MLB Player News

Hedges started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's Cactus League game against Cincinnati.

The Guardians put out what looked like a normal regular-season lineup, except for Hedges. His main role is as a backup catcher, and he doesn't hit well enough to be a viable DH. At any rate, it was the second Cactus League home run for Hedges, who is batting .133 (11-for-30) with three extra-base hits and three RBI this spring.

Lee has gone 10-for-25 with four extra-base hits in Cactus League games.

Lee has a 49 wRC+ across 490 big-league plate appearances, so success across a small sample in relatively meaningless games isn't all that reassuring. However, he appears likely to enter the regular season as Chicago's primary catcher and his performance this spring could buy him some additional time over top prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero.

Rice went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Rice has homered in back-to-back games as he continues to build his case for a spot on the club's Opening Day roster. He slotted in behind the dish Monday after serving as the designated hitter Sunday, putting his versatility on full display. Rice would likely get looks at first base, catcher and in the DH spot if he were to make the big-league club out of camp.

The White Sox reassigned Quero to minor-league camp Monday.

Quero went just 4-for-16 with a walk over nine Cactus League games, but even if he had obliterated pitching in the spring, the White Sox still might have had him open the season at Triple-A Charlotte to delay the start of his MLB service clock. Korey Lee appears to be the leading candidate to begin the season as Chicago's No. 1 backstop, but it may just be a matter of time before Quero or fellow catching prospect Kyle Teel supplants him. In the meantime, Quero and Teel are likely to begin the season at Triple-a Charlotte, where both should be able to pick up everyday at-bats while rotating between catcher and designated hitter.

The White Sox reassigned Teel to minor-league camp Monday.

Though Teel and Edgar Quero are two of the more highly regarded catching prospects not just in the White Sox organization but in all of baseball, the duo will likely split time behind the plate and at designated hitter at Triple-A Charlotte to begin the season before making their respective MLB debuts later on in 2025. The White Sox appear set to proceed with Korey Lee as their No. 1 catcher, but after he posted a .591 OPS over 394 plate appearances in 2024, he likely won't be tough to dislodge atop the depth chart once the organization is confident Teel and/or Quero are big-league ready. As a member of the Red Sox organization last season, Teel slashed .288/.386/.433 with 13 home runs and 12 steals over 112 games at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Wong started at catcher and went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's spring game against Minnesota.

Wong returned to Boston's lineup after coming down with an illness last Wednesday. He made an immediate impact with a run-producing sacrifice fly in the first inning then a solo home run to lead off the fourth. The home run was his second of the spring. He's had just 15 at-bats in Grapefruit League action but is expected to be ready for the regular season.

Rice went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League win over Tampa Bay.

Rice batted leadoff in the spring game and played the entire contest at DH. His big hit was a two-run blast to left-center field in the fourth inning. That marked the second homer in three days for Rice, and he has five hits during that span. The 26-year-old is competing for a spot on the Yankees' Opening Day roster as the backup first baseman behind Paul Goldschmidt, and he could also log significant time at DH with Giancarlo Stanton (elbows/calf) having no timeline for his return.

Soderstrom started at catcher in Sunday's spring training loss to the Giants. While it's unlikely that Soderstrom will be the backup catcher in addition to being the starter at first base, manager Mark Kotsay said he could play the position during the regular season, MLB.com reports.

Jhonny Pereda has likely won the backup catcher job behind Shea Langeliers, but it's possible Soderstrom could get enough playing time at catcher to qualify in some fantasy leagues. Soderstrom played just one game at catcher in the majors but logged 21 games at the position in Triple-A in 2024.

Jeffers went 1-for-3 with a double in Saturday's spring training win over Atlanta. He's hitting .290 (9-for-31) this spring.

Jeffers stirred All-Star talk with a hot start to last season, hitting 12 home runs with an .892 OPS though his first 51 games. He faded in the second half though, managing seven home runs with a .632 OPS over his final 47 contests. Expect the Twins to make sure he gets plenty of rest as a result, as the team is expected to split playing time behind the plate between Jeffers and Christian Vazquez.

Morales is hitting .450 (9-for-20) with a home run this spring after going 1-for-3 in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

Morales has made a strong impression this spring but is a long shot to win an Opening Day roster spot. However, his performance and versatility could make him a candidate for an early-season callup. Morales started Sunday's game in left field but has also played second base and catcher. He hit .290 with a .819 OPS and 10 home runs in 106 games last season between Double-A and Triple-A. He's not a top prospect and will turn 26 this season, but he could be a late bloomer who eventually finds his way to a productive major-league bench role.