MLB Player News

Thaiss (undisclosed) arrived at the Angels' camp Sunday, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Thaiss wasn't at camp for the first several days for an undisclosed reason, but his presence with the team signals that he's cleared intake testing and will be able to partake in team activities. Thaiss is expected to serve as a reserve corner infielder for the Angels this season. It's unclear whether he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Gallagher has tested positive for COVID-19, Lynn Worthy of The Kansas City Star reports.

Gallagher played in the team's intrasquad game Friday and said he felt great, but he found out Saturday that he tested positive for COVID-19. The 27-year-old is asymptomatic, but he'll need to self-isolate and have two tests come back negative before MLB protocol allows him to rejoin the team.

Davis joined the Orioles' player pool Friday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Davis will provide the Orioles with extra depth behind the plate, but he's unlikely to play a significant role. The 30-year-old has only received 39 big-league plate appearances in his career.

Sanchez caught five innings in an intrasquad game Tuesday and expects to be ready to catch a full game by Opening Day, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

Sanchez dealt with a sore back and a bout with the flu in early March, but the long layoff has provided adequate time for him to get well. As long as he can maintain his health, the 27-year-old should again rank among the premier power-hitting backstops in the game this season.

Higashioka (neck) is in the lineup for Thursday's intrasquad matchup, Marly Rivera of ESPN reports.

Higashioka was sidelined for several days while nursing a sore neck, but he's healthy enough to start behind the plate during Thursday's intrasquad game. The 30-year-old should be able to resume preparations to serve as the Yankees' backup catcher ahead of the regular season.

The Royals signed Hernandez to a minor-league contract Thursday.

Hernandez's deal includes an invitation to summer camp, where he'll provide the Royals with some additional depth behind the plate while top backstop Salvador Perez (illness) recovers from the coronavirus. The 26-year-old Hernandez previously appeared in 22 games at the big-league level with Arizona between 2015 and 2016, but he's played at only the Double-A and Triple-A level over the past three seasons.

Nola could occasionally log starts at third base this season, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Nola is expected to primarily split catching duties with Tom Murphy, but manager Scott Servais confirmed Wednesday that Nola may occasionally spell veteran Kyle Seager at the hot corner as well. Accordingly, Nola took groundballs at third base during Tuesday's summer camp session, and Servais is highly confident in the 30-year-old making a smooth transition to the position from time to time if called upon. "He can go over there and grab an infield glove and look like he's been there the whole time," Servais said. "He jumped in there yesterday and looked as polished as anybody on the field."

Manager Aaron Boone said Higashioka sat out Tuesday's intrasquad game due to "some slight neck soreness," Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Higashioka apparently picked up the injury while catching during Monday's instrasquad action. The 30-year-old is likely to take things slow for a couple days before returning behind the plate. He's poised to serve as the top backup to Gary Sanchez when healthy.

Murphy is back in practice Tuesday after X-rays on his foot were negative, Lauren Smith of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Murphy fouled a ball off his foot Sunday and sat out Monday, but he's since been cleared to return. The one-day absence shouldn't meaningfully impact his readiness for the upcoming season.

McGuire pleaded no contest last week to a disorderly conduct charge and was fined $500 stemming from an off-field incident in February, The Canadian Press reports.

With his legal issues settled, McGuire can focus on getting ready for the season. There's still a chance he'll face additional discipline from the Jays or the league, but given that the incident was more personally embarrassing than anything else, this will likely be the end of it. McGuire is expected to back up Danny Jansen behind the plate for Toronto.