serve as a fill-in option while several players were sidelined. However, he'll remain on the 40-man roster after he hit .250 with a double, three runs, an RBI and a stolen base in six appearances with the Athletics. He'll serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth in Thursday's matchup against Baltimore. |
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| Apr 19 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-3 with a walk, run and stolen base in Tuesday's 2-1 win against the Orioles. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt singled and stole second in the second inning, singled and scored in the sixth and walked in the eighth to record his best all-around game of the season. It's a small sample size, but the 30-year-old has appeared in all five games since being promoted from Triple A and seeing his first big league action since 2017. He's responded by going 4-for-16, with all four hits coming in two of those games. |
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| Apr 17 2022 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with an RBI ground-rule double and a run in a win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The journeyman backstop made an impact in his first start of the season, extending the Athletics' lead to 3-1 with his second-inning two-bagger. Bethancourt's stint with the big-league club may not extend beyond Austin Allen's stay on the restricted list, but as he showed Saturday, he can offer solid organizational depth at Triple-A Las Vegas and contribute in a pinch at the major-league level given his experience. |
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| Apr 15 2022 | Bethancourt's contract was selected by the Athletics on Friday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt will provide depth behind the dish for Oakland's weekend series in Toronto after Austin Allen (undisclosed) was placed on the restricted list. It seems likely that Bethancourt will return to the minors once the Athletics return home Monday. |
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| Mar 28 2021 | The Phillies released Bethancourt on Sunday. | ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Bethancourt wasn't on track to beat out Andrew Knapp for the No. 2 catcher job on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, and he presumably wasn't interested in sticking around at the organization's minor-league camp. As a result, Bethancourt will now be given the opportunity to explore his options elsewhere. The 29-year-old last appeared in the big leagues in 2017 as a member of the Padres. |
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| Mar 19 2018 | Bethancourt (arm) recorded one at-bat during Monday's game against the Dodgers. | Bethancourt left Saturday's game after being hit by a pitch, but returned Monday to go 0-for-1 at the plate. Although it's likely he'll begin the season in the minor leagues, it's still good to see the 26-year-old catcher back out on the field. Manny Pina and Jett Bandy look to be the two backstops that will make Milwaukee's Opening Day roster. |
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| Mar 16 2018 | Bethancourt exited Saturday's Cactus League game against the Reds after being hit by a pitch on the left arm, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. | Bethancourt received a non-roster invite to Brewers spring training and has a .350 batting average and .950 OPS in 20 at-bats this spring. The 26-year-old is still unlikely to make the Brewers' Opening Day roster with Manny Pina, Stephen Vogt (shoulder) and Jett Bandy on the 40-man roster, but his injury status should be updated as he is further evaluated. |
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| Jan 8 2018 | Bethancourt signed a minor-league contract with the Brewers on Monday which includes an invitation to spring training. | Bethancourt has spent parts of each of the previous two seasons as a two-way player for the Padres, though he hasn't found much success in either role. The 26-year-old hit just .225/.261/.360 across 211 plate appearances with San Diego over the past two seasons while allowing nine runs (six earned) on six hits and eight walks across 5.1 innings over that same span. It's unclear if the Brewers will continue to use Bethancourt as a two-way player at this point, but at the very least, look for him to offer organizational catching depth in 2018. |
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| Aug 24 2017 | Bethancourt could be among the minor leaguers called up to the Padres when rosters expand in September, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | This is despite the fact that Bethancourt has been terrible in the minors. He owns an 8.12 ERA over 37.2 innings for Triple-A El Paso and has walked 28 batters against just 20 strikeouts. That said, the Padres need to make a decision about Bethancourt's long-term future with the club soon, so what better time than the present to see what he's got? |
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| Apr 27 2017 | Bethancourt will focus on pitching while at Triple-A El Paso, Dennis Lin of the Union-Tribune reports. | The Padres outrighted Bethancourt off the 40-man roster Tuesday after his struggles as both a reliever and as a hitter while with the big league club. According to Lin, Bethancourt will leave open the possibility of going back behind the plate down the line, but wants to train primarily as a pitcher for the time being. Bethancourt has strong velocity on his fastball, sitting at 94.1 miles per hour, but he'll need time to hone in on his command. He walked a whopping eight batters in just 3.2 innings while with the Padres, but it's clear that the organization is confident enough in his upside to where they believe he can develop as a pitcher down the line. |
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| Apr 3 2017 | Bethancourt suffered cuts to his knee but no structural damage Monday against the Dodgers, MLB.com's AJ Cassavell reports. | Bethancourt was covering home after he uncorked a wild pitch on the first delivery of his outing when Andrew Toles spiked him during the play at the plate. The 25-year-old made the Opening Day roster as a reliever after mostly catching throughout his career, and in addition to being banged up Monday, his outing did not go too well either. He allowed a three-run home run to Corey Seager and walked two in 1.1 innings. Regardless, the injury seems to be nothing serious. |
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| Apr 1 2017 | Bethancourt has made the Padres' Opening Day roster as a reliever, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | Bethancourt has been experimented as a pitcher-catcher hybrid this spring, a move that's worked surprisingly well. The 25-year-old has allowed just two earned runs over 8.1 innings while also garnering three strikeouts. With Austin Hedges and Hector Sanchez ahead of him on the catching depth chart, it appears the team is going ahead with a full switch to becoming a pitcher. Expect him to be used in low-leverage situations as he adjusts to his new role. |
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| Mar 12 2017 | Bethancourt will make his first catching appearance in the Padres' Cactus League game Sunday, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | The 25-year-old is being tested for a role as a dual catcher/pitcher this season, and he'll get his first action of the spring in his more familiar role after appearing exclusively as a pitcher for the beginning of the spring. Bethancourt has found a surprising amount of success on the mound so far, allowing as many hits as he's garnered himself (none), so if he continues to find success there while playing good enough defense behind the plate, his combined role could be his calling card for a 25-man roster spot. |
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| Mar 10 2017 | Bethancourt has yet to allow a hit through three spring training innings. | Bethancourt -- primarily a catcher -- has been experimenting with pitching this spring. He threw another scoreless inning in Friday's win over the Angels, notching his first strikeout in the process. Bethancourt features a mid-to-high 90s fastball, but is far from a finished product. If he continues to have success in Cactus League action, then he should punch his ticket for the 25-man roster due to his unique blend of being able to fill three backup spots on the depth chart (catcher, outfielder and pitcher). |
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| Feb 27 2017 | Bethancourt will make his first Cactus League pitching appearance Wednesday, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | After lots of work in the offseason to develop him as a pitcher, the right-handed fireballer will finally get to strut his stuff against major league competition. He's also scheduled to DH later in the week, showing that the Padres want to keep all options open for the future, but if his spring debut goes well, Bethancourt could work his way into more consistent bullpen work throughout the season. |
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| Feb 7 2017 | Bethancourt is targeting early March for his Cactus League pitching debut, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | The Padres have been working with the catcher on his pitching mechanics, and recently clocked his fastball at 97 mph during a Panama Winter League game. Although the Padres have been unclear about his role going forward, his powerful arm could see him in the bullpen more often than expected. Last year with the Padres, the 25-year-old pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in two games, and slashed .228/.265/.368 in 204 plate appearances. |
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| Oct 28 2016 | Bethancourt will pitch in the Panama Winter League soon, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | The Padres have been working with the catcher on his pitching mechanics, and recently had his fastball clocked at 97 miles per hour. Bethancourt is even developing a changeup, although the Padres are still insisting that he is not fully converting to being a pitcher. His role for the 2017 season should become clearer once he logs some innings in Panama, although his high-octane arm could push him to the bullpen more frequently if all goes well over the winter. |
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| Oct 1 2016 | Bethancourt (intercostals) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports reports. | Manager Andy Green is reportedly "intrigued" by Bethancourt's ability on the pitching mound, having seen him throw 96 mph without any work on his mechanics. A catcher by trade, Bethancourt's arm strength is unquestionably his strongest asset. He has hit just .223/.253/.318 in 153 games at the major league level but it doesn't sound like the Padres are planning to have him focus exclusively on pitching -- they may instead try to develop him into a catcher/outfielder/pitcher hybrid player. |
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| Sep 12 2016 | Bethancourt (intercostal) is likely to miss the remainder of the season, A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com reports. | Bethancourt has been on the disabled list with an intercostal strain since August 31, a core injury that is notorious for long rehab times. Considering the Padres are well outside the playoff picture, they'll play it safe and let Bethancourt heal over the offseason. If he is indeed done, he'll finish with a .228/.265/.368 batting line -- certainly poor, but he'll finish with an OPS above .600 for the first time in three seasons. |
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| Aug 31 2016 | Bethancourt (ribs) was placed on the disabled list Wednesday. | Bethancourt had to leave Tuesday's game in the fourth inning with a left intercostal strain. With a .228 batting average and 28 percent strikeout rate, Bethancourt hadn't performed well for much of the season, and recent outings were no exception. Over the last 14 games, he went just 7-for-40 (.175) with 13 strikeouts. In a corresponding move, Hector Sanchez was recalled from Triple-A El Paso. |
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| Aug 30 2016 | Bethancourt left Tuesday's game with a left intercostal strain. | The Padres may be forced to bring Austin Hedges up a bit early if Bethancourt is deemed unavailable for Wednesday's game, as Derek Norris is now the only healthy backstop currently on the 25-man roster. Bethancourt went 0-for-2 prior to exiting and is batting just .188 (13-for-69) with one homer for the month of August. |
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| Aug 14 2016 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mets. | After making back-to-back starts behind the plate, Bethancourt will give way to Derek Norris for the Sunday afternoon contest. Although Norris has significantly more starts than Bethancourt on the season, the playing time appears to be evening out of late. Bethancourt has started three of the last four games over a healthy Norris. |
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| Jul 30 2016 | Bethancourt came into action in left field after Alex Dickerson left Friday's loss in the first inning. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. | The Padres suddenly found themselves short-handed in the outfield. Melvin Upton Jr. was traded earlier in the week, and their position player pool was further shortened by Yangervis Solarte's medical leave. |
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| Jul 17 2016 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Sunday's win over the Giants. | Bethancourt got the start as Derek Norris took a seat, and he desposited a Johnny Cueto fastball into the seats in left to give the Padres a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Bethancourt quietly sports a .457 slugging percentage and five homers in just 105 at-bats this season, and he could carve out some fantasy value for himself is Norris is traded before the approaching deadline. |
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| May 30 2016 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base in Monday's Memorial Day loss to the Mariners. | Bethancourt was getting the start on Monday at the DH spot on the road in Seattle. The catcher never found his fit in Atlanta despite being a top prospect, but has comported himself well in his first season in San Diego. The 24-year-old is batting .267 with four home runs and 11 RBI in part-time duty this season. |
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| May 21 2016 | Bethancourt hit two-run home run as a pinch hitter in Friday's win over the Dodgers. | Bethancourt was originally penciled in the lineup to play right field, but was later scratched as the Padres changed their mind about giving him his first playing time in the outfield. The pinch-hit home run shows the change wasn't due to a health concern. His strong start to the season (.874 OPS) has the Padres considering creative ways to get him in the lineup. |
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| May 20 2016 | Bethancourt will start in right field and bat fifth Friday against the Dodgers. | Friday's start marks Bethancourt's first at a position other than catcher as a professional. Bethancourt is getting on base at just a .267 clip, but he's batting .292 so far in May (7-for-24) and will have the platoon advantage against lefty Scott Kazmir. |
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| May 20 2016 | Bethancourt is a late scratch from Friday's lineup in a matchup with the Dodgers, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | It was originally surprising that Bethancourt was given the nod in right field considering he had never started anywhere other than behind the plate in his career. However, the Padres have decided to scratch that plan at the last minute and go with Jose Pirela in right. |
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| May 11 2016 | Bethancourt went 2-for-3 with a solo homer, accounting for the only run in the nightcap of Wednesday's doubleheader sweep against the Cubs. | The 24-year-old catcher has now slugged homers in three of his last four starts, and with Derek Norris hitting .187 (though he did have three hits in the afternoon game Wednesday), it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see Bethancourt start picking up some more action behind the plate. It's worth remembering that he was considered a top-100 prospect with the Braves as recently as last preseason and looked like he made major strides with the bat in Triple-A last year. That's not to say he's a star in the making, but there's seemingly some help to be found here for owners in two-catcher leagues. |
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| May 9 2016 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Mets. | Bethancourt came into the day with only two extra-base hits on the season, but doubled that total Sunday, contributing a double and a homer. He's still a defense-first catcher, however, and figures to see only limited at-bats behind regular starter Derek Norris. |
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| Apr 24 2016 | Bethancourt went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. | Bethancourt was making a spot start for Derek Norris Sunday, and he collected his fourth hit, and first long ball, of the season. The former top prospect will likely continue to play sparingly behind Norris, and he carries limited fantasy value outside of daily formats when he does see at-bats. |
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| Apr 21 2016 | Bethancourt is starting at catcher and batting sixth Thursday against the Pirates. | Derek Norris is in the midst of a modest four-game hit streak, but Bethancourt will assume the catching duties in his place Thursday. He hasn't had many opportunities to play so far this season, but he does have a double and an RBI to his name in those limited appearances. |
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| Apr 2 2016 | Bethancourt has made the Opening Day roster. | As expected, Bethancourt will open as San Diego's backup catcher. The news was made official Saturday, with the Padres optioning Austin Hedges to Triple-A El Paso. |
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| Mar 24 2016 | Bethancourt's teammate Austin Hedges will likely start the season with Triple-A El Paso, the Union-Tribune's Dennis Lin reports. | Coming off October surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Bethancourt appears to have beaten out Hedges for the backup catcher's job, with both players posting surprisingly strong batting numbers this spring. Bethancourt and Hedges are defense-first prospects, whereas top backstop Derek Norris provides most of his value with the bat. |
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| Feb 21 2016 | Bethancourt says he is "100 percent" following offseason arthroscopic surgery in October to repair a torn meniscus, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. | Bethancourt's injury hadn't been officially reported during the time of surgery, but based on the backstop's optimism, it doesn't appear it will have a major effect on his 2016 season. In fact, walking up to the batter's box relatively pain-free could actually help the 24-year-old improve upon a less-than-stellar .200 batting average from a season ago. As it currently stands, Bethancourt appears to have an uphill battle for playing time in San Diego, as he'll have to compete with Derek Norris and Austin Hedges for reps behind the plate. |
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| Dec 10 2015 | Bethancourt (knee) was traded to the Padres on Thursday in exchange for Casey Kelly and Ricardo Rodriguez, MLB.com reports. | The 24-year-old has done little with the bat in 80 games at the major-league level, slashing .219/.245/.283 while walking at a 2.9 percent clip. However, Bethancourt's athleticism and exceptional arm should afford him plenty of opportunities down the line, though there is not a clear path to a 2016 role with Derek Norris, Austin Hedges and Josmil Pinto all in San Diego. |
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| Oct 7 2015 | Bethancourt had surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee Tuesday, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | Bethancourt missed the majority of the final two weeks in September with a lingering issue in this thumb, but it appears as if the catcher may have dealing with more than just that injury. Barring any setbacks, Bethancourt should be ready to begin working out sometime in November --- a good sign considering he will likely compete for the starting catcher job in spring training. |
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| Oct 4 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) isn't in the lineup for Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader with the Cardinals, Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan reports. | Bethancourt hasn't played since Thursday while dealing with the left thumb contusion. It's likely that the Braves will just give Ryan Lavarnway and A.J. Pierzynski the starts behind the plate for the doubleheader, allowing Bethancourt to get an early start on his offseason. He should be over the thumb injury in quick fashion. |
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| Oct 3 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) is not in the lineup Saturday. | Bethancourt tried to play through a thumb injury Thursday, but he was only able to make it through two at-bats before being removed. It's likely the 24-year-old will not return the rest of the season, meaning Ryan Lavarnway will continue to get the starts behind the plate. |
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| Oct 2 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) is not in the lineup Friday. | Bethancourt made it through just two at-bats Thursday before being removed due to what was is assumed to be a reoccurring thumb injury that kept him out of the lineup since Sept. 21. With just more one gaming, it's likely he played the last game of his season Thursday. |
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| Oct 1 2015 | Bethancourt likely aggravated his wrist injury in Thursday's game against the Nationals, Kevin McAlpin of Sports Radio 680 The Fan reports. | Bethancourt's wrist has been a continual issues, returning Thursday for the first time since jamming reportedly jamming his thumb Sept. 21. Considering there are just two games remaining in the season, it wouldn't be surprising if the young backstop has played his last contest. Ryan Lavarnway replaced him behind the plate Thursday. |
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| Oct 1 2015 | Bethancourt (wrist) officially left Thursday's game against the Nationals with a left thumb contusion and is considered day-to-day. | Bethancourt's injury is likely a recurrence of the issue that's kept him sidelined since Sept. 21. With just two games remaining in the 2015 season, it wouldn't be surprising if the young catcher has played his last contest of the campaign. |
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| Oct 1 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) is in the lineup Thursday. | Bethancourt has been out of the lineup since Sept. 20 with a jammed thumb, but it appears as if he is finally ready to play Thursday when the Braves prepare to take on the Nationals. The 24-year-old will take over behind the plate and hit eighth in the batting order against Stephen Strasburg. |
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| Sep 30 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) remains out of the lineup Wednesday against the Nationals. | Bethancourt continues to sit out after jamming his thumb a week ago Sunday. The team will continue to take precautions with him, but it's still possible the young backstop will start again this season if healthy. |
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| Sep 29 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) is not in the lineup Tuesday against Washington. | Bethancourt jammed his thumb more than a week ago, and he's yet to return to action. A.J. Pierzynski will make another start at catcher Tuesday, and he'll bat cleanup. |
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| Sep 26 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) is not in the lineup Saturday. | The 24-year-old backstop has been suffering from a jammed thumb which has kept him out of the starting lineup for five consecutive games. However, with the recent injury to AJ Pierzynski (shoulder) Bethancourt could get the start Sunday with righty Tom Koehler set to take the mound. |
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| Sep 25 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) remains out of the lineup Friday against the Marlins, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | A jammed left thumb, suffered last weekend, will keep Bethancourt out of the lineup for a fourth straight game. Bethancourt had two three-hit games in the span of four starts earlier this month, after turning in just five multi-hit efforts in the first five months of the season. |
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| Sep 24 2015 | Bethancourt (thumb) is not in the starting lineup Thursday. | Prior to the injury, Bethancourt was playing about every other game, so the fact that he's not in the lineup isn't surprising. Until he is fully healthy, A.J. Pierzynski will continue to get the majority of the starts behind the plate. |
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| Sep 21 2015 | Bethancourt jammed his left thumb in Sunday's game and will now likely miss a few days while recovering, David O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | The initial X-rays came back negative so rest seems to be the only remedy needed for a full recovery, although he's been spotted donning a brace on his left hand. Normal starter A.J. Pierzynski will remain behind the plate for the time being with Ryan Lavarnway waiting in the wings if needed. |
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| Sep 9 2015 | Bethancourt went 3-for-5 with his second homer and two runs scored Wednesday against the Phillies. | He hadn't collected a hit in any of his last six appearances, as Bethancourt has been one of the worst hitters in the game this year, with an OPS of just .497 to his credit even after this nice day. |
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| Aug 24 2015 | Bethancourt was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. | Bethancourt will provide the Braves with another bat off the bench, as the 23-year-old has posted a .327/.359/.480 batting line with four home runs and 31 RBI in 52 games. He'll provide the Braves with a third catching option, but it's unclear how much he'll play down the stretch. Given the Braves' position in the standings, it wouldn't be surprising if they give their young backstop a fair number of opportunities. |
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| Jun 15 2015 | Bethancourt will be optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. | The Braves haven't announced a corresponding move, but they'll likely replace Bethancourt with another backup catcher, after watching him struggle at the plate this season. Bethancourt owns a .208/.231/.297 batting line, with one home run, nine RBI, 12 runs, a stolen base and an 18:3 K:BB ratio in 101 at-bats. |
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| May 27 2015 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Dodgers. | Major league pitching continues to baffle Bethancourt -- he's batting .181/.213/.264 with three walks in 75 plate appearances this season. His defense alone is not enough to warrant regular playing time at this point, but he should continue to start against most left-handers. |
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| May 9 2015 | Bethancourt went 2-for-4 Saturday with a double, a run scored and two RBI. | AJ Pierzynski's hot streak has relegated Bethancourt to a bench role, but his own .188/.220/.271 slash line isn't giving Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez much reason to reconsider the workload division behind the plate. |
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| May 5 2015 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Phillies. | The 23-year-old Bethancourt has been a total afterthought of late, seeing a mere three starts in the past two weeks. Whereas Bethancourt is just 7-for-40 with three extra-base hits (all doubles) and two walks this season, A.J. Pierzynski is 20-for-57 (.351 average) with three home runs and 14 RBI to this point. It appears the Braves are content to let Bethancourt sit on the bench and learn from the veteran for now. |
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| Apr 24 2015 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Friday against the Phillies. | A.J. Pierzynski will handle catching duties for a third straight game and for the fifth time in the team's last seven games. It would seem the 38-year-old Pierzynski, who is 11-for-27 with three homers so far this season, has usurped Bethancourt as the primary option for Atlanta. Bethancourt is just 4-for-30 (.133 average) with two walks in the early going. |
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| Apr 22 2015 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Mets, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. | Bethancourt will turn backstop duties over to veteran A.J. Pierzynski after making back-to-back starts. With zero hits in his last three games (12 at-bats), Bethancourt is now batting .133 (4-for-30) in the early going. He may find himself taking a back seat to Pierzysnki more often if he doesn't pick it up. |
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| Apr 19 2015 | Bethancourt will return to the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays. | Bethancourt was on the bench for the Braves' previous two games while A.J. Pierzynski drew the start behind the plate with right-handers on the mound for the opposition. It appears manager Fredi Gonzalez may be employing a rough platoon between his two catchers, as Bethancourt will now enter back into the lineup Sunday with lefty Daniel Norris on the hill for Toronto. That kind of arrangement would hurt Bethancourt's value should it continue, as his right-handedness would generally afford him less at-bats. Even in a full-time role, Bethancourt isn't much of a threat with the bat to begin with, as most of his value comes in the form of his top-notch defensive abilities. |
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| Apr 17 2015 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Friday. | A.J. Pierzynski will set up behind the dish, as Bethancourt gets his second day off this week. So far he does not have a multi-hit game, but offense was never supposed to be a big part of the package with the defense-first rookie backstop. |
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| Apr 14 2015 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins. | Bethancourt has started five of the first eight games, while A.J. Pierzynski has now handled three. That bodes well for Bethancourt's chances to get most of the playing time this season, as the Braves have thus far faced just one left-handed starter. Bethancourt is only 4-for-18 (.222 BA), but he does have four runs, two RBI and a stolen base, along with two doubles, two walks and only three strikeouts. |
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| Apr 12 2015 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Mets. | While Bethancourt remains the primary catcher for the Braves, both he and A.J. Pierzynski - who's batting fifth Sunday - are expected to see a fair amount of starts behind the plate. He will likely return to the lineup again Monday against the Marlins, but Pierzynski will probably start more than the average backup. |
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| Apr 8 2015 | Bethancourt is out of the Braves' lineup Wednesday against Miami, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | A.J. Pierzynski will step in to catch starer Shelby Miller, pushing Bethancourt to the bench for first time this season. The 23-year-old Bethancourt doubled, walked and scored twice in Tuesday's 12-2 thrashing of the Marlins after an 0-for-4 showing in his debut. It appears Bethancourt will be the primary option behind the plate moving forward. |
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| Apr 6 2015 | Bethancourt will catch and bat fifth against the Marlins on Monday. | The Opening Day start is by no means surprising, but Bethancourt's spot in the order is a bit. Bethancourt did, however, collect seven extra-base hits this spring (42 at-bats), and it seems manager Fredi Gonzalez views him as an important run producer. Jonny Gomes could bat fifth against lefties. |
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| Apr 2 2015 | Bethancourt (mouth) is back in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. | Two days after having his wisdom teeth removed, Bethancourt is set to catch and bat seventh against Baltimore. Bethancourt hit his first home run of the spring Monday, raising his average to .306 (11-for-36) and his slugging percentage to .556, but he has yet to draw a walk and has struck out seven times. He may have the slight edge over A.J. Pierzynski, but manager Fredi Gonzalez still has not named a starter just days out from the start of the regular season. |
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| Mar 31 2015 | Bethancourt hit his first home run of the spring Monday, going 1-for-3 in the Braves' 4-2 win over Detroit. He had two wisdom teeth removed Tuesday and will miss a day or two, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | The 23-year-old Bethancourt just missed more than a week while battling the flu, and went 1-for-8 in his first three games back, so it's good to see him get ahold of one. Overall this spring, Bethancourt is batting .306 (11-for-36) with six doubles and seven RBI, but he's yet to draw a walk and has struck out seven times. Meanwhile, A.J. Pierzynski is batting .344 (11-for-32) with just one extra-base hit but four walks against one strikeout. Manager Fredi Gonzalez hasn't tipped his hand as to how the playing time will shake out during the regular season, but with the Braves in rebuild mode, they may be inclined to give the rookie close to everyday reps. |
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| Mar 24 2015 | Bethancourt (illness) returned to the clubhouse Tuesday, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports. | A bout with the flu has kept him sidelined since Thursday, and while it is not clear when he will return to the lineup, the fact that he is back with the team suggests he could be back in the mix sometime this week. While Bethancourt's defense, particularly his arm, is legendary, his bat lags behind, and he should only be a target in deeper formats until he can prove to have made strides offensively. |
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| Mar 20 2015 | Bethancourt (illness) was scratched from Friday's game, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | Bethancourt did not play Thursday and still had a fever Friday, so he did not make the trip with the team. He isn't expected to miss more than a few days and could play in a split-squad game Saturday, though it's not likely. |
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| Mar 19 2015 | Bethancourt was scratched from Thursday's lineup due to flu-like symptoms, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | Bethancourt could miss a day or two with the ailment, but it's not something that should carry into regular season play. |
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| Mar 12 2015 | Bethancourt said he is OK after taking a batted ball to the knee and leaving Thursday's Grapefruit League game, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "It's just a hit," Bethancourt said. "It's just spring training. You don't want anything to get worse. I'm OK. I didn't want to come out after I got hit. They took me out for protection. It does hurt. It's part of the game. I'm a catcher. I'm used to getting hit all the time." | Bethancourt wasn't immediately forced from the game after taking the batted ball to his knee. In fact, he doubled in the next half inning before being lifted for a pinch runner. It sounds like his removal was strictly for precautionary reasons, and while Bethancourt will sit Friday, manager Fredi Gonzalez said he hadn't planned to play the 23-year-old anyway in the day game following a night game. Bethancourt is battling veteran A.J. Pierzynski for playing time this spring. |
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| Nov 18 2014 | Braves president of baseball operations said Monday that there is "definitely a possibility" Evan Gattis could move to left field next season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | The Braves have a need in the outfield with Jason Heyward dealt to the Cardinals, one which Gattis figures to fill, with Justin Upton possibly moving to right. That would likely open up playing time for the 23-year-old Bethancourt behind the plate. While Bethancourt hit .283 over 365 plate appearances at Triple-A Gwinnett last season, he drew just 13 walks with the affiliate and struggled mightily in 31 games at the major league level (55 OPS+). He is very skilled defensively, however, and the Braves may not have a choice but to let him learn on the job. |
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| Sep 25 2014 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup Thursday against the Pirates. | Bethancourt has started 13 of the Braves' last 14 games, but he'll head to the bench Thursday with Evan Gattis (illness) slated to return from an extended absence. Gattis is only expected to play about five innings, so Bethancourt could end up catching a few frames, and he should get at least one more start before the end of the season. He's batting .264/.278/.302 with six RBI so far this month. |
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| Sep 1 2014 | Bethancourt will join the Braves on Tuesday, MLB.com reports. | During a brief audition with the big club earlier this season, Bethancourt went 12-for-50 (.240 average) with one extra-base hit in 13 games. In 90 games with Triple-A Gwinnett, Bethancourt hit .287 with eight homers and 48 RBI, and while he drew just 13 walks in 360 plate appearances, his arm strength and plus athleticism behind the plate should be enough to earn him an everyday job at the major league level in future years. Evan Gattis should continue serving as the primary option behind the plate over the remainder of this season. |
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| Jul 21 2014 | Bethancourt was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday. | Bethancourt went 12-for-50 at this dish while serving as Evan Gattis' primary replacement, but will return to the minors in order to see consistent reps. Gerald Laird will instead take on catching duties when Gattis needs a day off. |
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| Jul 20 2014 | Bethancourt is out of the lineup Sunday against the Phillies, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. | Bethancourt has started five of the last six games for the Braves, but will give way to Gerald Laird for the Sunday afternoon tilt. Laird will likely remain the primary backup once Evan Gattis (back) returns from the DL, so Bethancourt's reps may soon be nearing an end -- although Gattis remains without a timetable for return at the moment. |
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| Jul 9 2014 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup Wednesday vs. the Mets. | Bethancourt has assumed the bulk of the catching duties since Evan Gattis landed on the DL, flashing elite defense to go along with a serviceable 9-for-32 showing at the plate. He'll be behind the plate on a near-everyday basis until Gattis returns, with Gerald Laird just stepping in for him Wednesday for maintenance purposes. |
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| Jul 9 2014 | Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Wednesday that he expects Bethancourt to return to Triple-A Gwinnett when Evan Gattis (back) comes off the DL, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. | Gattis remains without a set timetable, but it sounds like Gerald Laird will remain the backup upon his eventual return, rather than Bethancourt. Gonzalez reiterated that the team has no plans to play Gattis at another position. Bethancourt has hit safely in seven of eight games since his callup, and will likely continue to serve as the primary option behind the plate while Gattis is on the mend. |
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| Jul 5 2014 | Bethancourt went 3-for-5 with a run scored Saturday against the D-Backs. | Since Evan Gattis hit the disabled list at the beginning of the week, Bethancourt has started four of the Braves' last five games. It appears as though he'll be given an opportunity to serve as the primary option over veteran Gerald Laird at least until Gattis is able to return. |
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| Jul 4 2014 | Bethancourt is not in the lineup Friday against the Diamondbacks. | Gerald Laird (oblique) will step back in behind the dish Friday to catch for Ervin Santana, as Bethancourt sits after making three straight starts. Bethancourt is just 3-for-15 and is without an extra-base hit thus far, but his athleticism behind the plate likely gives him the edge over Laird for playing time with Evan Gattis (back) sidelined. |
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| Jun 28 2014 | Bethancourt was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday and is in the lineup for Game 2 of the Braves' doubleheader against the Phillies, MLB.com reports. | Bethancourt likely will take over the starting catching job, pushing Evan Gattis to left field and sending B.J. Upton to the bench. |
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| Jun 16 2014 | The Braves have discussed the possibility of promoting Bethancourt to serve as the starting catcher, MLB.com reports. | While a change may not be imminent, the team has "at least started toying with the idea" of moving Evan Gattis to left field and bringing up Bethancourt from Triple-A Gwinnett, according to the report. That would move Justin Upton to right, Jason Heyward to center and B.J. Upton to the bench, but manager Fredi Gonzalez was coy, only saying that, "We're hearing [Bethancourt] right now. We're paying attention." The 22-year-old Bethancourt has been highly touted for his defensive abilities, but he's picked it up in a big way at the plate, with a .312 average and .764 OPS in his last 37 games. |
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| Jun 16 2014 | According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves are not talking about moving Evan Gattis to left field and promoting Bethancourt. | Conflicting with an MLB.com report that the Braves are "at least toying with the idea" of promoting Bethancourt to serve as the starting catcher, O'Brien says he's been told by multiple people within the organization that the proposed shakeup is not being considered. Bethancourt has been swinging it well at Triple-A Gwinnett (.312 average over his last 37 games) and would be an upgrade, defensively, but Gattis would be a liability in left and it seems the club is not yet ready to throw in the towel on B.J. Upton. |
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| Mar 20 2014 | Bethancourt was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday, MLB.com reports. | Evan Gattis is nursing a quad strain, but the Braves clearly don't think Bethancourt is ready for any sort of significant major league role. While athletically gifted, the 22-year-old Bethancourt has some serious question marks in regard to on-base skills and plate discipline, after he drew just 16 walks in 388 plate appearances last season with Double-A Mississippi. He'll have to bide his time for now, but Bethancourt would likely be the first catcher up in the event of an injury. |
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| Sep 9 2013 | Bethancourt will join the Braves on Monday, Tom Hart of Fox Sports South reports. | With defensive skills -- including an elite arm -- that could push him to the big leagues for good to begin 2014, Bethancourt is getting a taste of Atlanta during the final three weeks of the season as the organization determines whether he might be ready to handle a prominent role by Opening Day. As one of the youngest players at his level at Double-A Mississippi, Bethancourt hit .277/.305/.436 with 12 homers and 11 steals over 90 games (358 at-bats) this season. |
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| Jul 14 2013 | Bethancourt, 21, is slashing .262/.292/.400 with five home runs, 25 RBI and seven stolen bases through 55 games for Double-A Mississippi. | Bethancourt has shown improved plate discipline over his last 10 contests, drawing five walks while fanning six times. In the 45 games prior to that span, he had walked just five times while striking out 36 times. |
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| Jun 12 2013 | Bethancourt, 21, is batting .241/.53/.310 with one home run, 14 RBI and six steals through 37 games for Double-A Mississippi. | Bethancourt has a brutal 31:2 K:BB ratio this season. |
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| Mar 7 2013 | Bethancourt is 2-for-8 with a double and a walk in four games so far this spring. "He's still got to learn to do some things, but he's in better position," Braves hitting coach Greg Walker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Last year at spring training, you could beat him inside easily. He was turned in, couldn't get to balls." | If the 21-year-old is truly showing progress at the plate, that's good news, considering he posted just a .566 OPS at Double-A Mississippi last season. While Bethancourt's defense may be big-league ready, it sounds like he's a long shot to break camp with the major-league club, as Matt Pagnozzi is the favorite to back up Gerald Laird until Brian McCann returns from injury. |
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