MLB Player News

Lee is competing this spring to be the backup catcher for the Astros, Paige Leckie of MLB.com reports.

Christian Vazquez -- acquired by the Astros at the trade deadline in 2022 -- departed in free agency this offseason, leaving the backup catcher job in Houston wide open. Meanwhile, Lee is well-regarded for his defense but slashed only .238/.307/.483 with a 28.5 percent strikeout rate across 446 plate appearances for Triple-A Sugar Land last season. Nevertheless, he made a brief debut in Houston, earning 24 plate appearances. Lee will be competing for the role with fellow prospect Yainer Diaz, who is regarded as a superior hitter but more deficient with the glove.

Murphy (shoulder) is starting at catcher and batting seventh in Friday's Cactus League opener versus the Padres.

Murphy underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last June, but he appears ready to go for the start of spring training eight months later. The 31-year-old is slated to operate as a depth option behind Cal Raleigh at catcher this season.

The Guardians would prefer for Naylor to open the year at Triple-A Columbus, where he could play consistently and get more reps under his belt before getting promoted to the majors for good sometime this summer, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. "He's 22 years old," manager Terry Francona said. "We told him it's not always on your timetable... but if you knock the door down, that sort of makes the timetable. But I think he's got a really good head situated really well. He's got a pretty good outlook."

While Naylor is Cleveland's catcher of the future and made his big-league debut already last season, the addition of Mike Zunino this offseason made it clear that Cleveland wasn't ready to hand Naylor the keys right out of the gate this year. As Bell notes, the expectation is for Naylor to get the call sometime this year to start sharing the catching duties with Zunino. Bryan Lavastida is the favorite to win the backup job to begin the season.

With no other established MLB catchers on the roster, Haase is likely to see a significant amount of time behind the plate this season, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Haase started 68 games behind the plate in 2022, but that number could grow with Tucker Barnhart no longer on the roster. The Tigers now have Jake Rogers, Donny Sands and Andrew Knapp vying for a backup role, leaving Haase as the unquestioned starter heading into the season. He may not have as versatile a role anymore, but as a catcher who can hit for a little power, Haase should retain decent fantasy value.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider noted Wednesday that Kirk (personal) might not be able to represent Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.

Kirk has not yet arrived at Blue Jays camp in Florida as he awaits the birth of his child. "You're getting to the point where you really have to make the best decision for the club," Schneider said Wednesday. "Nothing yet on the baby front, so we've talked through a number of different scenarios regarding what's best for him and what's best for us. If it does get to that, then that will be part of the equation." Team Mexico is set to begin WBC play on March 11 in Phoenix.

Rortvedt (finger) underwent surgery Wednesday to address an aneurysm near his left shoulder and isn't expected to resume baseball activities for at least one month, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, the procedure addressed a circulation issue in his shoulder, which had been affecting his finger. Given that he won't be cleared in time to play in Grapefruit League games, Rortvedt appears likely to open the 2023 season on the injured list. The 25-year-old looked like a candidate to open the previous season as the Yankees' No. 1 catcher, but after suffering an oblique injury last spring and then undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in May, he didn't debut for the big club in 2022.

Rortvedt (finger) was unable to return to workouts as hoped Tuesday, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

The 25-year-old is still having his finger injury evaluated by a specialist and the Yankees hope to have more clarification Wednesday. Rortvedt -- who missed much of 2022 with a knee injury -- is competing this spring to be the backup behind Jose Trevino.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Rortvedt is tending to a finger injury, but the catcher is expected to return to camp Tuesday, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Boone didn't elaborate on the extent of Rortvedt's finger injury, though it's believed to be only a minor concern. The injury may nonetheless keep Rortvedt from being ready to go when the Yankees open their Grapefruit League schedule Saturday versus the Phillies. Rortvedt looks like he'll get the chance to compete for the No. 2 catcher role in spring training, but Kyle Higashioka presumably has the inside track on the gig after handling those duties for much of the 2022 season.

Raleigh (thumb) took live batting practice against Mariners reliever Diego Castillo on Monday and appears to be fully healthy for spring training, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Raleigh had already been catching bullpen sessions during the first couple weeks of camp in Arizona, but his ability to add batting practice to his workout regimen suggests that he's been cleared for full baseball activities after undergoing surgery in the fall to address a broken left thumb and a torn ligament in his hand. Coming off a 2022 campaign in which he hit just .211 but led all backstops with 27 home runs, Raleigh is likely to be drafted as a starting catcher in nearly every fantasy league.

Garver (forearm) took batting practice Monday and appears to be healthy for spring training, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Garver, who agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal in January to avoid arbitration, is back in Texas for a second season. After heading into Opening Day last season as the Rangers' top backstop, Garver ended up making just 14 starts behind the plate before a right flexor sprain limited him strictly to designated-hitter duties until he underwent season-ending surgery on his forearm shortly before the All-Star break. Though his ability to take batting practice at the start of spring training suggests he's at or close to 100 percent, Garver may have to settle for more of a part-time role at catcher and DH in 2023. Even before having forearm surgery, Garver graded out poorly behind the plate. Jonah Heim, meanwhile, is a superior defensive option who also showed some pop and decent bat-to-ball skills while serving as Texas' primary backstop last season. The righty-hitting Garver thus looks like a better candidate for a short-side platoon gig at catcher or DH.