MLB Player News

Stewart was scratched from Friday's Grapefruit League lineup with left groin discomfort, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Stewart has already missed a good portion of the spring while recovering from knee surgery, so hopefully this isn't anything too serious. The veteran catcher is slashing just .231/.333/.308 through six games as he prepares for a backup role behind Francisco Cervelli. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Thole (hamstring) was reassigned to minor league camp Friday.

The backstop already wasn't expected to play in the majors this year due to recently suffering a significant hamstring tear. If a second opinion upholds that dire prognosis, this procedural move may be only the first step to shutting Thole down completely.

Diaz was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Diaz finds himself behind Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart on the depth chart heading into the 2017 season, so the Pirates will send him to the minors to see more consistent playing time. The 26-year-old slashed .266/.289/.298 in an injury-plagued 2016, where he was limited to just 25 games at the minor league level.

Mesoraco acknowledged that he might not be ready in time for Opening Day, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "I'm a guy who hasn't played in two years, essentially," Mesoraco told C. Trent Rosecrans. "For me to come out catching one full game and getting 15 at-bats in spring training, that's probably not putting me or the team in the best position. If everybody thinks I'm perfectly ready and ready to go, I'll be in there. If not, it's fine."

Mesoraco has to be treated as a complete wild card in redraft leagues this year, given that he's lost the last two seasons to injury and doesn't appear to be fully ready to start this season. It's not just whether and when he'll play; will he ever recapture the ability that made him valuable in the first place? His hip injury in particular is scary when it comes to generating power.

Plawecki went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, his first of the spring, in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

With Travis d'Arnaud catching Noah Syndergaard in a minor league game Saturday, Plawecki got the start for the big league squad and took advantage of his opportunity. He's still likely ticketed for Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the regular season, but d'Arnaud's extensive injury history offers Plawecki a chance for plenty of playing time with the Mets in 2017.

Thole has been diagnosed with a "significant" hamstring tear that could sideline him for the entire season, Nick Piecoro of AZCentral.com reports.

According to Piecoro, Thole will seek a second opinion on his injury, but the indication is that surgery is a possible course of action. Despite the loss of Welington Castillo this offseason, Arizona does have a group of serviceable catchers on the roster with Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis. Thole, a non-roster invitee, was unlikely to make the Opening Day roster prior to his injury.

Caratini was optioned to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Caratini posted a solid season for Double-A Tennessee in 2016, slashing .291/.375/.405 with six homers. The Cubs are set at catcher, however, so the 23-year-old was expected to head back to the minors for 2017. Although he likely won't see major league action anytime soon with Willson Contreras ahead of him, he apparently impressed the Cubs enough to earn their protection from the Rule 5 draft, so we'll see what he has to offer at Triple-A this season.

Hedges is batting fifth and catching in Friday's Cactus League game.

The 24-year-old has been limited to light activities over the past week while recovering from a tweaked hamstring, but it appears all systems are go moving forward. Hedges is off to a blazing start this spring, hitting .474 with three doubles in eight games. He's expected to be the everyday catcher for the Padres this season after racking up 21 home runs and 82 RBI with Triple-A El Paso last year.

Nola was optioned to Double-A Jacksonville on Friday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports.

The former middle infielder will work on his transition to catcher at a lower level than his 2016 campaign, when Nola managed a .261/.308/.376 output. Keep an eye this year on whether the 27-year-old can start replicating the success of J.T. Realmuto, who underwent a similar transformation.

Thole was holding his left hamstring as he was helped off the field Wednesday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

The severity of the injury still isn't clear, so he should be considered day-to-day until the Diamondbacks update his status. Thole is just 1-for-9 (.111) this spring, and will likely serve as organizational depth in 2017.