MLB Player News

Amaya went 2-for-5 with two doubles and five RBI during Thursday's 10-6 win against the Diamondbacks.

The 26-year-old started behind the plate and batted ninth in the Cubs' domestic opener, and he powered the offense with a three-run double in the fifth inning and a two-run double in the ninth. Amaya has been a bright spot in his first two games of the season, going 3-for-8 with three doubles and six RBI, which could help him move up from the bottom of the lineup.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 7-3 extra-inning loss to the Phillies.

Ruiz got the Nationals into the scoring column with a fifth-inning solo blast off Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. The switch-hitting backstop excelled this spring while batting .289 with three homers, 11 RBI, and two stolen bases over 45 Grapefruit League at-bats, and Ruiz should see plenty of action in 2025 as Washington's primary catcher.

Rodriguez went 0-for-3 with one walk and three strikeouts during Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Marlins.

Rodriguez got the start at first base Opening Day due to Spencer Horwitz (wrist) starting the season on the 10-day injured list. Rodriguez opened things up with a six-pitch walk in the third inning, but he proceeded to strike out in each of his next three plate appearances, the first two of which came on three pitches. The 24-year-old is serving as the backup catcher to Joey Bart but should also split time at first base with Jared Triolo until Horwitz is healthy.

Rutschman went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's 12-2 win over Toronto.

After homering in the first inning off Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios, Rutschman went deep once again during the eighth frame to add to the Opening Day rout. Rutschman's hot bat in spring training appears to have carried into the regular season to begin the year, as the star backstop went 15-for-42 (.357) with three long balls and eight RBI in the Grapefruit League.

Romo is not on the Triple-A Albuquerque roster to begin the season as he is being evaluated for a finger injury, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Romo entered spring training projected to make the Opening Day roster, though Hunter Goodman performed extremely well to claim the backup catcher job. The severity of the issue is unclear, but Romo should make an appearance in the majors at some point in 2025, assuming he isn't sidelined for a lengthy period.

O'Hoppe went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during Thursday's 8-1 Opening Day loss to the White Sox.

O'Hoppe was responsible for two of the Angels' five hits Thursday and their only run of the game thanks to a 417-foot solo homer off Cam Booser during the ninth inning. O'Hoppe is looking to build off a solid 2024 campaign in which he slashed .244/.303/.409 with 20 home runs and 56 RBI across 522 plate appearances, though he'll look to lower his 29.7 percent strikeout rate.

Higashioka started at catcher and went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Red Sox.

Higashioka got the call behind the plate against a left-hander ahead of primary backstop Jonah Heim. The Rangers are expected to have a relatively even split at catcher, so this may not be a strict platoon based on the the handedness of the opponent's starter. Higashioka has hit double-digit home runs in four consecutive campaigns while never getting more than 246 at-bats in any one season.

Wells went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk during Thursday's 4-2 win against the Brewers.

The 25-year-old led off for the Yankees by taking advantage of the short porch in right field, with his 348-foot shot being the first time in MLB history that a catcher has hit a leadoff homer on Opening Day, per Sarah Langs of MLB.com. Wells' .229 average during the regular season last year doesn't make him an obvious candidate to bat atop the lineup, but his 11.7 percent walk rate sets him up to potentially be a quality table setter.

Rodriguez will start at first base and bat seventh in Thursday's opener against the Marlins.

Rodriguez is the backup catcher behind Joey Bart, but he will also see ample time at first base while Spencer Horwitz (wrist) is on the shelf. Jared Triolo -- who likely represents Rodriguez's primary competitor for playing time at first base -- will begin Thursday's game on the bench.

Garver is not in the lineup for Thursday's opener against the Athletics, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Luke Raley is getting the start at designated hitter and Rowdy Tellez is at first base as the A's send right-hander Luis Severino to the bump. Garver will be the Mariners' regular DH versus lefties and should play some against righties, too, but he'll begin Opening Day on the bench.