MLB Player News

Higashioka (side) will bat seventh and start behind the plate Sunday against the Blue Jays.

Higashioka had been out for most of the week due to side soreness. He was originally expected back Saturday, though the one-day delay shouldn't significantly impact his readiness for the upcoming season.

Realmuto (thumb) was scratched from his scheduled spring debut Sunday against the Tigers due to general soreness, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

The specific nature of the setback doesn't sound particularly worrisome, but it's still discouraging for Realmuto and those who drafted him. The Phillies don't appear to have lost their optimism that he'll be ready for Opening Day, but time is getting very tight if he's to be at something close to full speed when the regular season begins.

Realmuto (thumb) will make his spring debut Sunday against the Tigers, batting second and serving as the designated hitter, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto is getting a very late start to Grapefruit League action after fracturing his thumb shortly before the start of camp. There's been some optimism about his readiness for Opening Day throughout the spring, however. He should be ready to go when the season begins as long as he looks healthy in the box and eventually behind the plate, where he should be able to play within a few days.

Nola (finger) is expected to try to hold a bat within the next two days, Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Nola is dealing with a fractured middle finger on his non-throwing hand. He has been able to catch balls and take part in blocking drills despite the injury, but his big test will be taking swings. Manager Jayce Tingler stated Saturday that there's no guarantee Nola will be ready for Opening Day, and a better idea of his timeline to return should be available after he handles the bat.

Herrera was optioned to minor-league camp Saturday.

Herrera was added to the 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft but has yet to play above Double-A. The 20-year-old appeared in four Grapefruit League games this spring and went 0-for-4 with one walk, one run and one strikeout.

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.

Manager Dave Roberts suggested Friday that Smith will start "somewhere around 90 games" this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Roberts mentioned earlier this spring that Smith and Austin Barnes could pair in somewhat of a timeshare this season, and those plans appear to be taking shape given the manager's estimate for Smith's starts. This is far from positive news for fantasy managers who have invested in Smith as a top-three option at catcher based on his excellent 163 wRC+ last season -- tops among MLB catchers -- but it falls in line with the Dodgers' desire to give ample time to the defensively superior Barnes. Smith should still put up relatively strong numbers in comparison to other backstops, but his value will certainly take a hit if he is indeed sitting 2-3 times per week.

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.

Marchan (hamstring) played in a simulated game Friday, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

J.T. Realmuto's fractured thumb could in theory give Marchan a chance to break camp as Andrew Knapp's backup, but it doesn't look as though that's going to happen. Realmuto appears to be on roughly the same schedule as Marchan, as he played in the same simulated game Friday, so there probably won't be a window where Marchan is healthy but Realmuto is still hurt.

Realmuto (thumb) participated in a simulated game Friday and could play in Grapefruit League action next week, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The 30-year-old was cleared for full baseball activity last week and quickly progressed to taking part in simulated games. Realmuto still has nearly two weeks to prepare for Opening Day, so a return to game action next week should allow him to avoid the injured list for the start of the season.