MLB Player News

Herrera (knee) will catch a bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to be in the Cardinals' Grapefruit League lineup Wednesday against the Astros, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The 25-year-old is expected to catch three frames in Wednesday's contest, as he's scheduled to get his first at-bats in a Grapefruit League game in nearly two weeks. Herrera was built up slowly at the start of spring training following offseason elbow surgery but has more recently been battling knee inflammation. He's expected to open the campaign as St. Louis' primary designated hitter but should also see some opportunities behind the plate.

Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Alvarez has looked good this spring, batting .381 (8-for-21) with three doubles and a homer. The 24-year-old backstop is locked into the starting spot for the Mets, and given how he finished last season -- .276/.360/.561 over 41 games after the All-Star break with eight home runs -- a breakout could be in the cards if Alvarez can stay healthy in 2026.

Realmuto (illness) is starting at catcher and batting second Tuesday against the Twins, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

He was under the weather for a couple days. Realmuto is batting .235 with one home run in seven games this spring.

McCann went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Monday's spring game against Cincinnati.

McCann swatted his first home run of the Cactus League and is batting .214 over 28 spring at-bats. He's expected to serve as the backup to Gabriel Moreno (forearm) but could be needed for more depending on the starter's recovery. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports on Monday that Moreno will begin a throwing program next week, which also marks the start of the regular season. Lovullo is confident there's enough time for the injured catcher to ramp up for Opening Day; if not, McCann appears ready to fill in.

The Giants reassigned Porter to minor-league camp Monday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Porter spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Sacramento and inked a new minor-league deal that included an invitation to spring training following the season last October. He'll provide organizational catching depth for San Francisco.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo expressed confidence Monday that Moreno (forearm) will be available for the Diamondbacks' March 26 season opener versus the Dodgers, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.

Moreno received good news over the weekend, when an MRI administered on his aching right forearm revealed inflammation but no structural damage. Though the injury isn't expected to affect Moreno at the plate, Lovullo said that the catcher will be barred from throwing this week while he waits for the inflammation to subside. Assuming he's cleared to make a start behind the dish in one of the Diamondbacks' exhibitions versus the Guardians early next week, Moreno should be ready to catch for Opening Day starter Zac Gallen on March 26.

Hicks went 0-for-3 in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

While it wasn't a noteworthy performance, Hicks saw his only real competition for a spot on the 26-man roster eliminated when top catching prospect Joe Mack was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday. Hicks is expected to split his time between catcher, first base and DH once again in 2026 while primarily facing right-handed pitching, a split in which he slashed .256/.349/.367 last year with six homers in 324 plate appearances.

Realmuto has been under the weather the past few days but could return to the Phillies' Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto has a .786 OPS through 19 plate appearances during spring training, so the illness shouldn't affect his availability for the start of the regular season. The 34-year-old is coming off a 2025 regular season that saw him post his worst OPS (.699) since his second MLB campaign in 2015.

The Marlins optioned Mack to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.

The 23-year-old is one of Miami's top prospects, but he struggled to a .472 OPS across nine spring games and will open the campaign at Triple-A. Mack spent most of 2025 with Jacksonville and totaled 18 home runs and seven steals with a .786 OPS in 98 contests.

Fermin went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run, two additional runs scored and a walk in a Cactus League win over Cleveland on Saturday.

Fermin gave the Padres an 8-4 lead with his two-run blast in the fifth inning. The former Royal is locked into the starting catcher role for the Padres this season after spending several years backing up Salvador Perez in Kanas City. Fermin has been swinging a hot bat this spring, posting a .458/.480/.833 slash line with two homers, 10 RBI and nine runs through nine games.