MLB Player News

Diaz (elbow) confirmed Saturday that he will not require surgery, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune reports. "I was worried before, but not now. I don't need surgery, just rest and treatment," said Diaz.

The 25-year-old catching prospect was put on the shelf earlier this week when he began experiencing elbow discomfort. Fortunately, the following reports have been largely positive, and Diaz confirmed Saturday that surgery can be taken out of the equation. Still, the Pirates are set at catcher at the major league level for now, so Diaz will likely start the year at Triple-A once his elbow discomfort subsides.

Grandal (forearm) will likely start the season on the disabled list, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

While there is still hope that Grandal won't miss too much time once the season gets underway, his forearm injury will still likely land him on the disabled list to start the year. Grandal will be held out of baseball activities through at least the weekend and the expectation is for him to test out his forearm Monday. A.J Ellis figures to be the Dodgers' primary catcher with Grandal sidelined while Austin Barnes could serve as the backup for the time being.

Grandal (forearm) will be out through at least Monday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Grandal has been battling a forearm injury all week and was even sent in for testing on the area on Tuesday. He continues to have his timetable pushed back, and Gurnick notes that Grandal's chances of being ready for Opening Day continue to grow smaller with each day that passes. This is certainly a concern for owners targeting Grandal later in drafts hoping that this is the year he cashes in on his upside with the Dodgers.

Mesoraco (hip) has been getting extra at-bats in minor league games to make up for his late start to spring training.

The Reds seem confident that Mesoraco will be able to go for Opening Day. It wouldn't be a surprise if Mesoraco plays less regularly early in the season to preserve his health, however.

Grandal (forearm) was expected to return to the lineup Thursday but will still be held from swinging a bat or throwing for a "few days," Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

The Dodgers insist it's nothing major, but Grandal continues to struggle to get over this forearm issue. He was sent for additional tests earlier this week and nothing was detected, so hopefully a few more days of rest will be enough to get over it. If he's still struggling with this injury through the weekend, however, it will be time to start worrying.

Bethancourt's teammate Austin Hedges will likely start the season with Triple-A El Paso, the Union-Tribune's Dennis Lin reports.

Coming off October surgery to repair a torn meniscus, Bethancourt appears to have beaten out Hedges for the backup catcher's job, with both players posting surprisingly strong batting numbers this spring. Bethancourt and Hedges are defense-first prospects, whereas top backstop Derek Norris provides most of his value with the bat.

Hedges will likely start the season with Triple-A El Paso, the Union-Tribune's Dennis Lin reports.

Christian Bethancourt apparently beat out Hedges for the backup catcher's job behind starter Derek Norris. Hedges owns a .300/.391/.650 slash line through 23 plate appearances in the Cactus League, but he posted an ugly .168/.215/.248 line over 152 plate appearances with the Padres last season.

The Pirates are still evaluating the injury to Diaz (elbow) but believe it may not be too serious. "We're not overly concerned with that compartment at this time," trainer Todd Tomczyk told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"This is more of a chronic thing," Tomczyk said. "We are in a pause and a holding pattern from games played." Diaz is refraining from using his right arm to throw the ball but is still participating in non-throwing drills.

Lino was reassigned to minor league camp Wednesday, Stephen Gross of The Morning Call reports.

The Phillies trimmed their number of catchers in big league camp from five to four Wednesday by sending Lino down to minor league camp. The 22-year-old catching prospect has time to develop, but he needs to work on his bat after going 0-for-8 in limited action this spring. He'll likely be a catching option at Double-A Reading or Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season and is unlikely to see the majors this year with the Phillies flush with catching depth at that level.

Grandal has been sent for additional tests on his forearm, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports.

While Grandal said that he will play Thursday, the team has not yet confirmed a return date. Manager Dave Roberts said the lingering discomfort in Grandal's forearm is "disconcerting," and it seems the club wants to get a better idea of what the problem is exactly. Grandal recently suggested the soreness was the result overworking in the batting cages.