MLB Player News

Heineman went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win over the Nationals, and he's batting .429 (3-for-7) with a solo home run to begin the season.

The switch hitter's contributions weren't limited to his bat -- Heineman rang up the final out of the game by throwing out Jacob Young on an attempted steal of second base in the ninth inning. While two games is hardly enough of a sample to suggest the 33-year-old with the .589 career OPS in 306 big-league plate appearances is headed for a breakout, Heineman is at least on his way to earning more playing time with his play. Starting catcher Alejandro Kirk has never been behind the plate for more than 99 games in a season, so if Heineman keeps finding ways to make an impact, he could become a useful second catcher in AL-only formats.

Taylor will begin the season with Double-A Birmingham, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.

Taylor will join Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith in one of the most loaded rotations in the minors after impressing this spring. Taylor has a chance for three plus pitches and plus command, so if he stays healthy, he could be one of the year's top breakout pitching prospects. He had Tommy John surgery at LSU and had a 2.33 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 19.1 innings last season, although he missed more time with a lat injury.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Yoshida (shoulder) is throwing out to 110 feet but will not be ready for a rehab assignment next week, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Yoshida landed on the 10-day injured list prior to Opening Day while he continues his recovery from right shoulder surgery, and he also dealt with a more recent back issue. The back problem has cleared up, but Yoshida remains limited to playing catch and Cora noted the 31-year-old will have to show he can make throws from the outfield before he's cleared for games. It's uncertain when that might happen, but Yoshida's return is not imminent.

Langevin is on the 60-day injured list due to a lat strain, Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline reports.

He is listed as being on the Arizona Complex League Royals roster, but once healthy, the 21-year-old righty will probably be assigned to a full-season affiliate. Langevin was Kansas City's fourth-round pick last year and has one of the best fastballs in the system -- a mid-90s offering with elite movement -- but the rest of his pitches need refinement.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's loss to St. Louis.

O'Hoppe's seventh-inning grand slam gave the Angels a 5-3 lead, but the Cardinals racked up nine runs the rest of the way to turn the outcome into a rout. O'Hoppe's long ball was his first hit since Opening Day, when he also went deep. The backstop belted 20 homers last year but also had a 29.7 percent strikeout rate, and he's fanned 37.5 percent of the time to go along with his two home runs through 16 plate appearances so far this season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Giolito (hamstring) is "not close" to rejoining the rotation, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.

Giolito threw 51 pitches over 2.1 innings Wednesday in his first rehab start with Triple-A Worcester and will need at least a couple more rehab outings as he continues to build up. The right-hander is coming back from a strained hamstring and has not made a major-league start since 2023, having missed the 2024 campaign while recovering from an internal brace procedure.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Thursday that Bello (shoulder) is "not close" to rejoining the rotation, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.

Bello threw 47 pitches in his first rehab start and is slated to make a second rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Worcester. It would appear he will require at least one additional rehab outing after that as he continues to build up his stamina following a right shoulder injury. Richard Fitts and Sean Newcomb will continue holding down rotation spots for Boston until Bello and Lucas Giolito (hamstring) are ready.

Henderson (intercostal) isn't included in the Baltimore lineup for Thursday's game against the Red Sox and isn't expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list until Friday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles' decision not to reinstate Henderson from the IL on his first day of eligibility isn't indicative of a setback. Instead, the 1:05 p.m. ET start time for Thursday's contest was likely a major factor, with manager Brandon Hyde telling Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com that Henderson will get a planned rest day after playing five innings in the field Wednesday night in his final rehab game with Triple-A Norfolk. Hyde said that Henderson will rejoin the Orioles in Kansas City ahead of the series opener with the Royals on Friday, and the 23-year-old will likely start at shortstop and bat leadoff in what will be his 2025 MLB debut.

Forret will begin the season with Double-A Chesapeake, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.

Forret, who turns 21 this week, built up to 99.2 innings in 2024 across Single-A and High-A, and he'll be one of the younger starters at Double-A this year. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Forret has some projection remaining and he was already touching 97 mph with his fastball last season while sitting 93-95 mph. He'll be in a loaded Baysox rotation that also features Nestor German and Zach Fruit, among others.

Mountcastle is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Red Sox.

It's a routine day off for Mountcastle, who has now started five of the first seven games for the Orioles this season. Ryan O'Hearn will start at first base and Tyler O'Neill will be the designated hitter in Thursday's series finale.