MLB Player News

The Rangers optioned Huff to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Earlier in spring training, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy teased the idea of keeping a third catcher on the Opening Day roster behind Jonah Heim and Andrew Knizner, but Huff apparently won't be under consideration for a spot now that he's been an early cut in camp. Even though he's nominally a catcher, Huff provides more value with the bat than he does with his defense, so he likely didn't help his cause by getting off to a 1-for-16 start at the dish in Cactus League play.

Trevino (calf) is starting behind the plate and batting eighth in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Recordreports.

The 31-year-old has been slowed by a calf strain during spring training but played in a minor-league intrasquad game Saturday and will make his spring debut Sunday. Trevino should ramp up his workload over the next couple weeks and is expected to split catching duties with Austin Wells this season.

Trevino (calf) unofficially went 3-for-5 with a home run in a minor-league intrasquad game Saturday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Trevino suffered a calf strain early in camp and hasn't yet been able to get into any major-league exhibition games. However, he said after Saturday's live at-bats that he's "comfortable and confident" with his progress, and he's scheduled to play in a Grapefruit League contest with the big-league squad Sunday. Assuming that goes well, Trevino should be able to ramp up in time to be ready for the start of the regular season, when he's expected to split catching duties with Austin Wells.

The Yankees optioned Ramirez to Double-A Somerset on Saturday.

Ramirez joined the Yankees' 40-man roster in November after moving up from Single-A to Double-A in 2023. He slashed .211/.273./.313 with two home runs and 11 RBI over 139 plate appearances in Double-A last season and will start 2024 with Somerset.

The Mariners optioned Hunt to Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Hunt entered spring camp as the fourth catcher on Seattle's 40-man roster, immediately making it unlikely the 25-year-old would break camp with the MLB squad. He performed well upon arriving at Triple-A for the first time last season, slashing .261/.315/.513 across 127 plate appearances. If Hunt gets hot at the plate again this season or the Mariners run into depth issues behind the dish, Hunt may have a shot at making his MLB debut this year.

Rogers went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The home run was the first for Rogers this spring, and he's now batting .250 with a robust .931 OPS in Grapefruit League play. Rogers is locked in as Detroit's starting catcher, and after hitting 21 long balls last year, there's some fantasy upside due to power potential. However, he also will likely continue to have a low batting average and high strikeout rate as an all-or-nothing type slugger.

Basallo (elbow) will make his spring debut early next week before playing in the Spring Breakout game Thursday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The 19-year-old hasn't seen the field so far in camp while recovering from a stress fracture in his right elbow, but he's just about fully cleared for hitting. Basallo isn't expected to be ready to catch in games until the second half of April, so there's still significant rehab work left to go.

Manager Aaron Boone has praised Wells for his defensive improvement this spring, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Wells is a highlyregarded prospect in the Yankees' system, primarily based on his hit tool and potential to hit for power. His skills profile would stand out particularly well if he can stick at catcher, though his defense has raised questions in the past. The team has given Wells the chance to prove his ability at the position this spring, and he seems to be taking advantage.

Jansen (illness) will start at catcher and bat cleanup Thursday in the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League game against the Tigers.

He'll be back in the lineup for the first time since Saturday after a fever kept him out of commission for a few days. Jansen is once again projected to begin the 2024 season in a timeshare at catcher with Alejandro Kirk.

Trevino (calf) will make his Grapefruit League debut Sunday against Atlanta, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Trevino tweaked a calf just before the start of camp but has progressed well since then and is finally ready to test his health in a game setting. The veteran catcher is projected to share duties behind the plate this season with Austin Wells.