MLB Player News

Bailey was removed from Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers due to a right hand contusion, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The severity of Bailey's injury is unclear, but he may sit out the Giants' next several spring training games as a result. The 24-year-old backstop is 2-for-11 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored across five games this spring and figures to serve as San Francisco's main catcher during the regular season.

The Brewers optioned Quero to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Quero was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster in November after slashing .262/.340/.443 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI over 382 plate appearances with Double-A Biloxi in 2023. He'll start 2024 with Triple-A Nashville and could crack into the majors later in the season if he's able to show continued improvement in the minors and/or if the Brewers have a need for another catcher.

Grandal is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his foot, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal hasn't caught a spring training game since the end of February due to his foot, but manager Derek Shelton said he expects Grandal to resume playing in games soon. The 35-year-old will operate as Pittsburgh's starting catcher during the regular season, but Shelton has stated that Grandal's workload will be limited due to his age.

Sanchez (hand) is in the lineup for Milwaukee's Cactus League game against Seattle on Saturday.

Sanchez has spent the first portion of spring training recovering from a right hand injury he suffered during the offseason. He logged three hits over six at-bats while hitting on the back fields Wednesday and will make his spring debut as the Brewers' designated hitter -- a role Sanchez is expected to fill often in the regular season.

After going 0-for-2 in a Cactus League game against the Mariners on Friday, Gomes is batting .286 this spring.

Gomes has only one extra-base hit so far in six spring games, though the .286 average is encouraging. The veteran catcher batted .308 for the Cubs last spring training, then went on to have a solid age-35 season, batting .267 and swatting 10 home runs across 116 games. His numbers may not jump off the page, but Gomes should be a solid complement to the younger Miguel Amaya this year, and both figure to see playing time.

Alvarez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

The young catcher took Richard Bleier deep in the fifth inning for his second homer of the spring. Alvarez slugged 25 long balls in 2023 but hit only .209 with a 26.0 percent strikeout rate and an 8.0 percent walk rate, so improving his control over the strike zone will be key to him taking a step forward as a hitter. So far in camp he's done just that, going 3-for-12 over six games with a 4:2 BB:K.

Murphy (illness) is starting behind the plate and batting third in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The 29-year-old hasn't seen game action in a week due to a stomach bug, but he'll return to the field for Friday's exhibition. Murphy had a career-high 21 homers with an .843 OPS in 108 games last season, though Travis d'Arnaud should continue to see plenty of reps as Atlanta's secondary catcher in 2024.

Sanchez (hand) took six at-bats on the back fields Wednesday and could make his Cactus League debut before his initial March 14 estimate, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Working his way back from a right hand injury, Sanchez had a home run, a double and a single in those six at-bats and felt good, with Brewers manager Pat Murphy saying the catcher could play "very soon." The 31-year-old will back up William Contreras at catcher and is also expected to receive ample playing time at designated hitter for Milwaukee this season.

Murphy is slated to return to Atlanta's Grapefruit League lineup Friday against the Pirates after being sidelined by a stomach bug, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Murphy hasn't played in a week, and the illness provides an explanation behind his absence. Thankfully, he looks to be past the illness by this point, so he should be cleared to catch Friday, barring any setbacks leading up to the start of the game. Murphy -- who is 2-for-6 with two RBI this spring -- will be atop Atlanta's catching depth chart again in 2024, though Travis d'Arnaud should see plenty of reps as the No. 2 option.

Barnes (back) will start at catcher and bat eighth Wednesday in the Dodgers' Cactus League game against the White Sox.

Barnes was scratched from Tuesday's lineup because of a back issue, but he's back behind the plate a day later. The 34-year-old is again slated to be Will Smith's understudy at catcher this season for the Dodgers.