MLB Player News

Bailey is not in the lineup Tuesday for Game 2 of the ALCS against the Rays.

Bailey cranked a solo home run as part of a two-hit effort in the Guardians' Game 1 victory, but he will retreat to the bench in Game 2. Austin Hedges has been Parker Messick's personal catcher this season, and that will continue with Hedges getting the start Tuesday.

Hicks is absent from the lineup Monday for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians.

Hicks went just 1-for-10 at the plate in the ALDS sweep of the Yankees. With the Guardians turning to southpaw Foster Griffin in Game 1, the left-handed-hitting Hicks will yield to Nick Fortes at catcher for the Rays.

Jansen underwent surgery Wednesday to remove a bone growth from his right hand, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

It's a minor operation that's not expected to affect Jansen's offseason workouts. Jansen slashed .203/.296/.381 with eight home runs over 67 games for the Rangers this season. As things stand currently, the 31-year-old Jansen seems likely to open the 2027 campaign as the Rangers' top catcher.

Bailey is not in the lineup Thursday for Game 4 of the ALDS against the White Sox.

Austin Hedges has caught Parker Messick regularly this season and will do so again in Game 4. Bailey is 3-for-9 with a 1:2 BB:K at the plate so far this postseason, while Hedges is hitless in two plate appearances.

The Astros anticipate that Schiavone could be ready for his major-league debut early on in the 2027 season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Schiavone had a breakout 2026 campaign, slashing .252/.391/.531 with 32 home runs and 32 stolen bases across three levels to become the first minor-league catcher in 45 years to complete a 30-30 season. The 23-year-old does have swing-and-miss concerns, having struck out at a 32 percent clip in 2026, but he has an interesting skill set for fantasy if he can make enough contact. Schiavone will likely open the 2027 season back at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he played his final nine games this season.

Raleigh underwent debridement surgery Saturday on the AC joint in his left shoulder.

He is expected to be fully recovered from the operation by the beginning of spring training. It's unclear how much the shoulder issue might have affected him, but Raleigh experienced a massive downturn in production from his historic 2025 season to 2026, dipping 284 points in OPS (.948 to .664) and dropping from 60 home runs to 23 long balls. With health, Raleigh should bounce back to some degree in 2027.

Valencia went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Pirates.

The 26-year-old backstop along with Kevin McGonigle provided all of Detroit's offense in the regular season finale with a pair of solo home runs, giving Valencia two homers in as many days. The rookie thus wraps up an impressive debut campaign in which he batted .341 with a 1.016 OPS and eight long balls across 42 games. MLB pitchers will certainly make adjustments in how they attack Valencia next year, though he looks like a more-than-capable hitter in the majors who could see his fantasy value climb if his role with the Tigers expands.

Raleigh went 3-for-5 with one RBI in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Angels.

Raleigh largely struggled in 2026, though he showed some signs of a turnaround late in the season. He hit .229 (19-for-83) over 22 contests in September, lifting his average for the season to .182. Raleigh added a .664 OPS, 23 home runs, 69 RBI, 49 runs scored, 15 doubles and two stolen bases over 126 contests. He failed to live up to expectations this year, but he should benefit from positive regression next season.

Dingler is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.

Eduardo Valencia will be rewarded for his walk-off homer Saturday with a start behind the plate in the regular-season finale. Barring an appearance off the bench, Dingler will finish the 2026 campaign with a .243 average, 27 homers, 91 RBI and 72 runs scored across 605 plate appearances.

Jensen is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.

Maikel Garcia will get a turn atop the order as Luke Maile catches and Salvador Perez serves as the designated hitter to close out the regular season for Kansas City. Jensen currently sits seventh among fantasy catchers in traditional rotisserie leagues, having slashed .239/.323/.467 with 27 homers, 81 RBI, 80 runs scored and two stolen bases in 149 games this season.