MLB Player News

Kirk will be counted on to catch more games than ever before in 2025 now that Danny Jansen is no longer a Blue Jay, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

The duo split duties behind the plate each of the past three seasons, and while Kirk set a career high with 541 plate appearances in 2022, much of that playing time came at DH. The 26-year-old has never played more than 99 games at catcher in a season, but he's expected to handle about 120 starts at the position this year. Tyler Heineman and Christian Bethancourt are competing for the backup job in spring training, and neither is suited for Jansen's old tandem role. Kirk's swing mechanics were out of sync early in 2024, but from Aug. 1 on he slashed a respectable .269/.335/.404 with 28 RBI in 44 games, production Toronto would be content with given Kirk's strong pitch framing and defensive skills.

Buehler threw his first live batting practice Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Boston manager Alex Cora was pleased with the session, noting Buehler's volume of strikes. The right-hander is coming off a rough regular season with the Dodgers, but he was effective during the postseason and hopes to build off that.

Bregman (elbow) took part in his first workout with Boston on Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

After signing a three-year contract earlier in the day, Bregman took batting practice on the back fields and participated in infield drills. He took grounders alongside third baseman Rafael Devers during infield drills, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora was not ready to declare which position Bregman will play in 2025, though the skipper acknowledged that he believes Bregman is capable of developing into a reliable defender at second base. Cora added that Bregman will hit within the top three spots in the order, most likely second or third. Bregman underwent a minor procedure in November to remove a bone spur from his right elbow, but he doesn't appear to be operating with any restrictions during camp.

Texas manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday that the team is thinking of Gray as a starter, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports. Recent rumors and reports suggested the Rangers are considering using Gray as a closer.

Gray confirmed that he hasn't been approached by anyone in the organization about the possibility of being a closer or reliever, although the pitcher said he'd do whatever is best for the club. "[Gray closing], it's not in our focus right now," Bochy said. "During the season, as always, you make adjustments. I'm not saying that we plan on doing it, but you've got to figure ways to make a team better." The 33-year-old right-hander, who spent three separate occasions on the injured list in 2024, was good out of the bullpen in a small sample size. Gray allowed one run across 5.2 relief innings against the Astros and Diamondbacks on the way to Texas winning the World Series in 2023.

DeGrom threw a bullpen session Saturday, his first since the start of training camp, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

DeGrom entered camp healthy after dealing with a second Tommy John elbow surgery that wiped out much of 2023 and 2024. The right-hander made three starts last September and recorded a 1.69 ERA over 10.2 innings. A healthy deGrom is key for the Rangers, who have won seven of the pitcher's nine starts over the last two seasons.

Bieber (elbow) threw off a mound Saturday, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.

Bieber threw a 15-pitch session, and his velocity was in the 87-to-89 mph range, which is higher than he anticipated. The right-hander underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in April of 2024 and is targeted for a return this summer.

Trout (knee) will meet with Angels manager Ron Washington and GM Perry Minasian to discuss ways to maintain the star outfielder's health, including by having him log more time in the corner outfield and at DH, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Trout has had trouble staying healthy in recent campaigns, as he's played in over 82 games just once since 2019. Last year, he tore the meniscus in his left knee in late April, and then suffered the same injury while attempting to rehab in the minors. The knee issues limited Trout to 29 games last year, though he was productive before getting hurt, slamming 10 home runs and stealing six bases. Trout's work on defense has been limited exclusively to center field since 2014, but he played some in both left field and right field earlier in his career, and it appears he'll log time in those corner outfield spots -- as well as at DH -- during the coming campaign as the Angels look to keep arguably their most important hitter healthy.

France is viewed by the Twins as the starter at first base, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. "He's going to play a lot," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "That's really the best way of saying it. The kind of hitter that he is, this isn't a platoon situation. I think he's going to play."

France signed just a one-year, $1 million contract which wouldn't appear to indicate he'd be the leader for an everyday role. Baldelli could be just boosting his confidence as the team works on his swing after a 2024 season that saw him hit just .234/.305/.365 with 13 homers over 140 regular-season games. Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien will also compete for playing time at first base and France could still work in a platoon or time share. Still, Baldelli's comments should make France the leader in the competition as spring training begins.

The Angels placed Stephenson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stephenson is still working his way back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent in May and isn't expected to make his return until July. Therefore, the Angels will temporarily strip him of his 40-man roster spot and give it to Kenley Jansen (shoulder), who officially signed his one-year deal with Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Rendon is slated to undergo surgery on his hip after suffering a setback in his rehab sometime within the past several weeks. A recovery timeline should come following the procedure, but moving to the injured list will ensure he sits out until at least late May. The 34-year-old is certainly no stranger to extended absences, as he has yet to play more than 58 games in a season since signing with the Angels in 2020. His 40-man roster spot will be given to Yoan Moncada, whose signing was made official Saturday.