MLB Player News

Heim is projected as the backup catcher on the Opening Day roster by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Heim hasn't done much at the plate this spring, going 1-for-15 over seven Cactus League games, but the Rangers are impressed with his defensive skills. That he's already on the 40-man roster works to his advantage over Drew Butera, who is not on the 40-man. A rebuilding team doesn't need to create room for a 36-year-old veteran. The 25-year-old Heim made his MLB debut in 2020 while with Oakland and slashed .211/.268/.211 over 13 games.

Higashioka (side) is now expected to return to action Sunday against Toronto, Max Goodman of Sports Illustrated reports.

Manager Aaron Boone had previously indicated that Higashioka would start Saturday's game against Baltimore, but the backstop's return from side soreness is now expected to come Sunday instead. There's no indication that Higashioka has suffered a setback; rather, Boone indicated that he wants Gary Sanchez catching Saturday in order for him to log consecutive games behind the plate. Higashioka's move to Sunday means he will now catch ace Gerrit Cole against the Blue Jays.

Collins altered his plate approach and is more aggressive earlier in counts which has produced a 1.039 spring OPS , Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Collins has a reputation for an impeccable eye, but his less-than-aggressive approach hasn't worked in MLB, where pitchers can get a young hitter out no matter what the count. In a small sample size, Collins is slashing .391/.517/.522 this spring and pushing Jonathan Lucroy to be the top backup catcher. "I've been swinging a lot more often," he said. "Still taking my walks, but it's me striking out a lot less, which is why I think you see the average a lot higher, the OPS higher." His work with the bat is one thing, but Collins needs to improve defensively as well. That's been happening under the tutelage of Yasmani Grandal, but the White Sox, who expect to go deep into the postseason, may prefer the established Lucroy as the top backup. The left-handed hitting Collins could still make the Opening Day roster as a third catcher that can also fill in at first base and DH.

Grandal has no pain in his knee but is still building back his strength and endurance, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Grandal has been slowed by a knee injury for much of the spring, which has forced him to serve primarily as the designated hitter in exhibition action. He did make his debut behind the dish Thursday and is shooting to be at full strength by Opening Day.

Manager Tony LaRussa said Thursday that Grandal is an option to serve as the White Sox's No. 2 hitter to begin the season, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Though his spring debut was delayed by a minor knee injury, Grandal has since picked up two starts, going 1-for-5 with a walk between the contests. After batting second as the designated hitter in both of those games, he's slated to catch while occupying the two hole again Thursday versus the Royals, which seemingly supports LaRussa's assertion that Grandal will get a legitimate look at that lineup spot. Adam Eaton likely looms as the top challenger for the second spot in the order, but Grandal probably boasts the better bat of the two at this stage of their respective careers. Over the past two seasons, Grandal has compiled a .356 wOBA, 26 points better than Eaton's mark during that span.

Murphy (chest) will make his Cactus League debut Thursday against the Padres, catching and batting third, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Murphy was handled carefully to start camp as he made his way back from offseason surgery to address a collapsed lung. He's making his spring debut just two weeks before Opening Day, but it looks as though he should still have a good chance to break camp on the active roster.

Jansen has gone 4-for-20 (.200) through 10 Grapefruit League games with a double, a home run and a 6:8 BB:K.

Meanwhile, Alejandro Kirk is hitting .417 and has only struck out once in seven spring appearances. Jansen is still penciled in as the Jays' starting catcher, but the 25-year-old has struggled at the plate so far in the big leagues. If he can't improve significantly on his career .208/.297/.370 slash line while Kirk continues to rake, Jansen's defensive skills may not be enough to keep him in the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

The Blue Jays optioned Moreno to their minor-league camp Thursday.

Moreno last played at Low-A Lansing in 2019, slashing .280/.337/.485 over 341 plate appearances. He'll likely make the jump to High-A Vancouver or possibly even Double-A New Hamsphire to begin 2021 as the Blue Jays look to get his developmental timeline back on track following the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season. Among the young backstops in the organization, Moreno is third in the pecking order behind Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk.

Murphy, starting at designated hitter for the second straight game, went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run, a walk and two runs overall in a Cactus League win over the Royals on Tuesday.

The veteran backstop has ceded duties behind the dish to Luis Torrens the last two games while Murphy finishes recovering from a minor hip issue. The round tripper, part of a 15-hit barrage for Seattle, helped boost Murphy's spring average back over the Mendoza Line and marked his first time leaving the yard in exhibition play.

Grandal (knee) will catch in Thursday's spring game against the Royals, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Grandal has spent some time as the designated hitter for the White Sox recently while dealing with knee inflammation, but he'll be behind the plate for the first time this spring during Thursday's Cactus League game. It's not yet clear whether the 32-year-old's slow start to camp will impact his availability for Opening Day, but Grandal will have two weeks to work behind the dish before the regular season starts.