MLB Player News

Del Castillo (calf) will begin the season on the injured list, MLB.com reports.

Del Castillo reported to Diamondbacks camp with a left calf injury and didn't play in any Cactus League games, so it's not a surprise he's destined for the IL. It's unclear how far along he is in his rehab or how much time he might miss. Once healthy, Del Castillo could be assigned to Triple-A Reno.

Moreno started at catcher and went 3-for-4 with a double and two solo home runs in Sunday's spring game against the Padres.

Moreno was back behind the plate for the first time in two weeks. He dealt with forearm tightness for a stretch and returned to action last Thursday as the designated hitter. Now that Moreno is defending again, it looks like there will be no limitations for the catcher heading into Opening Day. He's batting .242 (6-for-33) with three homers and five RBI through 11 Cactus League contests. He and James McCann will split duties behind the plate, although Moreno could garner additional plate appearances as a DH when not behind the dish.

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer announced Sunday that Sullivan has secured a spot on the Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Sullivan beat out Braxton Fulford for the Rockies' backup catcher gig during spring training. The Rockies are expected to formally select Sullivan's contract Friday, when the team sets its final roster ahead of the season opener in Miami. Sullivan split time between the Padres and Pirates organizations in 2025, seeing action in only three games in the majors while slashing .207/.264/.325 with four home runs and six stolen bases across 295 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He's expected to play sparingly behind top backstop Hunter Goodman.

The Rockies optioned Fulford to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Fulford had a .591 OPS in 38 games with the Rockies last season but was unable to win the backup catcher job during spring training. The 27-year-old could get called up by the Rockies if Hunter Goodman or Brett Sullivan suffer an injury.

Hernandez is likely to see extra playing time in left field due to Kyle Stowers (hamstring) being set to begin the season on the IL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Hernandez was initially see more time at DH while providing a platoon partner for Stowers in left field and Owen Caissie in right, but he now might need his glove more often. Griffin Conine will also have a big role in the LF/DH mix with Hernandez, while Connor Norby could also get some starts in left if he shows he's up to the task defensively. Hernandez is batting .226 (7-for-31) in 13 Grapefruit League games with three homers, four steals and a 6:9 BB:K.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Sunday that Stubbs will be designated for assignment if the Phillies are unable to trade the 32-year-old catcher prior to Wednesday, Ty Daubert of PhilliesNation.com reports.

The Phillies will head into Opening Day with J.T. Realmuto and Rafael Marchan as their two catchers, and since Stubbs has no minor-league options remaining, he'll have to be exposed to waivers if he isn't dealt. In an effort to strengthen his case for a roster spot, Stubbs played some third base and left field during the Grapefruit League, but it wasn't enough for the Phillies to keep him over Marchan.

General manager Dave Dombrowski said Sunday that Marchan has won a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, Ty Daubert of PhilliesNation.com reports.

Marchan was able to win the backup catcher job over Garrett Stubbs. J.T. Realmuto will see the majority of the starts behind the dish, but Marchan could see a slight uptick in opportunities behind the 35-year-old. Despite staying healthy for the entire 2025 campaign, Marchan was limited to just 118 plate appearances and slashed .210/.282/.305 with two home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs.

The Pirates optioned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

The 25-year-old struggled this spring, going 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts and six walks in 14 games. Flores made his MLB debut with seven appearances for Pittsburgh last year and could rejoin the big club in 2026 if depth at first base or catcher is needed.

Atlanta reassigned Leon to minor-league camp Friday.

Leon saw action in five games with Atlanta in 2025 but had little chance of cracking the Opening Day roster after the club signed Jonah Heim to a one-year deal shortly before the start of spring training. Leon will likely need at least one of Drake Baldwin or Heim to break down while Sean Murphy (hip) is still sidelined to make his way back to the big leagues.

Ramirez went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Friday's split-squad game against the Nationals.

The 24-year-old catcher has struggled to get much going in Grapefruit League action, as Friday's double was his first hit in camp and he's batting just .053 (1-for-19) with a 1:8 BB:K. Ramirez also went 1-for-7 with a double in two games for the Dominican Republic during the WBC. After a 2025 rookie season that saw Ramirez slash .231/.287/.413 with 21 homers and 16 steals over 136 games, he's looking for more consistency -- both at the plate and behind it -- in his sophomore campaign.