MLB Player News

Wallach went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk Thursday against Houston.

Wallach drove in a run during the second inning on a single and went deep in the third. The 27-year-old backstop has gone 3-for-12 in spring games and could see substantial playing time at the beginning of the regular season depending on Jorge Alfaro's (knee) health.

Hedges went 2-for-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBI in Wednesday's 9-3 win over the Angels in Cactus League play.

Hedges served as the Padres' designated hitter in the contest, but the lineup otherwise resembled the Padres' ideal starting nine for the regular season. The 26-year-old is still competing with Francisco Mejia -- who started at catcher and hit seventh Wednesday -- for top backstop duties, but Hedges' vastly superior defense probably makes him the preferred option. Hedges helped his case by putting his power on display versus the Angels, raising his spring OPS to 1.159 in the process.

Diaz (illness) was participating in light baseball activities Thursday at the Pirates' spring-training complex, John Perrotto of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Diaz is slowly getting back into playing shape after a viral illness kept him away from camp for two weeks. The missed time will likely result in Diaz opening the season on the injured list, paving the way for Jacob Stallings or another non-roster player to begin the season as the Pirates' backup catcher.

Hedges was starting and hitting eighth for San Diego against Oakland on Tuesday and is slashing .200/.294/.400 with one home run and two RBI through 15 Cactus League at-bats.

Hedges figures to be San Diego's Opening Day catcher and he should have a solid hold on at least a platoon role behind the plate to start the season thanks to his defensive capabilities. However, Francisco Mejia is outperforming him at the plate so far this spring, with a 1.275 OPS. Hedges has pop with the bat, with 32 homers to his name over the past two seasons, but his .636 OPS over his 851 career at-bats suggests he could start to cede at-bats to Mejia when the regular season arrives if the offensive gap between the two persists.

Mejia is hitting .385 with three home runs and nine RBI through 26 Cactus League at-bats.

The 23-year-old has been blistering hot so far this spring, and he's making a strong case to stay on the big-league roster and command at-bats when the regular season starts. If he does make the big club, Mejia would in all likelihood be splitting catching duties with veteran Austin Hedges, who is regarded as a better defender. That would diminish Mejia's ability to make a consistent fantasy impact, but if he continues to rake, manager Andy Green could feel compelled to work him into the lineup with regularity, giving him some intriguing upside at a shallow position.

The Braves optioned Jackson to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.

With six hits -- three for extra bases -- and only five strikeouts in 22 at-bats during Grapefruit League play, Jackson turned some heads this spring and might have cemented himself as the organization's No. 3 catcher behind big leaguers Brian McCann and Tyler Flowers. Jackson's defense remains more questionable than his bat, so he may need to show some improvement in the former area before the Braves consider keeping him in the big leagues for an extended stretch.

Mesoraco went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The former Red is in camp on a minor-league deal, but he's in a battle with Travis d'Arnaud for the backup catcher job behind Wilson Ramos. Mesoraco is only 4-for-17 at the plate so far this spring, but three of his four hits (he also has a homer) have gone for extra bases, and he's been drawing rave reviews from Mets pitchers for his work behind the plate. The club could elect to have d'Arnaud begin the season on the injured list as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery to avoid making a tough roster decision.

Bart went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI in Monday's game against the Dodgers.

Bart notched his second double of the spring in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, scoring three runs and giving his club a 4-1 lead. The 22-year-old prospect has been impressive at the dish in big-league camp and is now 7-for-14 with a home run, six RBI and two runs scored.

Ruiz was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ruiz produced a solid .268/.328/.401 line at Double-A Tulsa last season. He'll now be one stop away from the big leagues, but Will Smith seems like the more likely Triple-A catcher to debut in 2019 if an injury should befall one of the big-league catchers.

Diaz (virus) returned to the Pirates on Sunday but is expected to begin the season on the injured list, John Perrotto of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Diaz has been away from the team over the last few weeks due to a virus and won't have enough time to rebuild his strength for Opening Day. Jacob Stallings is likely to serve as backup to Francisco Cervelli once the regular season kicks off. Manager Clint Hurdle said the team doesn't have a timetable for when Diaz might return.