MLB Player News

Serven will be on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Serven registered five hits in 23 at-bats this spring -- three of which were home runs -- and drove in 12 RBI. However, his performance likely didn't factor into the decision to keep him on the roster as much as Danny Jansen's (wrist) imminent trip to the injured list. Serven will open the year as the backup to Alejandro Kirk.

Susac, who went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a three-run shot in a Cactus League win over the Reds on Friday, is likely to begin the season at Double-A Midland but could conceivably get a major-league opportunity soon, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Susac, a first-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, has shown plenty of upside as a hitter during his first two seasons as a professional, and his success at High-A Lansing to begin last season resulted in a promotion to Midland before the end of the campaign. Susac slashed .280/.304/.360 against Double-A arms in a 13-game cameo, and if he's able to pick up where he left off with the RockHounds, he could soon find himself at Triple-A Las Vegas, at minimum. A's director of player development Ed Sprague believes there's still more power to unlock with Susac and also praised the way the 22-year-old's defensive work behind the dish improved as the 2023 campaign unfolded.

Jackson is in line to begin the regular season as the Rays' backup catcher, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays informed Rob Brantly and Francisco Mejia that they didn't make the Opening Day roster, leaving Jackson as the choice to back up Rene Pinto. Jackson has had a poor spring training, striking out 35.5 percent of the time with only one extra-base hit across 31 plate appearances. Nevertheless, he's in line to get his first taste of the majors since 2022.

The Rays informed Mejia that he did not make the Opening Day roster Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was signed in late February and was competing for the backup catcher job. He made plenty of contact across 16 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, though he didn't make enough of an impression to secure a roster spot.

Brantly was informed Friday that he did not make the big-league roster out of spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Brantly joined the Rays on a minor-league deal in January, and he was in the mix to back up Rene Pinto behind the dish. He hit well across 16 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, and the team has said they hope to keep Brantly in the organization to serve as depth.

The Royals optioned Nola to Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

As long as Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin were healthy, Nola was always destined for Omaha to begin the season. He'll provide veteran catching depth in the minors.

Jansen (wrist) said Thursday he hopes to begin throwing this weekend, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The small fracture Jansen was diagnosed with nearly a week ago was in his right hand, so it would seem to be a good sign that he's nearly ready to throw. A stint on the injured list to begin the season would appear to be a virtual certainty, but the hope is that Jansen won't need to miss much time.

The Astros optioned Salazar to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Salazar was always destined for Sugar Land as long as Yainer Diaz and Victor Caratini were healthy. He'll see regular starts behind the plate with the affiliate.

The Tigers reassigned Bemboom to minor-league camp Thursday.

Bemboom was in camp as another catcher to throw to, but he wasn't going to make the roster as long as Jake Rogers and Carson Kelly were healthy. The 34-year-old will provide some experienced depth at Toledo.

Carson Kelly is expected to play often this season, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, which could cut into Rogers' role.

Rogers should still see the majority of the playing time behind the plate after clubbing 21 home runs a season ago, but he may be at risk of sitting fairly regularly, especially if Kelly plays well. Even in something of a timeshare, Rogers offers fantasy upside due to his power potential, though he's unlikely to contribute much in the batting average category given his free-swinging approach.