MLB Player News
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Returning Sunday
Basallo (abdomen) will start at catcher in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Boston, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Abdominal discomfort forced Basallo out of Thursday's game early, but he was never brought in for imaging and is now set to return behind the plate after a two-day break. The 21-year-old backstop has begun the spring 2-for-8 with three runs scored through four contests.
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Kyle Higashioka C | TEX
Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Day-to-day with back issue
Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Friday that Higashioka will be out of the lineup until Sunday due to a back injury, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The veteran backstop, who turns 36 years old in April, is projected to split catching duties with Danny Jansen this season. Higashioka slashed .241/.291/.403 with 11 home runs, a career-best 47 RBI, 33 runs scored and a 20:72 BB:K across 327 plate appearances last season for Texas.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Aiming to return this weekend
Basallo (abdomen) believes he'll be ready to return to Grapefruit League play this weekend, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Basallo was pulled from Thursday's game against the Tigers due to right-side abdominal discomfort, but he thinks it was merely cramping and imaging was deemed unnecessary. Consider the young slugger day-to-day.
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Dillon Dingler C | DET
Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Set for spring debut at DH
Dingler (elbow) is batting fifth as the designated hitter in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
The 27-year-old catcher is coming back from arthroscopic surgery in January on his right elbow, and he's still working through his throwing progression. Dingler has been fully participating in all other baseball activities, so he'll enter the lineup Friday as the DH. He could gain full clearance within the next week and should be good to go for the start of the regular season.
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Tyler Soderstrom C | ATH
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: Strong spring performance
Soderstrom went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's Cactus League win over the Rangers.
Soderstrom helped spark an early offensive surge for the Athletics, ripping a 105.8 mph single up the middle to drive in a pair in the second inning. The 24-year-old turned in a strong 2025 campaign, slashing .276/.346/.474 with 34 doubles, 25 homers and 93 RBI across 158 games, which helped earn him a seven-year, $86 million extension in December. He'll enter the 2026 season as the club's primary left fielder and a key fixture in the lineup.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: No additional testing scheduled
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said that Basallo's (abdomen) removal from Thursday's game versus the Tigers was precautionary, and the skipper doesn't believe the catcher will require additional testing, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Albernaz added that Basallo could have remained in the game but felt no need to push things this early in spring training. Basallo was diagnosed with right-side abdominal discomfort following a tag play at home plate Thursday, but it appears he has avoided a serious injury and can be considered day-to-day.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Dealing with abdominal injury
Basallo was pulled from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to right-side abdominal discomfort, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Basallo suffered the injury when he lunged to tag out Matt Vierling on a play at the plate. Though it's a positive that the Orioles are not immediately calling the injury a strain, it's possible Basallo still needs to undergo more testing. The club could offer more details regarding the 21-year-old's condition after the game, but he'll likely be unavailable for at least a few days, at minimum.
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Samuel Basallo C | BAL
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Injured on play at plate
Basallo was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers after being injured on a tag play at home plate, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Drawing a start at catcher, Basallo had to lunge to tag out Matt Vierling in the top of the third inning and, in doing so, looked like he might have tweaked something. He was visited by the trainers before eventually walking off the field under his own power. The Orioles should have an update soon on Basallo's condition.
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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Launches first spring homer
Raleigh went 2-for-4 with a walk and a two-run homer in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.
Raleigh tied the game 3-3 in the third inning with a 427-foot blast off Wikelman Gonzalez, his first homer of the spring. Raleigh is looking to build on a historic 2025, when he posted a .948 OPS with 60 home runs across 705 regular-season plate appearances, ultimately finishing second to Aaron Judge in the MVP race. Raleigh should see regular at-bats with the Mariners early in the spring before reporting to Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
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Hunter Feduccia C | TB
Rays' Hunter Feduccia: Competing for top catcher spot
Feduccia went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.
The Rays have a fairly open competition for the top catcher gig ahead of the regular season, though the expectation for now is that the righty-hitting Nick Fortes will handle the primary spot to start the new year. That said, it's not out of the question that the lefty-hitting Feduccia could eventually carve out a strong-side platoon role behind the plate if he outperforms Fortes during spring training.