knows his role by now. The 29-year-old has been the third-string catcher for some time now, and he is only going to be called up if there is an injury. He was a seventh-round draft pick, and his scouting report dubbed him as an above-average hitter but being more of a defensive catcher, possessing an excellent baseball mind. This included him having good situational awareness, being a good game caller, and being a great pitch framer. Pitchers have said they love throwing to him. He does the little things right.
However, Higashioka has had some hardships. He missed the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.