MLB Player News

Jensen went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk and a stolen base in Thursday's Cactus League loss to the Angels.

Jensen has cooled off after a hot start to the spring but still has a .250/.308/.500 slash line with three homers and eight RBI across 12 Cactus League appearances. The 22-year-old impressed with the Royals after being called up in September last season, slashing .300/.391/.550 with six doubles, three homers and 13 RBI in 20 MLB games. In his first full big-league season, Jensen is expected to split time at catcher with franchise icon Salvador Perez while also seeing time at designated hitter, particularly against right-handed pitching when Perez is behind the plate.

Basallo went 3-for-3 with two solo homers during Thursday's Grapefruit League win against the Pirates.

Basallo has crushed the ball during spring training and is batting .375 with four doubles, three homers, nine RBI and nine runs in 12 games. The 21-year-old is expected to open the season as Baltimore's primary designated hitter while also operating as the No. 2 backstop to Adley Rutschman. Basallo had a .165/.229/.330 slash line over 31 games in his first taste of the majors last year, but he enters 2026 with high expectations as one of the top prospects in baseball.

Soderstrom was removed from Thursday's Cactus League game against Seattle "out of precaution" after being hit by a pitch on the knee, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Soderstrom was nailed by a Randy Dobnak changeup in the fourth inning. The outfielder initially remained in the game and even scored in the same frame on a passed ball, but he was then substituted for in left field for the bottom of the inning. That being said, it doesn't sound like Soderstrom is dealing with a serious injury, so at this point his availability for Opening Day doesn't seem to be in jeopardy.

The Blue Jays optioned Valenzuela to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Valenzuela performed well during spring training, posting an .848 OPS across 11 Grapefruit League contests, but he will fall short of an Opening Day roster spot. Should Alejandro Kirk or Tyler Heineman have to miss any length of time during the regular season, Valenzuela would likely be promoted to provide depth behind the plate.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday that Rogers recently sustained a mild concussion but is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Rogers had been expected to be available off the bench for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates but won't play after suffering the head injury when he was struck in the face with the bat during a swing in the batting cage. The veteran backstop required stitches to address some superficial injuries, but clearing the concussion protocol will be the main concern for Rogers leading up to Opening Day. If he doesn't progress as quickly as anticipated or suffers a setback, non-roster invitee Tomas Nido could be included on the Opening Day squad as a backup option behind No. 1 catcher Dillon Dingler.

Naylor introduced a toe tap late in the 2025 season and became one of the Guardians' top hitters over the final month of the regular season, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.

It was a very up-and-down 2025 season for Naylor until he pivoted away from a leg kick to a toe tap in August. "We don't get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. After implementing the toe tap and getting accustomed to it, the catcher took off in September. Over 19 games, Naylor slashed .290/.324/.548 with a 136 wRC+ and a 48.1 percent hard-hit rate. Those results have carried over to the spring in both the World Baseball Classic for Team Canada and in Cactus League games. Naylor slashed .353/.353/.588 in four WBC games and is slashing .385/.467/.615 in five Cactus League contests.

Higashioka (back) will start at catcher and bat seventh in Monday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Higashioka hadn't appeared in a game since March 5 due to a back issue, but now that he's back behind the plate Monday, he should have plenty of time to prepare himself for the Rangers' March 26 opener in Philadelphia. The veteran backstop is expected to split catching duties with Danny Jansen this season.

The Rangers optioned MacIver to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday.

Texas looks set to head into Opening Day with Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka (back) as its two backstops, but MacIver should be first in line for a call-up if another catcher is required. The 29-year-old made his big-league debut last season for the Athletics, slashing .186/.252/.324 with three home runs and three stolen bases over 111 plate appearances.

The Angels reassigned Campero to minor-league camp Saturday.

Campero logged 66 plate appearances over 28 games in the majors in 2025, but with the Angels outfield in good health as Opening Day approaches, he never seemed to have much of a chance of breaking camp with the big club. The 28-year-old is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Dingler, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, is batting just .188 through seven exhibition contests.

The start to Dingler's spring was delayed after he underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery in the offseason. So far, the catcher has looked a bit sluggish offensively, but he's seeing regular playing time ahead of the regular season. Dingler had an impressive 2025 with a .278/.327/.425 slash line and 13 home runs across 126 regular-season contests, and he should be Detroit's clear No. 1 backstop this year with Jake Rogers in a reserve role.