August 21, 2025 12:00 PM : Heim will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Royals.
Analysis: Heim will be included in the lineup for a sixth straight game, but he's likely to see his playing time tail off after Kyle Higashioka returned to the starting nine behind the plate in Wednesday's 6-3 win. Before playing Wednesday, Higashioka had missed out on three consecutive starts due to a hamstring injury, and though he's out of the lineup Thursday, his absence appears to be mostly for maintenance purposes as the Rangers wrap up their series in Kansas City with a day game. Heim will head into the series finale with a four-game hitting streak, but Higashioka has been the far more productive hitter of the two catchers since the All-Star break, posting a .902 OPS to Heim's .654 mark over that same stretch.