MLB Player News

Hedges was starting and hitting eighth for San Diego against Oakland on Tuesday and is slashing .200/.294/.400 with one home run and two RBI through 15 Cactus League at-bats.

Hedges figures to be San Diego's Opening Day catcher and he should have a solid hold on at least a platoon role behind the plate to start the season thanks to his defensive capabilities. However, Francisco Mejia is outperforming him at the plate so far this spring, with a 1.275 OPS. Hedges has pop with the bat, with 32 homers to his name over the past two seasons, but his .636 OPS over his 851 career at-bats suggests he could start to cede at-bats to Mejia when the regular season arrives if the offensive gap between the two persists.

Zavala was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

The expectation is that Zavala will be the White Sox's No. 3 catcher this year, playing at Triple-A until an injury opens up playing time on the big-league roster.

Mejia is hitting .385 with three home runs and nine RBI through 26 Cactus League at-bats.

The 23-year-old has been blistering hot so far this spring, and he's making a strong case to stay on the big-league roster and command at-bats when the regular season starts. If he does make the big club, Mejia would in all likelihood be splitting catching duties with veteran Austin Hedges, who is regarded as a better defender. That would diminish Mejia's ability to make a consistent fantasy impact, but if he continues to rake, manager Andy Green could feel compelled to work him into the lineup with regularity, giving him some intriguing upside at a shallow position.

Moore was reassigned to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Moore received a major-league camp invitation with his minor-league deal in February but was never particularly likely to make the team. The veteran has appeared in at least one major-league game in nine of the last 10 years but has only once gotten into more than nine games in a season.

The Braves optioned Jackson to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

With six hits -- three for extra bases -- and only five strikeouts in 22 at-bats during Grapefruit League play, Jackson turned some heads this spring and might have cemented himself as the organization's No. 3 catcher behind big leaguers Brian McCann and Tyler Flowers. Jackson's defense remains more questionable than his bat, so he may need to show some improvement in the former area before the Braves consider keeping him in the big leagues for an extended stretch.

Jansen has gone 7-for-23 (.304) with a double and a 0:3 BB:K through nine games so far this spring.

While the lack of power is a touch concerning, the 23-year-old is otherwise on track to begin the regular season as the Jays' No. 1 catcher. Jansen has been a popular sleeper pick in drafts, and while the barren fantasy landscape behind the plate has a lot to do with that, his .275/.390/.473 slash line with 12 homers in 88 Triple-A games last year does offer a glimpse at his upside.

Mesoraco went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The former Red is in camp on a minor-league deal, but he's in a battle with Travis d'Arnaud for the backup catcher job behind Wilson Ramos. Mesoraco is only 4-for-17 at the plate so far this spring, but three of his four hits (he also has a homer) have gone for extra bases, and he's been drawing rave reviews from Mets pitchers for his work behind the plate. The club could elect to have d'Arnaud begin the season on the injured list as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery to avoid making a tough roster decision.

Haase has gone 4-for-10 with a homer so far this spring.

Haase isn't a particularly highly rated prospect, though he has shown some power in the minors, hitting 27 homers in just 97 games in 2017 and adding 20 more in 120 games last season. He's behind two established veterans in Roberto Perez and Kevin Plawecki, but neither has a strong enough track record to where it would be impossible to see Haase beat them out for a roster spot.

Bart went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Monday's game against the Dodgers.

Bart notched his second double of the spring in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, scoring three runs and giving his club a 4-1 lead. The 22-year-old prospect has been impressive at the dish in big-league camp and is now 7-for-14 with a home run, six RBI and two runs scored.

Perez (elbow) was placed on the 60-day injured list Monday.

The move has no effect on Perez's return timeline, as he's already been ruled out for the year while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The transaction makes room on the 40-man roster for new signee Martin Maldonado, who is expected to take over the starting job in Perez's absence.