MLB Player News

Stewart went 0-for-1 with a walk Tuesday, catching four innings in his spring debut against Atlanta.

He picked off Anthony Recker from second base and then gunned down Micah Johnson attempting to steal second in the same inning. Stewart also drew a four-pitch walk but the Pirates will be in trouble if the 35-year-old is forced to play more than one or two games per week. Stewart, who is coming off knee surgery, has hit .272 in three seasons with Pittsburgh but compiled a meager .657 OPS.

Mesoraco could get into his first spring training game on Sunday, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports.

Hip and shoulder injuries led to essentially a lost season in 2016 (16 games) after he played just 26 games in 2015, so the Reds are understandably proceeding with caution this spring. He says he feels good, and should be the healthiest he has been in about a year.

D'Arnaud hit his second home run of the spring Monday and the Mets are thrilled with his performance so far in camp, The New York Daily News reports. "It's really good to see because he's worked so hard to fix his swing,'' manager Terry Collins said. "And he hasn't had to throw a lot, but he threw very, very well the other day. So hopefully he's on the right track."

He's hitting a robust .450 (9-for-20) through seven Grapefruit League games and d'Arnaud's simplified swing is drawing rave reviews. "I'm able to see the ball longer and not have to cheat to get to certain pitches,'' d'Arnaud said Monday. "I've shortened the swing up so it's more direct and I don't have to over-commit too soon." The 28-year-old's track record of getting hurt on a regular basis makes him difficult to trust on a fantasy roster, but in deep leagues he's looking more and more like an intriguing sleeper for 2017.

Stewart will take the field for the first time spring Tuesday when the Pirates face the Braves, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stewart's recovery from the knee surgery he underwent back in September looks to be nearing its end. Although he has apparently been fully healthy all spring, the team has been easing him slowly back into a full workload. Now that he's ready to get back on the field, the Pirates will be hoping the 34-year-old Stewart can provide solid defense and leadership from the catcher position.

Plawecki (knee) is expected to begin working out again Monday, The New York Daily News reports.

He was involved in a scary home-plate collision with the Nats' Rafael Bautista in the spring opener, but Plawecki seems to have avoided serious injury. The catcher should begin the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, but a hot start and more struggles by Travis d'Arnaud could put Plawecki back into the Mets' 2017 plans.

Nola is making the transition to catcher, The Miami Herald reports.

The Marlins had great success converting another middle infielder, J.T. Realmuto, into a catcher a few years ago, but Nola doesn't possess close to that kind of upside at the plate. Still, if he's able to add backstop to his defensive portfolio, he might be able to carve out a spot for himself in the majors down the road as a versatile bench player.

Mesoraco took his first live batting practice of spring training Friday and said he felt good, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

It's another small progression for Mesoraco, who is being eased back into action this spring after missing a majority of the past two seasons with injuries. The veteran catcher hopes to be playing in Cactus League games within the coming week, a major step towards his Opening Day availability. Mesoraco is the presumed everyday catcher for Cincinnati this season, but could be a risk in fantasy drafts.

Mesoraco is scheduled to take his first live batting practice of this spring training Friday and is aiming to enter live action over the next week, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Cincinnati is bringing the backstop along slowly as he recovers from hip and shoulder issues. The Reds don't intent to push Mesoraco early on in the season but want him to seize the full-time job as the campaign wears on. Fantasy players in two-catcher mixed leagues could take a guarded chance late in drafts on his power coming through.

Barnhart is going to play often early in the 2017 season, but he's expected to return to backup duties if Devin Mesoraco proves he can handle a starter's workload, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Barnhart is probably the safer selection to start the campaign, though a healthy, active Mesoraco has much more upside, especially with home runs. Of course, the latter holds plenty of risk. If fantasy players in two-catcher leagues can handcuff this situation, that could save a lot of headaches, though that plan doesn't always lead to a comfortable roster.

Mesoraco is viewed by Reds manager Bryan Price as the eventual everyday catcher, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Mesoraco obviously has some hurdles to clear to prove he can handle a busy workload, considering his recent health woes. Tucker Barnhart will push for at least a split share of the backstop work. Mesoraco, however, holds plenty of upside -- especially with home runs -- if he can play at least half a season. Barnhart may be the safer fantasy pick, merely because there are fewer concerns over his durability.