MLB Player News

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said Rogers' performance behind the plate will determine his playing time more than his bat, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

"I want him to know that he will lose playing time or lose his spot on this roster more because of what he does on defense," Hinch said. "We have to continue to encourage and get the most out of him defensively. That's his No. 1 priority." Rogers struggled to a .125/.222/.259 line during his 35 games in the majors in 2019, but Hinch's comments indicate that he's looking for a strong defensive catcher as a backup to Wilson Ramos and can live with some hiccups at the plate. Rogers and Grayson Greiner figure to battle for that reserve role this spring, with Greiner the presumed early favorite as the more veteran player.

Murphy, who missed all of the 2020 season with a broken bone in his foot, is fully recovered but will have his workload closely monitored, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The veteran backstop was a pleasant surprise for the Mariners back in 2019, putting up career highs in doubles (12), home runs (18), RBI (40), walks (19) and runs (32) while slashing .273/.324/.535 across 281 plate appearances. There were consequently high hopes for Murphy heading into 2020, but a fracture suffered after fouling a ball off his foot multiple times during summer camp led to the lost season. Luis Torrens (back), acquired from the Padres at last year's trade deadline, impressed over his brief time with the Mariners and is also expected to receive a solid amount of playing time behind the dish in the coming campaign.

Kirk could serve as the Blue Jays' backup catcher this season, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk jumped straight from High-A to the majors last season and hit an impressive .375/.400/.583, though that came in just 25 trips to the plate. There's a case to be made that he's already Toronto's top offensive backstop, but Danny Jansen is a better defender and is expected to open the season as the starter. The question for Toronto is whether or not Kirk should play on a regular basis in the minors to continue his development or appear more infrequently at the big-league level. The Blue Jays want him to be able to handle a starting workload eventually, and he's never played more than 92 games in a season in the minors, but they also appear to be looking to win now, and Kirk would likely help more than Reese McGuire in that regard.

Thaiss will get work at first base, third base and the corner outfield during spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Thaiss played in only eight games for the Angels last season but saw time at four different defensive positions (first base, second base, third base and left field). He doesn't have a clear path to playing time in 2021, so his ability to garner at-bats will likely be tied to his versatility. Thaiss has posted a .202 average and 60 strikeouts in 189 career plate appearances.

Stassi (hip) is ramping up slowly to begin camp but is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stassi underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip in October. Once he's fully ready to go, he'll split time in some capacity with Kurt Suzuki. Exactly how the time will be split remains to be seen. Stassi hit an excellent .278/.352/.533 in 105 plate appearances last year, but he came nowhere close to that in 486 trips to the plate prior to 2020, hitting just .204/.285/.326.

Mejia was delayed getting into the country but should be able to join team workouts on Tuesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Similar logistical delays may pop up for a few players around the league given the difficulties of starting the season during a global pandemic. Mejia's teammate Diego Castillo's arrival has been delayed for the same reason. Both players won't be able to join their teammates until completing a mandatory quarantine, but they should have plenty of time to prepare for the start of the regular season, barring further delays.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Murphy will be delayed to begin spring training after the catcher required offseason surgery to address a collapsed lung, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Though Murphy won't be in attendance for the start of workouts, Melvin said he still expects the 26-year-old to be ready to go for Opening Day. Assuming Murphy endures no setbacks in his recovery from surgery, he could take on an even heavier workload behind the dish in 2021 after the Athletics traded his top backup, Jonah Heim, to the Rangers over the winter. Murphy finished with a subpar .233 average in 140 plate appearances in 2020, but he showed above-average power (seven home runs, five doubles) and drew walks at a 17.1 percent rate.

Plawecki was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

While it's not clear whether Plawecki has tested positive for COVID-19, he'll begin spring training on the injured list with pitchers and catchers reporting Wednesday. The 29-year-old returned to the Red Sox on a one-year deal in early December and should serve as Christian Vazquez's backup once he's available.

Rogers and Grayson Greiner will likely compete this spring to serve as the backup catcher in Detroit behind new addition Wilson Ramos, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The Tigers signed Ramos to a one-year deal in January, and although the veteran had a down 2020 campaign, he is set to serve as the top backstop in Detroit. That leaves Rogers to battle with Greiner, unless the team opts to carry three catchers, which seems unlikely at this point. Rogers didn't make an appearance for the Tigers last year, but he did play in 35 games in 2019, slashing .125/.222/.259 with four home runs.

Collins will be challenged for the backup catching job with the addition of Jonathan Lucroy, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

With the White Sox building toward a deeper playoff run, manager Tony La Russa may prefer the veteran Lucroy over Collins, who has yet to establish himself behind the plate. He may still be part of the 26-man roster as a third catcher and DH if prospect Andrew Vaughn opens the season in the minors.