MLB Player News

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that Herrera (knee) was in a "much better spot" Saturday and the team remains "confident" Herrera will be ready Opening Day, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera has been held out of game action for more than a week due to knee inflammation that occurred as a result of the 25-year-old getting reintroduced to the workload of catching. He was also eased into Grapefruit League games initially following offseason elbow surgery, which has led to Herrera receiving only seven plate appearances thus far. The Cardinals want Herrera to see more starts at catcher this spring but don't want to rush him back until the knee is 100 percent, so they're proceeding cautiously. Herrera is slated to be the team's Opening Day designated hitter but will be worked in at catcher, as well.

Diamondbacks Torey Lovullo said Saturday that an MRI on Moreno's right elbow showed inflammation and no structural damage, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

The catcher will be shut down for a few days, per Bailey Leasure of ArizonaSports.com. Moreno was scratched from the lineup for Friday's Cactus League game against the Royals after experiencing forearm tightness prior to the contest. The good news for the 26-year-old backstop is that imaging didn't reveal a serious injury, and Lovullo relayed that Moreno should be available for Opening Day, according to Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that Moreno was scratched from the lineup for Friday's Cactus League game against the Royals due to forearm tightness, Jose M. Romero of The Arizona Republic reports.

Moreno will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, so the Diamondbacks should provide an update for the 26-year-old catcher in the coming days. Adrian Del Castillo is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day while rehabbing from a calf strain, so James McCann would get the bulk of the work behind home plate if Moreno were to be sidelined for an extended amount of time.

Manager Dave Roberts recently said that Rushing will not see playing time in the outfield this season, Aaron Coloma of Dodgers Nation reports.

After GM Brandon Gomes indicated over the winter that Rushing could get outfield reps again this season, Roberts has shut that down. "Outfield is not on the table," Roberts said. Rushing will serve as Will Smith's backup and could get some time at first base if Freddie Freeman needs a day off. It would seem Rushing may only get into a couple games a week to begin the season as a part-time player.

Herrera's (knee) return to Grapefruit League play is considered imminent, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera played in a "B" game Wednesday and has been returning to full workouts as he recovers from inflammation in his knee. The Cardinals could choose to ease him back into games at designated hitter before giving him more reps a catcher, but either way it seems Herrera will be back in the lineup in a day or two. Herrera is 2-for-7 at the plate in limited action so far this spring.

Herrera (knee) got eight plate appearances in a backfields game in Cardinals camp Wednesday, Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com reports.

Herrera -- who homered in his first plate appearance Wednesday -- has been slowed recently by knee inflammation. He had hoped to return to Grapefruit League action by now, but his participation in a "B" game suggests that should be coming soon. Herrera is expected to open the season as the Cardinals' primary designated hitter but will also see action at catcher.

Susac is viewed as the favorite to win the Giants' backup catcher job, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Eric Haase and Jesus Rodriguez are also in the mix to back up Patrick Bailey, though Susac appears likely to earn that role. The 24-year-old catcher was selected by the Athletics with the 19th overall pick in 2022 and has yet to make his big-league debut. He was left unprotected ahead of the Rule 5 Draft in December, and he was selected fourth overall by the Twins before being sent to San Francisco. Through eight Cactus League games with the Giants, Susac has slashed .350/.381/.450 with two runs scored, two doubles and one RBI across 21 plate appearances. He recorded a 26.8 percent strikeout rate with Triple-A Las Vegas last season, so improving his plate discipline and reducing strikeouts will continue to be a point of emphasis.

Mack (neck) is starting at catcher and batting cleanup in Tuesday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Nationals.

Mack was unavailable for a bit due to neck stiffness, but he's been cleared to return to action. The 23-year-old is 3-for-18 with one home run and a 2:6 BB:K this spring and is projected to open the season at Triple-A Jacksonville.

The Brewers reassigned Rodriguez (undisclosed) to minor-league camp Monday, Sophia Minnaert of FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin reports.

Rodriguez didn't see any action after May 16 last season after landing on Double-A Biloxi's injured list, but the 27-year-old backstop looks to be fully healthy entering the 2026 campaign. He appeared in six Cactus League games before the Brewers reassigned him Monday.

Contreras (finger) has gone 3-for-14 with a double and a 0:1 BB:K through four Cactus League games and has gone 0-for-3 with a walk through one game in the World Baseball Classic with Team Venezuela.

Contreras underwent a minor procedure in early November to address a fractured left middle finger, but he's been free of restrictions since reporting to Brewers camp in February. The 28-year-old catcher has yet to get going at the plate between his stops in the Cactus League and WBC, but his excellent track record since joining the Brewers ahead of the 2023 season should carry more weight for fantasy managers than his spring results. Contreras once again projects to handle one of the heavier workloads among all backstops in 2026 and should frequently stick in the MIlwaukee lineup at designated hitter on his non-catching days.