MLB Player News

Mesoraco (hip) said Friday that he is "feeling great" and expects to report to spring training as normal, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Hip issues derailed Mesoraco's 2015 season early on, and after a failed attempt to acclimate him to left field, the Reds sent the 27-year-old for surgery. Mesoraco was cleared to resume squatting about a month ago, and he said Friday that he's had no problems getting in and out of the catching position. He will start adding more drills to his routine early next month.

Schlehuber signed a minor league contract with the Braves that includes an invitation to spring training.

Schlehuber reached Triple-A for the first time last season, but struggled mightily at the plate, slashing .158/.224/.193 in a mere 128 plate appearances at that level. With other options at catcher ahead of him, this signing appears to be nothing more than a move for more organizational depth at catcher.

Garcia signed a minor league contract with the Brewers on Friday.

Garcia split time between Double-A and Triple-A in 2015, struggling to just a .245/.260/.265 after the promotion. He'll likely serve as catching depth with the Brewers, but the 25-year-old could see his first stint in the majors at some point during 2016.

Mesoraco (hip) has resumed squatting, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Now about four and a half months removed from hip surgery, Mesoraco has been cleared to get into the squat position but has not yet started baseball activities. The plan calls for Mesoraco to return to Cincinnati in December to start working with catching coordinator Mike Stefanski in hopes of being ready for spring training. Mesoraco was limited to just 23 games in 2015, managing two extra-base hits (zero homers) in 51 plate appearances.

Mets assistant GM John Ricco said Tuesday that Plawecki could split time with Travis d'Arnaud at catcher in 2016, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

A position change could come in the future for either Plawecki or d'Arnaud, but the team has no urgency to make a switch. Plawecki ended up appearing in more regular-season games than d'Arnaud in 2015, with the latter once again missing significant time due to injury. D'Arnaud did far outperform Plawecki at the dish, but Plawecki was more valuable defensively and a timeshare would make sense given d'Arnaud's medical history.

Mets assistant GM John Ricco said Tuesday that d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki could split time at catcher in 2016, Newsday's Marc Carig reports.

Ricco also suggested a position change for d'Arnaud or Plawecki could come down the line, but there is no urgency to move either player out from behind the plate at this point. While d'Arnaud hit 12 homers with an .825 OPS in 2015, he once again missed significant time due to injury, something that's been a recurring theme throughout his young career. Splitting time with Plawecki would theoretically keep both players fresh for the long haul.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal will have surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday, but is expected to be ready for spring training, Eric Stephen of SB Nation reports.

Shoulders can be tricky, so we probably won't have much of a timetable until shortly after the surgery.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal (shoulder) is in the lineup Thursday for Game 5 against the Mets.

Grandal wasn't able to start in Game 4 as he was dealing with a minor shoulder injury, however with the season on the line it looks like the 26-year-old will get the start against the Mets on Thursday. He will hit sixth in the order and take over behind the plate.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said catcher Yasmani Grandal (shoulder) is "50-50" to play in Game 5 of the NLDS on Thursday, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports.

A left shoulder injury, suffered in Monday's Game 3, kept Grandal on the bench for Game 4 of the series, though it may have been a blessing in disguise as Clayton Kershaw and A.J. Ellis worked well together in the victory. Grandal was available to pinch-hit Tuesday and figures to be again in that capacity Thursday if he isn't cleared to return to the lineup.

Yasmani Grandal is available to pinch-hit for the Dodgers in Tuesday's Game 4 of the NLDS, Eric Stephen of True Blue LA reports.

Grandal injured his left shoulder during Game 3 of the NLDS, however it doesn't appear to be a serious injury considering manager Don Mattingly did say he was available to hit if need be. A.J. Ellis will get the start behind the plate in his place and hit seventh in the order.