MLB Player News

Gallagher (undisclosed) is back in the lineup Thursday against the Padres.

Gallagher was scratched from Wednesday's lineup for unknown reasons. Whatever the issue was, it was apparently a minor one, as he'll wind up missing just a single game.

Sanchez (shoulder) took part in a simulated game Thursday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Sanchez stepped in for a few at-bats against Luis Severino in what likely amounts to the backstop's final hurdle to clear in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery before making his spring debut. Assuming Sanchez reports no discomfort with his shoulder coming out of the workout, he could be included in the lineup for the Yankees' Grapefruit League game Friday versus the Orioles. Sanchez will presumably serve as a designated hitter for a few games before seeing action behind the dish.

Gallagher was scratched from the Royals' Cactus League lineup Wednesday versus the Giants for an undisclosed reason.

The Royals should provide additional word if an injury is at the root of Gallagher's absence, but it's possible the team just wanted to build in some rest for the 26-year-old, who is expected to break camp as the backup to Salvador Perez. Non-roster invitee Nick Dini will step in behind the plate for Gallagher and serve as the Royals' No. 8 hitter.

Thaiss was 2-for-3 with a run scored, two RBI and two doubles during Tuesday's spring win against Oakland.

Thaiss posted a .277/.328/.457 slash line with 10 home runs over 85 games at Triple-A Salt Lake in 2018. Barring an injury to Justin Bour or Albert Pujols, the 23-year-old is unlikely to crack the Opening Day roster.

Sanchez (shoulder) will make his spring debut Friday against the Orioles, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez's spring has started slowly as he recovers from November shoulder surgery, but he'll still have plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day. The Yankees are being cautious after injuries put a big dent in Sanchez's 2018 campaign, limiting him to a .186/.291/.406 line in 89 games.

Garver started at catcher and went 1-for-3 in Sunday's spring training loss to Boston.

Garver missed time in September due to a concussion, but he looks healthy as spring begins. He'll likely occupy the lesser side of a platoon with Jason Castro, which would help boost his batting average, if not his counting stats. Garver could also be the primary catcher early in the year if Castro is slow to return from knee surgery.

Manager Ned Yost said Saturday that Perez will be eased into spring action and may be used primarily as a designated hitter for the first couple of weeks before receiving starts at catcher, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Since hitting the majors in 2011, Perez has consistently shouldered one of the heavier workloads among all catchers, so it makes sense for the Royals to limit his reps behind the dish in mostly meaningless exhibition contests. Perez will still be able to get plenty of at-bats during Cactus League play as a DH and shouldn't have trouble settling into a rhythm at the plate once Opening Day arrives.

Stassi believes he found the root cause of his offensive fade over the second half of 2018, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stassi was a surprise contributor in 2018, when he opened with nine extra-base hits over his first 74 plate appearances on his way to a .787 OPS in the first half. Opposing pitchers adjusted and Stassi faded to a .485 OPS after the All-Star break, forcing the Astros to add Martin Maldonado and move Stassi to third on the depth chart. The problem, according to Stassi, is that he'd "come out" of his legs in his batting stance and, therefore, was unable to cover all parts of the strike zone. The 27-year-old returns in 2019 as the primary backup to Robinson Chirinos and must discover a way to sustain offense for the full season.

Moore signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Thursday which includes an invitation to spring training, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.

Moore spent the majority of last season at Triple-A, hitting just .219/.260/.347 in 58 games with Durham. The veteran backstop owns a career .199/.239/.312 slash line across parts of nine major-league seasons (104 games).

Sanchez (shoulder) will get back to playing in games during the second week of the spring training schedule, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The backstop underwent shoulder surgery in November, and though he's already through the biggest part of his rehab, the Yankees are still planning to ease him back into game action. It doesn't seem like there's any reason for concern in terms of Sanchez's health. Barring any extraneous circumstances, he expects to be ready by Opening Day with the hope of bouncing back following a disappointing season in which he slashed just .186/.291/.406 with 18 home runs and 53 RBI.