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  • Blake Hunt C | SD

    Padres' Blake Hunt: Shut down with oblique injury

    Hunt is dealing with an oblique injury and has been shut down from activity, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

    Hunt signed a minor-league pact with San Diego in December and has been taking part in big-league camp, though he hasn't seen action in any spring games. The 28-year-old isn't on the team's 40-man roster and wasn't expected to be a serious contender for an Opening Day job even prior to suffering the injury. San Diego added fellow catcher Brendan Durfee to major-league camp to take Hunt's place.

  • Braves' Chadwick Tromp: Cut from big-league camp

    Atlanta reassigned Tromp to minor-league camp Sunday.

    With Tromp sent out, Atlanta is left with Jonah Heim, Jair Camargo and Sandy Leon as its backup options at catcher behind Drake Baldwin in big-league camp while Sean Murphy (hip) remains out. Tromp is expected to open the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Gwinnett after he spent most of the past season in the minors.

  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Good to go Sunday

    Basallo (abdomen) is starting at catcher and batting cleanup in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

    The 21-year-old departed Thursday's spring game due to abdominal discomfort, but he's ready to retake the field after getting a couple days off. The fact that Basallo is immediately working behind the plate rather than being eased back in as the designated hitter is a good indication that the injury wasn't a serious concern.

  • Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Productive start in spring training

    Rutschman went 2-for-2 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta.

    It was the first big fly of spring training for Rutschman, who's now gone 4-for-15 (.267) with a double and two walks over his first 15 at-bats of the spring. The switch-hitting backstop was a big disappointment in 2025, as evidenced by a career-worst .673 OPS across 365 regular-season plate appearances, but Rutschman is all set to reprise his role as Baltimore's top catcher in 2026. Although top prospect Samuel Basallo (abdomen) does present some competition for action behind the dish, he's more likely to serve as the Orioles' primary designated hitter.

  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Returning Sunday

    Basallo (abdomen) will start at catcher in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against Boston, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

    Abdominal discomfort forced Basallo out of Thursday's game early, but he was never brought in for imaging and is now set to return behind the plate after a two-day break. The 21-year-old backstop has begun the spring 2-for-8 with three runs scored through four contests.

  • Rangers' Kyle Higashioka: Day-to-day with back issue

    Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Friday that Higashioka will be out of the lineup until Sunday due to a back injury, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

    The veteran backstop, who turns 36 years old in April, is projected to split catching duties with Danny Jansen this season. Higashioka slashed .241/.291/.403 with 11 home runs, a career-best 47 RBI, 33 runs scored and a 20:72 BB:K across 327 plate appearances last season for Texas.

  • Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Aiming to return this weekend

    Basallo (abdomen) believes he'll be ready to return to Grapefruit League play this weekend, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

    Basallo was pulled from Thursday's game against the Tigers due to right-side abdominal discomfort, but he thinks it was merely cramping and imaging was deemed unnecessary. Consider the young slugger day-to-day.

  • Tigers' Dillon Dingler: Set for spring debut at DH

    Dingler (elbow) is batting fifth as the designated hitter in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

    The 27-year-old catcher is coming back from arthroscopic surgery in January on his right elbow, and he's still working through his throwing progression. Dingler has been fully participating in all other baseball activities, so he'll enter the lineup Friday as the DH. He could gain full clearance within the next week and should be good to go for the start of the regular season.

  • Will Smith C | LAD

    Dodgers' Will Smith: Swats first homer of spring

    Smith went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run and a double Thursday in a Cactus League victory over the White Sox.

    Smith hit his -- and the Dodgers' -- first homer of the spring when he belted a solo shot to left-center field in the fifth inning. The All-Star catcher's previous long ball came in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series last season and proved to be the championship-winning RBI. Smith hasn't missed a beat, as he's slashing .556/.556/1.000 so far this spring. He's locked in for another year as Los Angeles' starting catcher.

  • Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom: Strong spring performance

    Soderstrom went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's Cactus League win over the Rangers.

    Soderstrom helped spark an early offensive surge for the Athletics, ripping a 105.8 mph single up the middle to drive in a pair in the second inning. The 24-year-old turned in a strong 2025 campaign, slashing .276/.346/.474 with 34 doubles, 25 homers and 93 RBI across 158 games, which helped earn him a seven-year, $86 million extension in December. He'll enter the 2026 season as the club's primary left fielder and a key fixture in the lineup.

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