MLB Player News

Amaya (ankle) said his body feels "100 percent, good to go" heading into the World Baseball Classic and the regular season, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Amaya had an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, with a sprained ankle in mid-August ultimately shutting him down. Before that, the catcher missed about two and a half months due to an oblique strain. Overall, Amaya managed to appear in only 28 games for the Cubs. He said he feels recovered now, and the backstop is prepared to play for Panama in the upcoming WBC as a ramp-up to the regular season. The 26-year-old did muster a career-best .814 OPS last year despite the injuries, and if he can stay healthy, he figures to split time behind the plate with Carson Kelly in 2026. While the arrangement could limit Amaya's ceiling, he still has the offensive talent to take a step forward from a fantasy perspective, particularly if Kelly slumps or gets hurt.

Stephenson will earn $6.8 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against the Reds, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The two sides went to a hearing despite just a $250,000 difference in their submitted arbitration figures, and the three-person panel ultimately picked Stephenson's filing. Stephenson put up a .737 OPS with 13 home runs over 88 regular-season contests for the Reds this past season and will be their top catcher again in 2026. He is slated to reach free agency next offseason.

Murphy (hip) is expected to be sidelined until sometime in May, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Murphy had surgery in September to repair a right hip labral tear and is slated to begin running exercises Tuesday. He should stay back at extended spring training while his team his team heads north ahead of Opening Day, with a rehab assignment likely kicking off in April. Once healthy, Murphy is expected to share catching duties with Drake Baldwin.

Atlanta signed Heim to a one-year contract Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Heim was non-tendered by the Rangers earlier in the offseason after slashing only .213/.271/.332 across 433 plate appearances in 2025, and his defensive metrics have also declined the last two years. Heim does have a good shot to break camp as the backup catcher behind Drake Baldwin while Sean Murphy (hip) recovers.

The Dodgers claimed Rortvedt off waivers from the Reds on Friday.

Rortvedt went from the Dodgers to the Reds via waivers in November and is now headed back in the other direction. The glove-first catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four major-league seasons. Rortvedt does not have minor-league options remaining, and with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing already on the roster, the Dodgers might try to slip Rortvedt through waivers again.

Rodriguez's (elbow) may need to play primarily in the outfield or at second base to have the best chance to make the big-league club, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports.

Rodriguez was viewed as Pittsburgh's catcher of the future as recently as the 2023 season, but he's since run into significant elbow injuries that have required two surgeries to repair. That history could be enough to convince the Pirates to move him to a new position, and Gorman suggests that both Joey Bart and Henry Davis will enter spring training as the favorites to work behind the plate. Rodriguez has played at first base in the majors, while also playing in the outfield and at second base during the 2022 minor-league season.

Atlanta announced Wednesday that Leon will join the big club for spring training as a non-roster invitee.

The 36-year-old Leon saw action in five games for Atlanta in 2025 before being outrighted off the 40-man roster following the season. After electing free agency in early October, he quickly re-signed with Atlanta on a new minor-league contract. Leon will serve as organizational depth behind the plate and will be a candidate to join the big club if Atlanta happens to be without either Drake Baldwin or Sean Murphy (hip) for any period of time.

The Rockies signed McCann to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

McCann got into 54 games for the Athletics in 2024 before splitting the 2025 season between Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mexican League. The 28-year-old is ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2026 campaign.

The Reds designated Rortvedt for assignment Tuesday.

Booting Rortvedt off the 40-man roster clears a spot for Eugenio Suarez, who was officially signed Tuesday. Rortvedt was a waiver claim by the Reds earlier this offseason and is now likely to be on the move again. The defensive-minded catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four big-league seasons.

Ford is expected to compete with Keibert Ruiz for the starting catcher spot heading into the 2026 season, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Ford was acquired by the Nationals from the Mariners in an offseason deal, and he's immediately been identified as one of his new club's top young prospects. The 22-year-old struggled to see time behind Cal Raleigh in Seattle, logging six at-bats in eight games in 2025, but that's set to change in Washington. Ruiz is coming off a tough season in which he didn't see the field after suffering a concussion in July, so if Ford can stay healthy, he appears likely to break camp with the big-league squad and could even overtake Ruiz for the starting job.