MLB Player News

Higashioka will occupy the Yankees' backup catcher role with Gary Sanchez (biceps) absent, Brendan Kuty of The Star-Ledger reports.

Higashioka will spell starter Austin Romine on occasion (perhaps to pair with fellow rookie Jordan Montgomery), but he's the clear understudy for at least the next few weeks while Sanchez is sidelined. Higashioka likely will return to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre upon Sanchez's activation.

Contreras is batting fifth in the Cubs' lineup Thursday against the Dodgers.

The catcher gets a lineup bump facing Los Angeles left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. Contreras also gains a bit of value in daily fantasy games with the likelihood of an extra plate appearance. He already should occupy any season-long fantasy lineups when he's active.

Barnhart went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs against the Pirates on Wednesday.

Barnhart has delivered credible production as the Reds' primary catcher with Devin Mesoraco on the DL; it hasn't been impressive for fantasy purposes, but the Reds surely appreciate it.

Sanchez (concussion) is on track to return from the 7-day disabled list over the weekend, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Sanchez was able to catch a bullpen session Wednesday without incident, so unless his concussion-like symptoms resurface in the coming days, it appears he'll be activated at some point during the Padres' four-game series with the Braves, which begins Friday. He'll serve as the primary backup to Austin Hedges upon returning to action.

Gomes is out of the lineup Wednesday against the White Sox, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

With Gomes off to a 1-for-18 start to the season, manager Terry Francona will give the backstopper his second day off in three games. Roberto Perez will enter the lineup at catcher and bat eighth in the lineup.

Higashioka will make his first major-league start against the Rays on Wednesday, starting at catcher and batting eighth.

With Gary Sanchez (biceps) on the mend and Austin Romine slumping to a .111 average, Higashioka will have his chance to shine right away. After spending last season in Triple-A, the 26-year-old impressed with a .296 batting average over 20 Grapefruit League games this spring, so the Yankees have already seen his potential. If he can string together a few solid starts, he may be in line for a permanent promotion upon Sanchez's return.

Hedges went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's loss to the Rockies. He remains hitless in 27 plate appearances.

The 24-year-old is starting to look more like a hitter who owns a .144 career batting average as opposed to the player who slashed .326/.353/.597 in Triple-A last season. With Hector Sanchez (concussion) on the disabled list, there are no immediate threats to Hedges' playing time, but fantasy owners could surely find a catcher on the waiver wire who has at least recorded a hit this season.

Vazquez went 4-for-4, finishing a home run shy of a cycle, and added two runs and two RBI in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Orioles.

A big night for Vazquez, who is not known for his hitting, but is 5-for-5 to start the season. In addition to his offense, Vazquez guided Drew Pomeranz through six strong innings. Try not to be swayed by his hot start; Vazquez is a career .244 hitter that made the roster primarily becuase he's out of minor-league options.

D'Arnaud went 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, a walk and three RBI in Tuesday's 14-4 rout of the Phillies.

After a big spring, d'Arnaud opened the season slowly, going just 2-for-14 heading into Tuesday. However, there were positive signs here even before this effort, as he'd struck out just a single time. While d'Arnaud is coming off a bad, injury-shortened campaign, he's still a talented hitter who's put in a lot of work to find his stroke again. Don't dismiss him in deeper formats.

McCann supplied all the offense the Tigers would need Tuesday, going 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in a 2-1 win over the Twins.

He put the first pitch he saw from Hector Santiago in the fifth inning into the seats in left-center for his third homer of the season. McCann only has four hits so far through six games, but he's making some very loud contact when he does get his bat on the ball. The 26-year-old catcher will likely remain a batting average risk, but given his hot start he might have no trouble topping last year's career-high 12 home runs.