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.

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.

Heim is out of the lineup for Thursday's season opener versus the Red Sox.

Heim has served as Texas' primary backstop for the past three seasons, but he'll give way to Kyle Higashioka behind the plate as the Rangers open the 2025 campaign. After he saw his OPS drop 152 points from .755 in 2023 to .603 in 2024, Heim could be at risk of moving into more a timeshare at catcher with Higashioka in the fold. Higashioka is coming off a 2024 season in San Diego in which he posted a .739 OPS over 263 plate appearances during the regular season.

Jansen (rib) is expected to be in the lineup for the Rays' opener Friday against the Rockies, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Jansen didn't have any limitations while going through a simulated game Wednesday and evidently bounced back well Thursday, which should clear the way for his Opening Day availability. He is expected to operate as Tampa Bay's primary catcher this season.

Rice will start at designated hitter and bat eighth in Thursday's opener versus the Brewers.

The Yankees will use Trent Grisham in center field, Cody Bellinger in right field and Aaron Judge at designated hitter some days until Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) returns. However, Rice should get the bulk of the DH duties versus righties, and he'll draw into the lineup Opening Day against Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta.

The Angels optioned Robinson to Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday.

After slashing .154/.371/.192 across 36 spring plate appearances, Robinson will head back to Triple-A to begin 2025, leaving Logan O'Hoppe and Travis d'Arnaud as the Halos' big-league backstops. Robinson owns just a .364 OPS across 136 plate appearances in his MLB career, so he'll likely need a drastic turnaround in Salt Lake to have any hope of returning to Anaheim in 2025.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Jansen (rib) will play 5-to-6 innings in a simulated game Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

If he gets through the workout without any lingering issues with his pulled rib muscle, Jansen will be active for the Rays' opener versus Colorado on Friday. Kenny Piper has joined the club as a contingency and would be added to the roster in the event Jansen isn't ready.

Manager Aaron Boone announced Tuesday that Rice will be included on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, Max Goodman of NJ.com reports.

Giancarlo Stanton's elbow issues created an opening at designated hitter, and Rice took advantage of the opportunity during spring training with five homers and an .848 OPS in 69 plate appearances. The 26-year-old is likely to see most of his action at designated hitter but could also get looks at first base and catcher.

The Mariners signed Raleigh to a six-year, $105 million contract extension Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The deal begins this season and buys out Raleigh's final years of arbitration eligibility as well as his first three years of free agency. Raleigh has become baseball's preeminent power bat at catcher, easily leading the position with 76 home runs over the past three seasons. The 28-year-old also captured his first Gold Glove in 2024.