Austin Hedges Fantasy Stats

Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (hand) is back behind the plate to catch left-hander Parker Messick on Monday night and will hit eighth in the batting order for the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Roki Sasaki, per MLB.com. It will be Hedges' 2026 season debut after he dealt with a hand injury at the end of spring training. With the 33-year-old veteran back on the field, Bo Naylor will start on the bench. Hedges doesn't offer much offensively, leaving him only worth rostering in the deepest of AL-only and dynasty leagues for catching depth. The 11-year MLB veteran has a career slash line of just .185/.244/.313 with a .556 OPS over 820 games played. Hedges had five home runs and 10 RBI for the Guards last year in 68 regular-season games. He hasn't had double-digit home runs in a season since back in 2021 with Cleveland. Nobody in the Guardians' lineup has faced Sasaki in their careers.

Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges (hand) was forced to leave Monday night's game after taking a fastball off the back of his right hand. The 33-year-old veteran was visibly upset and will undergo further testing on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury. Hedges was set to split time behind the plate with Bo Naylor for the Guardians, but if he misses time, David Fry could get more time at catcher, or the team could bring back Jonathan Rodriguez or Petey Halpin. While Hedges is not typically a strong enough offensive contributor for fantasy baseball teams, Naylor and Fry's playing time would be impacted by his absence, so keep an eye out for an update on Hedges' status for Opening Day.

The Cleveland Guardians re-signed catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year, $4 million deal on Tuesday that includes $500,000 in incentives, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hedges is not on the fantasy radar at all as a zero with the bat in his hands, but the 33-year-old veteran is a strong defensive catcher and will return to serve as Bo Naylor's backup in 2026. Hedges will head into his third year in Cleveland after hitting .157/.229/.251 with a rough .480 OPS, seven home runs, six doubles, 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 134 games over the past two seasons. The former second-round pick has a .185/.244/.313 career slash line, .556 OPS, and 74 long balls in 820 regular-season games across his 11 big-league seasons. Avoid him in fantasy, even in deep two-catcher formats.

Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges has been placed on the 7-day concussion IL. The veteran suffered the injury on Wednesday when he was struck in the helmet by Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s backswing. The 32-year-old backstop stayed in the game but experienced slight symptoms the following day that did not subside, and with a history of concussions, the team erred on the side of caution. Hedges is there for his leadership and defense more so than his offense, as the right-handed slugger owns a .229 wOBA and 43 wRC+ in 61 PA, so there is little fantasy relevance here, but hopefully he can make a quick recovery. Dom Nunez was called up from Triple-A and received the start on Friday, but look for primary catcher Bo Naylor to be back behind the plate on Saturday.

The Cleveland Guardians have re-signed veteran backup catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year contract. Hedges played 66 games for Cleveland last season, posting a .152-2-15-12-2 line in 146 PA. While the offensive statistics don't jump off the page, the 32-year-old is said to be a clubhouse leader and mentor to young starting catcher Bo Naylor. That's certainly a good thing for the Guardians, however, it doesn't move the needle for fantasy. Even if something were to happen to Naylor, as a career .186 hitter over 12 major league seasons, the former second-round draft pick would likely be best left on the waiver wire.

The Cleveland Guardians have reportedly signed free-agent catcher Austin Hedges. The deal is a one-year contract for $4 million for the upcoming 2024 season. The expectation is that Hedges is going to be the backup to Bo Naylor. Hedges is a solid defensive catcher, but his skills with the bat are not desirable. He slashed 184/.234/.227 with one home run and 16 RBI last season. Hedges won't be someone worth rostering in fantasy formats. Although, it's a nice pickup for the Guardians on a cheap one year deal.

The Texas Rangers are acquiring catcher Austin Hedges from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, according to sources. It's unclear what the Pirates are getting in return, but it's unlikely to be anyone of significance in terms of minor-league prospects. The Rangers could use some more catching depth with Jonah Heim (wrist) currently on the 10-day injured list with a left-wrist tendon strain. Texas hopes Heim can avoid season-ending surgery. Hedges is hitting just .180/.237/.230 with a homer, 14 RBI and 13 runs scored in 161 at-bats this year with Pittsburgh. The defense-first backstop should split playing time with Mitch Garver in his new home. Back in Pittsburgh, rookie Endy Rodriguez will now be given more playing time with Hedges out of the way.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Austin Hedges will return to the lineup Thursday versus the Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Luke Weaver. Hedges got the day off in Wednesday's series finale against the Rockies while he's off to a rough start to his 2023 season. The veteran backstop is hitting just .136 without a home run in 25 trips to the plate, which isn't entirely surprising. Once a highly-regarded prospect, the 30-year-old has very much been a glove-first catcher with elite defense and an unproductive bat. While he boasts some pop, Hedges is a career .189 hitter alongside a .141 isolated power and .249 wOBA. Fellow catcher Jason Delay is getting the lion's share of reps behind the plate for the Pirates and is hitting .313 with a homer and an .871 OPS across 35 plate appearances.

Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Austin Hedges (concussion) was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list Tuesday due to a concussion he suffered in Sunday's game against the Reds. Hedges was struck by a foul tip and was eventually removed from the game. Catcher Tyler Heineman was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis and relief pitcher Edwin Uceta was designated for assignment in corresponding moves. Hedges has never been a fantasy asset and is off to a slow start this season, going hitless in his first nine plate appearances.

Free agent catcher Austin Hedges signed a one-year, $five million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. The 30-year-old is known more for his defense and will be Pittsburgh's primary catcher in 2023. He slashed .163/.241/.248 with seven home runs, 30 RBI, 26 runs, and two stolen bases over 105 games for the Guardians in 2022. The presence of Hedges should improve the Pirates pitching staff, but the veteran hasn't hit above .200 since 2018. Hedges should be in the lineup most days and is mainly an option in deep-league two-catcher formats in 2023.