MLB Player News

Kirk went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Rays on Opening Day.

The 25-year-old got his campaign off to a quick start with a two-run single in the sixth inning that brought home Bo Bichette and Justin Turner. With Danny Jansen (wrist) on the shelf for at least a couple more weeks, Kirk will be the Blue Jays' starting backstop to begin the season, and after a disappointing 2023 in which he managed only eight homers, 43 RBI and a .692 OPS, he'll attempt to regain his form from 2022 when he slashed .285/.372/.415 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI.

Fry went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI in Thursday's 8-0 Opening Day win over Oakland.

Fry got the start at DH and batted fifth in the order following a strong spring during which he hit .295 with a pair of homers and eight RBI. The 28-year-old scored Cleveland's first run of the campaign in the second inning Thursday, coming around to score on a Tyler Freeman double following his own one-out two-bagger. In addition to his three hits, Fry added a sacrifice fly in the ninth frame to cap the scoring in the contest. It will take much more than one game for him to gain viability in mixed fantasy leagues, though the fact that Fry holds catcher eligibility and may log occasional time at DH in addition to being able to play the infield and outfield gives him some intrigue, especially in two-catcher formats.

Jeffers started at catcher and went 0-for-5 in Thursday's Opening Day win at Kansas City. He hit No. 2 in the lineup for the second time in his career.

Jeffers didn't do much in the season opener, but his position in the lineup against a left-handed starter shows the team has confidence that his second half showing last season was a sign of things to come. Jeffers surged at the plate in with a career-high .858 OPS and a .928 OPS in the second half. He's expected to split playing time with Christian Vazquez as the Twins like to give their catchers rest. However, Jeffers could get the majority of starts.

The Blue Jays placed Jansen (wrist) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.

With Jansen on the shelf to begin the season, Alejandro Kirk will take over as the Blue Jays' clear No. 1 catcher, while Brian Serven was added to the 40-man roster and will serve as Kirk's understudy. Jansen sustained a small fracture in his right wrist March 15 but could soon resume baseball activities, at which point a clearer target date for his season debut might come into focus.

Naylor is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics.

The lefty-hitting Naylor will take a seat for Opening Day as southpaw Alex Wood takes the hill for Oakland. Austin Hedges will get the nod behind the plate in Naylor's stead.

The Athletics selected McCann's contract from Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday.

McCann won the backup catcher job as the Athletics elected to send Tyler Soderstrom to Las Vegas. McCann likely won't play much behind Shea Langeliers.

The Blue Jays selected Serven's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Serven will be the Jays' backup catcher while Danny Jansen (wrist) is sidelined to begin the season. He's a career .195/.248/.314 hitter in the majors and should see occasional action behind starter Alejandro Kirk.

Kelly could see some time at DH this year on days when Jake Rogers starts behind the plate, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Kelly was already expected to see a sizable role as the backup catcher, and time at DH would boost his prospects further. Rogers should still play more frequently, though Kelly will be involved it seems, particularly against left-handed pitchers, as he posted an .801 OPS against southpaws last season. His value would increase if Rogers were to deal with an injury at any point.

Rogers could see some time at DH this year on days that Carson Kelly starts behind the plate, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

With Detroit only carrying two catchers on the roster, conventional wisdom would suggest that one of Rogers or Kelly would always be on the bench to provide depth if needed. However, manager A.J. Hinch suggested that both backstops could play at the same time, particularly against left-handed pitchers. This would be a boon for Rogers, who is expected to cede a decent amount of playing time to Kelly behind the dish.

Wells won't be included in the Yankees' Opening Day lineup, with manager Aaron Boone relaying that Jose Trevino will receive the nod behind the plate in Thursday's game against the Astros, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

The lefty-hitting Wells will hit the bench for the season opener, which doesn't come as a major surprise with the righty-hitting Trevino having the platoon advantage in his favor against Astros southpaw Framber Valdez. Though Wells offers a higher-upside bat than Trevino, concerns about the former's defense behind the plate could prompt Boone to take a timeshare approach to the catcher spot when New York faces right-handed pitchers, at least to begin the season.