MLB Player News

Perez was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday.

Perez was in camp as the third catcher, but he will predictably open the year at Triple-A. Seby Zavala is set to serve as the backup to Yasmani Grandal.

Rutschman is batting .333 (6-for-18) with a solo home run, two runs scored and four walks over eight Grapefruit League games.

It's business as usual for Rutschman, who is enjoying his first full spring training as a major leaguer. The 25-year-old established himself with a .254/.362/.445 slash line, 13 home runs, 42 RBI, 70 runs scored and four stolen bases to go with excellent defense over 113 games in 2022, and he enters this season as the clear No. 1 behind the dish for Baltimore, a spot he'll likely occupy for years to come.

Naylor was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Friday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Naylor is likely the Guardians' catcher of the future, but they'd like him to get more reps in the minors. Mike Zunino will handle the bulk of the catching duties for Cleveland, with Bryan Lavastida, Cam Gallagher and Zack Collins battling for the backup spot.

Kirk (personal) could make his Grapefruit League debut as soon as Sunday or Monday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

Kirk didn't report to camp until the beginning of March after being away from the team while awaiting the birth of his child. He's getting back up to speed, though, and is nearly ready for games.

Zavala has appeared in five Cactus League games to date, going 3-for-9 with a home run and a 3:4 BB:K.

Zavala closed the 2022 season on the injured list with a concussion, but he's back to full health for spring training and will be looking to lock down the No. 2 catcher role behind Yasmani Grandal. He may face some competition for those duties from 26-year-old prospect Carlos Perez, but because Perez has two minor-league options remaining, Zavala most likely has the inside track for the backup gig. Zavala helped his case by producing at an above-league-average level at the plate in his 205 plate appearances a season ago (.270/.347/.382 slash line, 111 wRC+), and he also graded out favorably as a defender.

Wong (hamstring) was cleared to resume hitting Wednesday, Mike Monaco of ESPN reports.

Wong is dealing with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, but the backstop has been able to participate in agility drills and now is able to swing the bat as he looks to make his way back. The backstop has a chance to be ready for Opening Day, but that's far from a foregone conclusion at this point.

Huff (shoulder) caught two innings and drew a walk in his lone plate appearance in Monday's 4-1 loss to the Rockies in Cactus League play.

Huff returned to action for the first time since last Wednesday, when he sustained a right shoulder injury in a game against the Padres. The Rangers never expressed much concern about the condition of Huff's shoulder, and his ability to check back in behind the plate less than a week later suggests he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season.

Wong (hamstring) was able to go through some agility drills Sunday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Wong has also been doing some running in the pool. While he might be a tad ahead of schedule in his recovery from a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, Wong's availability for Opening Day remains very much up in the air.

Rogers went 2-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins.

Rogers has now slugged three home runs in only five spring training games. The catcher has 10 career regular season long balls in 73 games at the MLB level, so he has shown decent power potential in his limited time in the majors. Rogers has the inside track on the backup role behind Eric Haase, but if the former manages to earn more playing time, he could have some fantasy appeal as a source of home runs from the catcher position.

Murphy went 3-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Cactus League win over the Diamondbacks.

Murphy is reacclimating after seeing his 2022 season end in June due to shoulder surgery, and Friday's breakout performance against the Diamondbacks might be considered his official welcome back party after a quiet first three games at the plate. Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales, who had Murphy as his battery mate for the first time since last season Friday, is especially excited about getting back what he considers a valuable resource. "He's just an energy source in our dugout," said Gonzales. "He's able to kind of pull the mask down and be really serious, too, which is good. So he knows what I need to do to be successful. And I think even sometimes better than I myself do, and so to have that voice out there is just priceless for me."