Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Kansas City Royals. Higashioka is back in the mix after missing each of the last four games due to a hamstring issue. He'll cover behind the plate and bat cleanup versus left-hander Noah Cameron on Wednesday. Higashioka has been crushing the ball over the last month or so, which means he's a decent streaming choice for Wednesday's slate.

Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) remains out of action for Tuesday's game on the road against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Jonah Heim will do the catching again for right-hander Merrill Kelly and will bat ninth against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo. Higashioka is dealing with what is considered a mild hamstring injury, but it has now caused him to miss the last four games. It could quickly become an injured list situation if the 35-year-old veteran cannot return to the diamond soon. Higgy hasn't been as productive at the plate in Texas while sharing time behind the dish with Heim as he was for the San Diego Padres last year. He's currently batting .256 (57-for-223) with eight homers, 33 RBI and 24 runs. Heim has one more homer than Higashioka but is hitting a meager .218 (70-for-321) in 97 games.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) has a "very very, very mild" hamtring injury that has lingered, which is why Jonah Heim is making his third straight start behind the plate for Monday's series opener against the hosting Kansas City Royals and right-hander Michael Wacha. Heim is batting ninth in the order. The Rangers are hoping that Higashioka will be able to catch one of the games against KC this week at Kauffman Stadium during their four-game series. Higashioka had a career year with the San Diego Padres in 2024 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI in 84 games, but he's taken a step back in Texas while sharing playing time with Heim. Going into this week, the 35-year-old veteran is slashing .256/.301/.417 with a .718 OPS, eight home runs, 33 RBI, 24 runs and a career-high three stolen bases.

Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) is back in the lineup Tuesday night, batting seventh against the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of the series. The 35-year-old missed five games after straining his right hamstring on July 22. In 56 games this season, Higashioka is slashing .253/.301/.368 with a .669 OPS. He has shared catching duties with 30-year-old Jonah Heim. Higashioka will look to make an immediate impact as the Rangers continue their push in the AL West. First pitch in Anaheim is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. EDT.

Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) will miss his fifth straight game Monday as he continues dealing with a hamstring strain. Jonah Heim will start behind the plate and hit ninth against Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters that Higashioka should return to the starting lineup Tuesday. After popping a career-high 17 home runs a year ago, Higashioka has totaled just four in 196 plate appearances this season. The 35-year-old has hit .253/.301/.368 with 25 RBI, 16 runs scored, and three stolen bases.

Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) remains out of action for Friday's series opener against the visiting Atlanta Braves at Globe Life Field. Jonah Heim will draw another start behind the dish and catch right-hander Nathan Eovaldi while batting seventh against Braves left-hander Joey Wentz. The 35-year-old Higashioka is dealing with a hamstring strain that isn't deemed serious, but it's kept him out for the last two games. Heim won't be a very attractive DFS sleeper against a left-hander after going 16-for-79 (.203) with two of his eight home runs on the year and a 21:4 K:BB in 85 appearances against southpaws in 2025. Higashioka has hit a career-best .253 (46-for-182) as a part-time catcher in Texas this year, but overall he's been a disappointment after hitting 17 bombs in 2024 with the San Diego Padres.

Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) is hopeful to avoid a stint on the injured list after being diagnosed with a low-grade hamstring strain. Higashioka was forced to exit early during Tuesday's contest. He won't play on Wednesday, but is still considered day-to-day. It sounds like the Rangers are going to give Higashioka a few days to recover before making any decisions regarding his status. Jonah Heim figures to do most of the catching with Cody Freeman serving as the backup.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said that catcher Kyle Higashioka (hamstring) exited Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Athletics in the eighth inning due to hamstring tightness, per MLB.com's Kennedi Landry. Higashioka had gone 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored before being replaced defensively by Jonah Heim. The 35-year-old veteran has done a decent job with the bat this season, slashing .253/.301/.368 with four home runs, 25 RBI, and three stolen bases in 196 plate appearances. Heim has split time behind the plate with Higashioka throughout the season, so he will likely see more time catching if Higashioka were to miss any time. However, Heim has not hit well this season, which has limited his fantasy value.

Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka went 3-for-3 out of the last spot in the Rangers' batting order on Saturday night in San Diego. He hit his second homer of the season and finished with five RBI by adding a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly. Higashioka also added his first stolen base of the season to complete his productive evening. The 35-year-old backup backstop is hitting .232 on the season, with two homers, 21 RBI, and a .621 OPS in his 45 games. He could earn more playing time with more performances like this, but for now, he is mostly a non-factor for fantasy. He has been known to be streaky, though, so he could be worth a look for streaming or DFS use if he can build on Saturday's big game.

The Texas Rangers reinstated catcher Kyle Higashioka (intercostal) from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, according to the Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant. The Rangers haven't released their starting lineup for Tuesday's contest against the visiting Colorado Rockies yet, so fantasy managers will want to check back before throwing Higgy back into their starting lineups. The 35-year-old veteran backstop played in only two minor-league rehab games and will return to split duties behind the plate with Jonah Heim in Texas. Higashioka broke out with the San Diego Padres in 2024 for a career year with 17 home runs and 45 RBI, but he hit just .220 and won't have nearly as much fantasy value in Texas as he splits playing time essentially down the middle with Heim. He'll return to a .254/.279/.390 slash line with just one homer and eight RBI in 17 games played this year.

The Texas Rangers have placed catcher Kyle Higashioka (ribs) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a mild left-intercostal strain. Higashioka was held out of action on Wednesday due to a reported hamstring injury, but it appears the backstop also has an upper-body injury as well. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status while he remains sidelined. Before his injury, Higashioka was splitting catching duties with Jonah Heim. Across 17 games this season, Higashioka posted a .254/.279/.390 slash line with five doubles and one home run. Under the hood, he generated a modest .310 xwOBA but only struck out at a 16.4 percent rate. While he remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Heim to see the vast majority of opportunities behind the dish.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Texas Rangers are planning to give catchers Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka equal playing time in 2025, according to general manager Ross Fenstermaker. The Rangers signed Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million deal on Monday night and will plan to give him plenty of playing time behind the plate given Heim's struggles on offense this past season. The 29-year-old Heim was an All-Star in 2023, won a Gold Glove and a World Series ring, but he wasn't as good in 2024, slashing .220/.267/.336 with a weak .602 OPS, 13 home runs, 59 RBI and 45 runs scored in 131 games played in his fourth year in Texas. Meanwhile, Higashioka had a career year in his lone season with the San Diego Padres with 17 home runs and 45 RBI in 84 games played as the team's primary backstop. Texas will be hoping a straight split in playing time will keep them both productive, but it will surely limit their fantasy upside.

The Texas Rangers have signed catcher Kyle Higashioka to a two-year, $13.5 million deal that includes a mutual option for 2027. The veteran will back up incumbent Jonah Heim who logged 119 games behind the dish for Texas last season. Higashioka played in San Diego in 2024, getting only sporadic playing time as the backup to Luis Campusano until his bat went cold and an injury forced him to miss time, paving the way for Higashioka to take over as the starter. Through May, the 34-year-old was hitting .128 with one home run and a wRC+ of just 4 in 48 plate appearances, but from June up until the end of the season, the backstop hit .241 with 16 home runs and a wRC+ of 127 in 215 PA. As the backup in Texas, Higashioka is off the fantasy radar, but after proving he's still got some pop in his bat, managers would be wise to give him a look if anything were to cause Heim to miss time.

The Texas Rangers agreed to a two-year, $13.5 million deal with free-agent catcher Kyle Higashioka on Monday night that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season. Higashioka opened his first year with the San Diego Padres in 2024 as the backup to Luis Campusano, but he quickly took over starting duties after Campusano was injured early in the year and never looked back on his way to a career year. The 34-year-old former seventh-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2008 hit only .220 (54-for-246), but it came with a career-high 17 home runs, career-high 45 RBI and career-high 29 runs scored in 84 regular-season games. Higashioka isn't suddenly going to hit for average at this point in his career, and he's unlikely to come close to eclipsing his 2024 numbers as the likely backup to Jonah Heim in Texas. But don't discredit the pop if he earns more time, as he's reached 10 homers in four straight seasons.

San Diego Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Houston Astros. This appears to be a routine rest day for Higashioka who has played in each of the last four games. In his absence, Elias Diaz will do the catching and bat eighth versus left-hander Framber Valdez. Diaz is having a decent season with the bat, but has only one hit in 10 plate appearances with the Padres. He'll be an avoidable streaming option against a tough southpaw on Wednesday.

San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim and catcher Kyle Higashioka will both head to the bench on Wednesday as the team looks for a three-game sweep of the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Field. Tyler Wade will start at the 6 and bat ninth, while Luis Campusano will do the catching and hit eighth against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Kim hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in his breakout 2023 season while batting leadoff for the Friars. The 28-year-old South Korean is hitting near the bottom of the lineup this year, but he remains useful in fantasy for his speed (22 stolen bases). After a strong start to the year, Campusano has struggled offensively, allowing Kyle Higashioka to become SD's favored backstop. Higashioka is hitting only .224 (38-for-170), but he already has a career-high 14 homers in his first year in San Diego.