MLB Player News

The Tigers optioned Liranzo to Double-A Erie on Monday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Liranzo has gone 3-for-12 with one home run and a 2:2 BB:K over seven games during Grapefruit League play. The 22-year-old will begin the 2026 season back at Erie, where he slashed a disappointing .206/.308/.351 in 88 contests last season.

Dingler (elbow) will start at catcher and bat third in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Dingler had been easing along during spring training by making some starts at designated hitter, but he'll step in behind the plate Monday for the first time in 2026. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in January, but Dingler has since completed a throwing program.

O'Hoppe went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's Cactus League loss to the Athletics.

O'Hoppe accounted for half of the Angels' runs in the game with a two-run blast that traveled an estimated 413 feet in the fourth inning. The long ball was the backstop's third this spring and pushed his RBI total up to nine -- he leads the team in both categories. O'Hoppe posted a career-low .629 OPS over 451 plate appearances last season, but he still mashed 19 home runs and remains a good source of power from the catcher position.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Sunday that Higashioka (back) is feeling better and is expected to return to the spring lineup Monday against the Padres, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

The 35-year-old backstop was scratched from the lineup Saturday due to back spasms but is on track for a quick return to the lineup. Higashioka had a .694 OPS in 94 games last season and is expected to split playing time with Danny Jansen behind the plate for the Rangers this year.

The Rays optioned Keegan to minor-league camp Sunday.

Keegan played in seven Grapefruit League games but never got going at the plate, as he finished 1-for-11 with six strikeouts. He should return to Triple-A Durham, where he posted a .735 OPS with 10 homers in 69 games during 2025.

Herrera was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Mets due to knee inflammation, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera had been slated to start at designated hitter Saturday, though his previous few starts had come at catcher, where he's being reintroduced after offseason elbow surgery. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that Herrera will be given 24-48 hours to rest before his status is reevaluated.

Hernandez went 1-for-2 with a walk, a solo home run and a stolen base in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The 26-year-old outfielder is having an impressive start to his spring, going 4-for-14 (.286) with a double, two homers and three steals in three attempts. Hernandez likely won't keep up that kind of success on the basepaths in the regular season -- his career high in stolen bases is eight, set at Double-A in 2023 -- but he could be productive at the plate if he gets consistent playing time in 2026. As a rookie last year, he slashed .266/.347/.438 with 10 home runs in 87 games.

Moreno went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's spring game against the Giants.

Moreno clubbed a first-inning home run that travelled 460 feet over the fence in left field. The blast is a reminder that Moreno's offense took a leap forward in 2025, when he posted a career-high .433 SLG (.148 ISO) and swatted nine home runs. A healthy Moreno, who was limited to 83 games by a fractured hand last season, is expected to join Corbin Carroll (hand), Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo atop Arizona's order.

The Cardinals optioned Crooks to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

With five catchers on St. Louis' 40-man roster, Crooks had a considerable amount of competition for an Opening Day spot, and despite going 4-for-12 at the plate with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored in the Grapefruit League, he will ultimately fall short. He's had consistent success hitting in the minors, posting a .773 OPS in 435 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, and he could be called up to St. Louis later in the year if the trend continues.

The Cardinals optioned Bernal to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Bernal spent all of 2025 at Double-A Springfield, where he slashed .247/.332/.394 with 13 homers, 69 RBI, 58 runs scored and 13 steals over 107 games. After going 2-for-5 with two walks in Grapefruit League play, he'll receive a promotion to Triple-A to begin the season.