Orioles acquire Jake Rogers from Tigers

It’s ostensibly a one-for-one swap of backup catchers with Rogers replacing Carlos Narváez on Boston’s roster. He’s going to split the catching duties with Connor Wong until Adley Rutschman (wrist) is ready to come off the injured list.

Apparently, the medicals were approved. The Orioles will get Anthony Eyanson (Boston’s No. 1 pitching prospect), 2025 first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon, Carlos Narváez and more, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer. The Red Sox will have Rutschman under control through 2027. He’s still on the IL for now, but he’ll take over from Connor Wong as the starter when healthy. Jake Rogers is also in the deal going to Boston, so he’ll back up Wong for now. For Baltimore, the move clears the way for Samuel Basallo to spend the next several years as a starting catcher.

The Tigers needed a spot on the active roster to activate Javier Baez from the 60-day IL, so Rogers was let go. The Tigers will go forward with Eduardo Valencia as their backup catcher.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Tigers took it easy on Dingler heading into the All-Star break, so we wouldn’t be stunned if he misses this weekend series. Jake Rogers is taking over at catcher and batting ninth against the Phillies tonight.

Rogers entered Wednesday’s game after Dingler took a foul ball off of his hand and opened the scoring by clubbing a solo home run. He got the Tigers on the board first once again on Thursday, lining a 2-2 fastball from Jack Perkins for a 363-foot (96.6-mph EV) solo shot in the third inning. He also drew a pair of walks in the contest, finishing the game 1-for-1. On the season, he’s still slashing a meager .171/.263/.329 with three homers and nine RBI.

No surprise here with a quick early-afternoon turnaround after Dingler handled the catching duties during Friday night’s series opener. The 27-year-old backstop somehow wasn’t a finalist for the American League in All-Star balloting, but he deserves to be there on the strength of a 19-homer breakthrough campaign. It’ll be Jake Rogers behind the plate on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park.

Dingler is off to a strong start, slashing .271/.364/.500 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He also has a 55 percent hard-hit rate with a 92 mph average exit velocity that is up two mph from what he posted last year. It’s a small sample size, but Dingler is firmly on the radar in one-catcher leagues. Jake Rogers will catch and bat ninth.

Rogers was diagnosed with a concussion last week following a mishap during a training drill. The 30-year-old backstop will be ready for Thursday’s season opener against the Padres. He’ll serve as a backup to starter Dillon Dingler this season.

Rogers was injured in a bizarre mishap during a training drill when his own bat struck him in the face, requiring multiple stitches. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready in time for Opening Day. He’ll serve as a backup to starter Dillon Dingler this season.

McGonigle’s ability to generate consistent hard contact in tandem with elite contact skills at such a young age makes it strangely difficult to imagine a future where he isn’t an impactful fantasy contributor. That future might become reality in a few weeks on Opening Day. The 21-year-old prodigy’s path to a spot on Detroit’s season-opening roster got easier with Trey Sweeney sidelined with a shoulder injury and leaves super utility specialist Zach McKinstry as the lone obstacle in his way. A strong performance in Grapefruit League exhibition contests would make it extremely challenging for the Tigers to ship him back to the minors. He’ll be a popular sleeper candidate in all fantasy drafts this spring, especially if he starts making some noise at the dish. Here is the full lineup: Jahmai Jones (RF), McGonigle (SS), Gleyber Torres (2B), Colt Keith (3B), Jake Rogers (DH), Jace Jung (1B), Trei Cruz (CF), Eduardo Valencia (C) and Corey Julks (LF).