MLB Player News

Heineman was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Tuesday.

Heineman appeared in 62 games between the Pirates and Blue Jays last season and had a .217/.276/.268 slash line, and he won't stick on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster through the offseason.

Stephenson (collarbone) announced Wednesday via his personal Twitter account that he's resumed taking batting practice.

Stephenson's 2022 campaign came to an end in late July, when he suffered a broken right collarbone that later required surgery. The fact that he's swinging a bat again suggests he's nearing the finish line in his recovery from surgery, but he'll still need to complete a throwing program before he's fully cleared for catching duties in spring training. When healthy last season, Stephenson displayed the upside of a top-tier fantasy catcher, as he hit .319 with six home runs, 35 RBI and 24 runs in just 183 plate appearances.

Rodriguez was added to the Pirates' 40-man roster Tuesday.

Rodriguez is one of the league's best catching prospects and finished 2022 at the Triple-A level despite beginning the season at High-A. He played in only six games at the highest level of the minors, but his .997 OPS on the season could push him toward making his MLB debut next year.

Cartaya was added to the Dodgers' 40-man roster Tuesday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Cartaya is one of the top catching prospects in baseball, so it's no surprise Los Angeles opted to shield him from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The 21-year-old spent most of 2022 at High-A Great Lakes and posted a .251/.379/.476 slash line with 13 home runs and 41 RBI in 62 games.

Delay cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Delay played in 57 games for Pittsburgh last season but won't retain his spot on the 40-man roster. It was the 27-year-old's first taste of the big leagues, and he had a .213/.265/.271 slash line with one home run, 11 RBI and 17 runs.

Barrera cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Barrera served as a reserve catcher for Washington at times in 2022 and went 9-for-50 in 19 games. He won't stick on the 40-man roster through the offseason and is likely to open 2023 back at Triple-A.

The Brewers reinstated Jackson (wrist) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The transaction makes Jackson one of three catchers on the 40-man roster, joining Victor Caratini and Mario Feliciano. With Omar Narvaez ticketed for free agency, Milwaukee will likely look to re-sign him or add another experienced option behind the plate, so Jackson is far from a lock to break camp with Milwaukee in 2023. Before he was shut down in late August with left wrist inflammation, Jackson appeared in just five games for Milwaukee and instead saw most of his action at Triple-A Nashville, where he posted a .701 OPS over 119 plate appearances.

Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, three RBI and a walk during Friday's 6-5 win over the Astros in Game 1 of the World Series.

Realmuto played a crucial part in the Phillies' five-run comeback -- he tied the game with a two-run double in the fifth inning off Justin Verlander and put the Phillies ahead in extra innings with a solo shot off Luis Garcia. The 31-year-old catcher was locked in at the plate during Game 1 -- he reached base three times, and his other two at bats were both line-drive outs. Realmuto's homer was his second in the last three games and third of the playoffs. Playing in his first career postseason, he has racked up six RBI and 11 runs scored.

Cartaya posted a composite .254/.389/.503 slash line with 22 homers, 72 RBI and 74 runs across 95 games split between Single-A and High-A this season.

While those overall numbers definitely got a boost from his time in the hitter-friendly California League, Cartaya's .856 OPS in High-A at age 20 is still impressive. He's striking out too often -- 119 times in 445 plate appearances, a 26.7 percent clip -- but Cartaya also draws plenty of walks and offers rare power at the catcher position. Among prospect backstops, perhaps only Francisco Alvarez offers more upside.

Realmuto went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two additional runs scored and two walks during Saturday's 10-6 win over the Padres in Game 4 of the NLCS.

Realmuto put the finishing touches on the Phillies' comeback in Game 4 with a solo homer off Steven Wilson in the seventh inning. The 31-year-old catcher entered the game struggling in his first career postseason, hitting .200 across 35 at bats, but he was able to reach base three times to help the Phillies win a crucial Game 4. Although his offensive numbers in the postseason do not jump off the page, Realmuto has now scored nine times, and his team is one win away from reaching the World Series.