April 30, 2025
Texas Rangers catcher
Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) is managing a hamstring injury. Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reported that the backstop may need an IL stint but is currently day-to-day. Earlier on Wednesday, the Rangers added veteran backstop
Tucker Barnhart to the active roster, which suggests Higashioka may miss a period of time. Over his last five games, Higashioka has begun to heat up at the plate, as he has gone 5-for-19 with two doubles and three RBI. Through 17 games this season, the 35-year-old has posted a .254/.279/.390 slash line with just one home run. Under the hood, Higashioka has generated a modest .310 xwOBA but has shown a strong eye at the plate as he has only struck out 16.4 percent of the time. If he were to miss time,
Jonah Heim would see the majority of starts behind the dish.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kennedi Landry
April 4, 2025
Texas Rangers catcher
Kyle Higashioka will get the start behind the dish on Friday over
Jonah Heim in the series opener against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Higashioka will catch right-hander
Tyler Mahle and will bat eighth against Rays right-hander
Zack Littell. So far through eight games in 2025, Higashioka and Heim have had four starts apiece, splitting the catching work right down the middle. After a career year in San Diego in 2024, Higashioka has two hits in his first nine at-bats with the Rangers, including one RBI. Heim has looked better so far in a small sample size, batting .308 with two home runs and two RBI in 13 plate appearances. Higashioka will have limited DFS upside in the eight-hole on Friday, but he does have a solo home run in two career at-bats against Littell.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
April 1, 2025
Texas Rangers catcher
Kyle Higashioka is behind the plate again and will hit eighth on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander
Carson Spiers at Great American Ball Park, with
Jonah Heim retreating to the bench. Through the team's first six games of the 2025 season, Higashioka and Heim have split the catching duties down the middle with three starts apiece. Heim has four hits (two homers) and two RBI in 10 at-bats so far, while Higashioka has gone 2-for-7 with a double and an RBI in his first two starts. The near-even split behind the dish should continue and will keep both catchers fresh throughout the year. However, it's also bad news for both players' fantasy ceiling at the weak catcher position. Higashioka is coming off a career-best year in San Diego with 17 homers and 45 RBI, but fantasy managers can't expect that kind of output again if he's in a timeshare.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
March 28, 2025
Texas Rangers catcher
Jonah Heim will make his first start of the year on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander
Tanner Houck at Globe Life Field.
Kyle Higashioka will take a seat on the bench for the second game of the season. Heim is doing the catching for right-hander
Jack Leiter and is hitting eighth in the batting order. The 29-year-old left-handed-hitting Heim has lost a lot of fantasy appeal now that he's essentially in a timeshare with Higashioka after posting a disappointing .603 OPS in 2024. Meanwhile, Higashioka had a career year with the San Diego Padres last year, posting a .739 OPS with 17 home runs and 45 RBI in 84 games played. Higashioka went 1-for-4 with an RBI double on Opening Day in the loss to the Red Sox. Heim has gone deep once with three RBI in just five career at-bats versus Houck.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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