MLB Player News

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he expects Higashioka (side) to catch in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Higashioka wasn't available to make his scheduled start Tuesday against the Tigers after experiencing some side soreness, but the Yankees don't seem too concerned about the injury. Boone noted that Higashioka had a "good day" in terms of treatment while he sat out Tuesday, and the 30-year-old will likely be able to work out in some capacity over the next few days. Higashioka looks on track to enter Opening Day as the top backup to Gary Sanchez.

Rogers is just 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts in Grapefruit League play.

Manager A.J. Hinch previously said defense will be the key to Rogers securing the backup catcher role behind Wilson Ramos, but the organization would certainly like to see a little more offense than this. Rogers struggled when he made his MLB debut back in 2019, posting a .125/.222/.259 slash line with 51 strikeouts across 112 at-bats. Until he cuts down on the whiffs, he'll likely continue to post subpar offensive numbers.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said he expects Murphy (collapsed lung) to start at catcher in his Cactus League debut Thursday against the Padres, Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Earlier reports suggested that Murphy would make his first appearance of the spring Wednesday against the Royals, but the Athletics will instead give the 26-year-old an additional day to rest up before he debuts. Murphy was delayed at the start of camp while recovering from offseason surgery to address a collapsed lung, but the Athletics appear confident that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day.

Murphy (chest) is expected to make his Cactus League debut Wednesday against the Royals, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The report doesn't specify whether Murphy will catch or serve as the Athletics' designated hitter, but his expected entry into the spring lineup is an encouraging sign for his chances of being ready to go for the start of the regular season. Murphy has thus far been eased along during spring training after he required a pair of surgeries in the offseason to address a collapsed lung.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Higashioka was scratched from the lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers due to a sore side, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

Boone suggested Higashioka's removal was precautionary, so the catcher could be ready to rejoin the lineup within a few days. Non-roster invitee Rob Brantly will get a turn behind the plate Tuesday, catching for Gerrit Cole.

Murphy (hip) will return to the lineup Monday against Arizona, batting fourth and serving as the designated hitter.

Murphy was scratched Sunday with what was later revealed to be a hip issue. While it may take a few more days for him to get back behind the plate, his readiness for Opening Day doesn't appear to be threatened.

Garver went 2-for-3 in Sunday's spring training win over Boston. He's hitting .364 (4-for-11) with a home run this spring.

After last year's injury-plagued season (intercostal strain), Garver has looked back in form at the plate this season showing his 2019 power. He had a 109.6 mph average exit velocity Sunday, according to Baseball Savant, for example. Garver went from hitting 31 home runs with a .630 SLG in 2019, to struggling with injuries, being lost at the plate, and slugging just .264 in 2020. The Twins are likely to limit Garver's playing time to keep him fresh. He'll likely split playing time with Ryan Jeffers, even though both hit right-handed.

Murphy was scratched from Sunday's spring game against the Brewers, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

No injury has been announced, so it's unclear if it's just a late lineup change of if the 29-year-old is dealing with some sort of issue. Luis Torrens will start in his place and will benefit should Murphy be forced to miss any real time.

Kirk picked up two more hits in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, including a single that left his bat with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The young catcher is 5-for-10 to begin the spring with a home run and a 1:1 BB:K. On talent alone, Kirk would be considered the favorite to win the No. 2 catcher job behind Danny Jansen to begin the season, but complicating the picture for the Jays is that Reese McGuire is out of minor-league options. As a result, Kirk could begin the season at Triple-A regardless of how he looks this spring if the organization doesn't want to risk losing McGuire on waivers.

Grandal (knee) started at designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's spring game against the Angels.

Grandal, who made his Cactus League debut, has been dealing with a twisted knee suffered during a running drill Feb. 24. There's still no word on when he'll start behind the plate or what his availability will be come Opening Day, but there is more than two weeks remaining in spring training for him to progress to the point of catching.