MLB Player News

Rutschman is getting treatment for a sore elbow Tuesday, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The injury doesn't seem to be a significant one, with the Orioles expecting him to be limited for only a couple days. If it lasts longer than expected, however, it could hinder his pursuit of an Opening Day roster spot.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone both said Monday that Rortvedt will compete with Kyle Higashioka for playing time behind the plate during spring training, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Before he was dealt to the Yankees on Sunday as part of the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins, Rortvedt was a relative unknown after batting .169 over 98 plate appearances in 39 games as a part-time catcher for the Twins in 2021. The 24-year-old never posted an OPS better than .750 at any stop of the minors, but he was apparently a coveted piece for the Yankees thanks to his exceptional framing skills behind the plate. In that respect, Rortvedt is a dramatic departure from the bat-first Sanchez, and his inclusion in the deal along with another strong up-the-middle defender in shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa perhaps signals a shift in a Yankees organization that had gone all in on offense for a while. Rortvedt's stellar defense alone may not be enough to earn him the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, however, as he may need to tap into a little more pop to hold off the more experienced Higashioka for starts. At least early on, the lefty-hitting Rortvedt may have to settle for the large side of a platoon with the righty-hitting Higashioka.

Jeffers will have added competition at catcher ahead of the 2022 campaign after the Twins acquired Gary Sanchez from the Yankees on Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Jeffers briefly appeared poised to serve as the Twins' top catcher after the team traded Mitch Garver to the Rangers on Saturday, but Sanchez should now be in the mix for playing time as well. Although Sanchez was productive earlier in his career, he's lost out on playing time to Kyle Higashioka in recent seasons. As a result, Nightengale reports that Sanchez will serve as a backup catcher and designated hitter to begin the year, meaning that Jeffers should still have the chance to carve out a significant amount of playing time behind the dish.

Higashioka will likely begin the 2022 campaign in the short side of a platoon after the Yankees acquired Ben Rortvedt from the Twins on Sunday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Higashioka will no longer have to compete for playing time with Gary Sanchez after he was dealt to the Twins as part of Sunday's trade, but he'll gain increased competition at catcher from Rortvedt, who saw his first taste of major-league action in 2021 and appeared in 39 games behind Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers. Neither backstop has been particularly productive while splitting time early in their careers, so it's possible that one of them could shift into a primary role behind the plate if they perform well early in 2022.

Rortvedt, Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa were traded from the Twins to the Yankees on Saturday in exchange for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela.

Rortvedt finished the 2021 campaign on the injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, but he should be fully healthy heading into spring training. The 24-year-old struggled to find consistent at-bats behind Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers in Minnesota, and he slashed .169/.229/.281 with three homers, eight runs and seven RBI across 39 appearances during his first taste of major-league action last year. Now that Sanchez is in Minnesota, the Yankees plan to utilize Rortvedt on the strong side of a platoon to begin the 2022 season, while Kyle Higashioka should see most of the playing time against left-handed pitchers.

Sanchez and Gio Urshela were traded from the Yankees to the Twins on Sunday in exchange for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

After bursting onto the scene early in his career, Sanchez has had some issues with contact across the last several years, hitting just .201 across the last four seasons. Despite splitting time with Kyle Higashioka in recent years, the 29-year-old Sanchez has still hit double-digit home runs in each of his major-league seasons since 2016. While Sanchez should have the chance to compete with Ryan Jeffers for playing time behind the dish after the Twins traded Mitch Garver to the Rangers on Saturday, Minnesota plans to use the 29-year-old as a designated hitter and backup catcher to begin his time with the club, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Rutschman will serve as a non-roster invitee for the Orioles during spring training in 2022, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Rutschman's invitation to big-league camp doesn't come as a surprise after he had a strong showing across 33 games at Triple-A Norfolk in 2021. During his time in Norfolk, Baltimore's top prospect slashed .312/.405/.490 with five homers, 25 runs, 20 RBI and two stolen bases. The 24-year-old will be a strong contender for the Orioles' starting job behind the dish on Opening Day, but it's also possible that the team sends him back to Triple-A to begin the year in an attempt to manipulate his service time.

Fry was traded to the Guardians from the Brewers on Sunday.

Milwaukee acquired J.C. Mejia from Cleveland in November, and Fry will serve as the player to be named later in order to complete the deal. Friday spent most of 2021 at the Double-A level and hit .248/.341/.447 with 11 homers and 41 RBI in 75 games before a late-season promotion to Triple-A.

The Mariners designated Godoy for assignment Sunday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Seattle dropped both Godoy and lefty reliever Aaron Fletcher from the 40-man roster, presumably for the purpose of clearing up openings for potential free-agent signings or trade pickups. If Godoy passes through waivers unclaimed, he'll remain in the Seattle organization and provide catching depth at Triple-A Tacoma for the upcoming season. The 27-year-old backstop reached the majors for the first time in 2021, batting .162 across 40 plate appearances over 16 games with the Mariners.

Haase could work in a utility role this season, potentially working as a backup catcher as well as an option at first base and in the outfield, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The Tigers acquired Tucker Barnhart in November, and he will likely serve as the team's No. 1 catcher. Haase figures to work as the primary backup, though Dustin Garneau is also in the mix. Haase also has the ability to play at first and in the corner outfield spots, which should help his playing time outlook. Haase popped a career-best 22 home runs in 2021, so he could be a decent fantasy option as long as he sees the field often enough.