MLB Player News
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Tyler Soderstrom C | ATH
Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: Pulled after HBP
Soderstrom was removed from Thursday's Cactus League game against Seattle "out of precaution" after being hit by a pitch on the knee, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Soderstrom was nailed by a Randy Dobnak changeup in the fourth inning. The outfielder initially remained in the game and even scored in the same frame on a passed ball, but he was then substituted for in left field for the bottom of the inning. That being said, it doesn't sound like Soderstrom is dealing with a serious injury, so at this point his availability for Opening Day doesn't seem to be in jeopardy.
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Brandon Valenzuela C | TOR
Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela: Sent to Buffalo
The Blue Jays optioned Valenzuela to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.
Valenzuela performed well during spring training, posting an .848 OPS across 11 Grapefruit League contests, but he will fall short of an Opening Day roster spot. Should Alejandro Kirk or Tyler Heineman have to miss any length of time during the regular season, Valenzuela would likely be promoted to provide depth behind the plate.
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Jake Rogers C | DET
Tigers' Jake Rogers: Sustains concussion
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday that Rogers recently sustained a mild concussion but is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Rogers had been expected to be available off the bench for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates but won't play after suffering the head injury when he was struck in the face with the bat during a swing in the batting cage. The veteran backstop required stitches to address some superficial injuries, but clearing the concussion protocol will be the main concern for Rogers leading up to Opening Day. If he doesn't progress as quickly as anticipated or suffers a setback, non-roster invitee Tomas Nido could be included on the Opening Day squad as a backup option behind No. 1 catcher Dillon Dingler.
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Bo Naylor C | CLE
Guardians' Bo Naylor: Tweak leads to offense
Naylor introduced a toe tap late in the 2025 season and became one of the Guardians' top hitters over the final month of the regular season, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
It was a very up-and-down 2025 season for Naylor until he pivoted away from a leg kick to a toe tap in August. "We don't get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. After implementing the toe tap and getting accustomed to it, the catcher took off in September. Over 19 games, Naylor slashed .290/.324/.548 with a 136 wRC+ and a 48.1 percent hard-hit rate. Those results have carried over to the spring in both the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada and in Cactus League games. Naylor slashed .353/.353/.588 in four WBC games and is slashing .385/.467/.615 in five Cactus League contests.
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Kyle Higashioka C | TEX
Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Returns to lineup Monday
Higashioka (back) will start at catcher and bat seventh in Monday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.
Higashioka hadn't appeared in a game since March 5 due to a back issue, but now that he's back behind the plate Monday, he should have plenty of time to prepare himself for the Rangers' March 26 opener in Philadelphia. The veteran backstop is expected to split catching duties with Danny Jansen this season.
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Willie MacIver C | TEX
Rangers' Willie MacIver: Misses out on Opening Day roster
The Rangers optioned MacIver to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.
Texas looks set to head into Opening Day with Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka (back) as its two backstops, but MacIver should be first in line for a call-up if another catcher is required. The 29-year-old made his big-league debut last season for the Athletics, slashing .186/.252/.324 with three home runs and three stolen bases over 111 plate appearances.
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Gustavo Campero C | LAA
Angels' Gustavo Campero: Demoted to minor-league camp
The Angels reassigned Campero to minor-league camp Saturday.
Campero logged 66 plate appearances over 28 games in the majors in 2025, but with the Angels outfield in good health as Opening Day approaches, he never seemed to have much of a chance of breaking camp with the big club. The 28-year-old is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Salt Lake.
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Dillon Dingler C | DET
Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Off to slow start
Dingler, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, is batting just .188 through seven exhibition contests.
The start to Dingler's spring was delayed after he underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery in the offseason. So far, the catcher has looked a bit sluggish offensively, but he's seeing regular playing time ahead of the regular season. Dingler had an impressive 2025 with a .278/.327/.425 slash line and 13 home runs across 126 regular-season contests, and he should be Detroit's clear No. 1 backstop this year with Jake Rogers in a reserve role.
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Shea Langeliers C | ATH
Athletics' Shea Langeliers: Trio of homers in spring win
Langeliers went 3-for-3 with three solo homers in Saturday's Cactus League win over the Royals.
Langeliers was locked in at the plate, going yard three times against Ryan Bergert. Fresh off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he slugged 32 doubles and 31 homers with an .861 OPS in 123 games, the catcher has continued to rake in Cactus League play, slashing .351/.429/.919 with six homers, three doubles and 11 RBI across 15 games.
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Austin Wells C | NYY
Yankees' Austin Wells: Propels DR to win in WBC
Wells went 1-for-1 with a three-run home run in Team Dominican Republic's 10-0, seven-inning victory over Korea in the quarterfinal of the World Baseball Classic on Friday.
Wells entered the game as a defensive replacement at catcher in the top of the seventh inning. Team Dominican Republic led 7-0 going into the bottom of that frame, and Wells ended the contest via the mercy rule with his three-run blast to make the score 10-0. The long ball was the second of the tournament for Wells, who is slated to be the Yankees' primary catcher this season.