MLB Player News

Hedges went 2-for-3 with his fourth home run in as many games this spring training.

AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reported that Hedges entered camp with a modified swing, and that change is apparently paying off in spades for the Padres' backstop. As with most spring training results, we have to take them in with a grain of salt when you consider some of the inferior competition these proven major leaguers are going up against. That said, those with stock in the 25-year-old can't help but get excited with these early developments, especially after he broke out with 18 home runs in just 387 at-bats last season.

Barnes (elbow) will catch his first game "shortly," according to manager Dave Roberts, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

He has been in the lineup lately as the designated hitter as he recovers from elbow discomfort, but it sounds like he could get the nod behind the dish at some point in the coming days. Yasmani Grandal, who is expected to open the year on the strong side of a platoon, is 0-for-12 at the plate thus far in spring training. Barnes has gone from being overrated in November and December to perhaps being a bit undervalued currently in drafts. He won't carry fantasy rosters in any one category, but is also unlikely to do any damage in batting average, which is a rarity among catchers.

Sanchez will be sidelined for two weeks with a hamstring injury, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

It's unclear when Sanchez picked up the injury, but an MRI revealed the ailment to be serious enough to require some time off to fully recover. This doesn't affect Sanchez too much, as he's expected to open the season in the minors regardless of his performance in camp with Buster Posey (ankle) and Nick Hundley set to reprise their roles behind the dish in 2018.

Caratini has a chance to open the season as Chicago's backup catcher but may also spend more time at Triple-A to develop further, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

This is a tough situation for the Cubs, as the young catcher already proved he can rake at Triple-A. In 292 at-bats with the I-Cubs, he slashed .342/.393/.558 with 10 homers and 61 RBI. That said, some think that it would hurt his development if he only played once or twice per week, as he would if he was in the big leagues backing up Willson Contreras. Caratini held his own in 59 MLB at-bats, hitting .254 with a home run, but with veteran Chris Gimenez in camp as a non-roster invitee, the Cubs can afford to keep Caratini in the minors a bit longer. This situation should become clearer as spring training rolls along, but Caratini certainly has done enough to warrant a spot on the big-league roster.

Barnes is set to DH for the first week of Cactus League games after experiencing elbow discomfort heading into spring camp, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dave Roberts explained that Barnes is currently on a throwing program, but that he would be able to catch and throw if the season started today. At this point, it appears that the Dodgers are being cautious with the 28-year-old, which makes sense for any sort of ailment sustained in February. Barring any setback, Barnes should be back behind the plate in early March and at full health well before Opening Day.

Sanchez signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Wednesday, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Sanchez has appeared in 52 major-league games to date, but only four in the last three seasons. During the 2017 campaign, he slashed .272/.355/.374 with four home runs and 40 RBI at the Triple-A level, which is where he will likely find himself at the beginning of this year. The 29-year-old will provide added organizational depth for the Reds, with little chance to make much of a fantasy impact.

Grandal worked on his swing this offseason with the intention of increasing his launch angle, The Athletic reports.

Grandal is attempting to join the launch angle revolution. Notable success stories among those who have attempted to improve their slugging percentage by hitting more balls in the air include Josh Donaldson, J.D. Martinez, and Grandal's teammate Justin Turner, though not everyone has benefited from changing their swing. Rob Arthur of FiveThirtyEight found that only about half of the hitters who increased their launch angle saw the desired improvements. Don't assume that Grandal will automatically be better this season, but there's at least a chance that he finds some untapped power in 2018.

Glenn signed a minor-league contract with the Mets, Baseball America reports.

A career Met, Glenn was released by the organization at the conclusion of last season, and this is now the third-straight year he's signed a new contract with the club. Glenn has never seen major-league action and he slashed just .234/.321/.340 in 20 games with Triple-A Las Vegas last season. He figures to serve as organizational depth, but he's only 26 years old, so there could still be a major-league future for him should he perform well.

Rupp is expected to compete with Andrew Knapp for Philadelphia's backup catching role, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Rupp showed great power in 2017 with 14 home runs and 34 RBI, but struggled to hit for average -- he slashed .217/.299/.417 in 295 at-bats. He'll need to show he's capable behind the dish during spring training and continue to display power at the plate if he hopes to beat out Knapp. Both catchers have minor-league options remaining, so either player could begin the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Mesoraco (foot) enters spring training fully recovered from the broken foot that forced him to miss the end of the 2017 season, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports.

Mesoraco is in the walk year of his contract, one that he has been injured for nearly the bulk of it. He'll enter this season as the backup behind Tucker Barnhart, however, and won't initially get much regular playing time.