MLB Player News

Thaiss is hitting .278 (5-for-18) with a home run and five RBI in Cactus League play.

Thaiss hit only .211 in 147 major-league at-bats last season, but he has consistently shown good hitting skills in the minors while his power has begun to emerge over the last two seasons. The 24-year-old won't have an everyday role with the Angels to begin the campaign, but his ability to play both corner infield positions could help him nail down a spot on the big-league roster.

Maldonado (thumb) said he's hopeful he'll be ready to rejoin Houston's Grapefruit League lineup Friday against the Mets, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Maldonado has been out of action since Sunday, when he took a foul tip off his thumb and then aggravated the injury while catching later in the game. He said he would have been available Tuesday if the Astros were playing a regular-season game, so the club is seemingly just taking a cautious approach with the veteran, who will serve as Houston's top catcher in 2020.

Wynns was scratched from the lineup ahead of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins due to a groin issue, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports.

Wynns took a foul ball to the lower half Monday and is apparently still dealing with some residual soreness two days later. Chance Sisco will enter the starting nine in place of Wynns, who can be viewed as day-to-day.

Heim (shin) went 3-for-3 with an RBI double and a run in a Cactus League win over the White Sox on Tuesday.

Heim returned to action after sitting out Sunday's game with shin soreness. The promising backstop, battling Austin Allen for the backup catcher job behind Sean Murphy, is now hitting .467 (7-for-15) with a pair of two baggers, five RBI, one walk and four runs through seven spring games, flashing an impressive bat to complement his already strong defense behind the dish.

Murphy (knee) drew walks in each of his two plate appearances during a Cactus League win over the Cubs on Monday. He caught five innings before being lifted for a pinch runner after his second base on balls.

The projected starting backstop finally got into game action after being eased into spring following a meniscal debridement procedure on his troublesome left knee during the offseason. Murphy complements a solid bat with elite defensive skills, including a rocket arm that gunned down the Royals' Adalberto Mondesi on a steal attempt with a throw clocked at 87.4 mph last season. Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports Murphy won't return to action until Thursday and will have his usage monitored carefully for the balance of the exhibition slate, which will give the promising duo of Austin Allen and Jonah Heim opportunities to battle it out for the backup catcher role.

Maldonado recently took a foul ball off his left thumb and was scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the Cardinals as a precaution, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Maldonado was labeled by manager Dusty Baker as the Astros' No. 1 catcher heading in to spring training following the departure of Robinson Chirinos in free agency. The 33-year-old Maldonado has spent time on five different major-league rosters during the past two seasons and is valued as one of the league's premier defensive options behind the plate. Maldonado owns a career .219 batting average, but demonstrated flashes of power towards the end of last season in Houston, hitting six home runs to go along with a .464 slugging percentage across 27 regular-season contests.

Perez, who hit his second home run of spring in a Grapefruit League tie with the Orioles on Monday, is competing with Kevan Smith for the backup catcher job, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Perez dedicated himself to getting fitter this offseason and the work seems to be paying early dividends. The 27-year-old slugged 13 homers across 216 plate appearances in Triple-A Durham last season, although he's only left the yard once in 135 major-league plate appearances across the last pair of campaigns. Smith is a capable and proven veteran, so Perez will naturally have to continue impressing in spring to lock down an Opening Day roster spot.

Rogers (back) went 1-for-1 with a walk, a two-run home run and two runs scored in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Rogers made his first Grapefruit League appearance of the year, as back stiffness had kept him on the sidelines up until Monday. The 24-year-old got off to a nice start as he looks to push for a regular role in the majors, though he's likely behind Austin Romine and Grayson Greiner on the catcher depth chart. Rogers could spend more time at Triple-A this season after posting a rough .125/.222/.259 line in a 35-game MLB debut a year ago.

Murphy (knee) is starting at catcher Monday against the Cubs, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Murphy has been brought along slowly this spring after undergoing a minor cleanup procedure for his left knee back in October, but he's finally ready to make his Cactus League debut. The 25-year-old is on track to open the 2020 season as Oakland's starting catcher after hitting .245/.333/.566 with four home runs in 20 games during his big-league debut in 2019.

Rogers (back) is listed as an available reserve on the lineup card for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Grayson Greiner will start behind the plate and will likely catch about half of the game before Rogers comes off the bench to replace him. The 24-year-old has yet to make his spring debut after experiencing back stiffness prior to the Tigers' Feb. 21 exhibition opener, but he should be ready to go for the start of the regular season if he avoids any further setbacks during camp.