MLB Player News

Dingler (elbow) will start at catcher and bat third in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Dingler had been easing along during spring training by making some starts at designated hitter, but he'll step in behind the plate Monday for the first time in 2026. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in January, but Dingler has since completed a throwing program.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's Cactus League loss to the Athletics.

O'Hoppe accounted for half of the Angels' runs in the game with a two-run blast that traveled an estimated 413 feet in the fourth inning. The long ball was the backstop's third this spring and pushed his RBI total up to nine -- he leads the team in both categories. O'Hoppe posted a career-low .629 OPS over 451 plate appearances last season, but he still mashed 19 home runs and remains a good source of power from the catcher position.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Higashioka (back) is feeling better and is expected to return to the spring lineup Monday against the Padres, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 35-year-old backstop was scratched from the lineup Saturday due to back spasms but is on track for a quick return to the lineup. Higashioka had a .694 OPS in 94 games last season and is expected to split playing time with Danny Jansen behind the plate for the Rangers this year.

The Rays optioned Keegan to minor-league camp Sunday.

Keegan played in seven Grapefruit League games but never got going at the plate, as he finished 1-for-11 with six strikeouts. He should return to Triple-A Durham, where he posted a .735 OPS with 10 homers in 69 games during 2025.

Higashioka was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Giants due to back tightness, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Willie MacIver was a late addition to the starting nine at catcher in place of Higashioka, whose removal from the lineup has been described as a "precaution." The veteran backstop previously missed time earlier in camp due to the same injury, which has limited him to just seven at-bats in Cactus League play over the past 10 days.

Vazquez agreed to a minor-league contract with the Astros on Saturday that includes an invitation to spring training, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Vazquez is currently playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but afterward he will report to Astros camp and attempt to win the backup job behind Yainer Diaz. Cesar Salazar, the only other catcher currently on Houston's 40-man roster, is 2-for-13 so far this spring. Vazquez, now 35, spent the last three seasons in Minnesota, slashing a combined .215/.267/.311.

Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Briceno injured the wrist in a Grapefruit League contest last weekend and is now looking at an extended absence. The 21-year-old slashed .266/.383/.500 with 20 home runs over 100 games between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie in 2025. Once healthy, he'll likely head back to Erie.

Briceno underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Briceno injured his wrist during Grapefruit League play this past weekend and an operation was deemed necessary. The Tigers have not revealed a timetable for Briceno's return to game action, but the 21-year-old is surely to be sidelined several weeks. One of Detroit's top prospects, Briceno slashed .266/.383/.500 with 20 home runs over 100 games between High-A West Michigan and Double-A Erie in 2025.

Narvaez (back) will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Chris Henrique of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

As expected, Narvaez will slot back in behind the plate after taking a day off to recover from a bout of back spasms. The Red Sox recently revealed that Narvaez played hurt for essentially the entire 2025 season before undergoing surgery in October to clean up his left knee. The 27-year-old is 5-for-10 with two RBI so far this spring.

Jimenez will miss three to four weeks because of a fractured right ring finger, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Jimenez was acquired from Detroit last July for Chris Paddack. He hit just .250 with a .773 OPS in 48 games in the rookie-level Florida Complex League but batted .269 with a .982 OPS for Single-A Fort Myers in 23 games after the trade. He'll likely have a delayed start to the minor-league season, but he is worth tracking due to his strong play after joining the Twins organization.