MLB Player News

Nola went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's loss to Arizona.

Nola was the leadoff hitter Opening Day and while he may not hold that role on a regular basis, he at least made a contribution Thursday when he scored Ha-Seong Kim with an RBI single in the top of the fourth. Nola hit .272 with a .716 OPS over 56 games last season.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a double in Thursday's loss to the Mets.

It was a great start to the season for the young backstop, although Ruiz wasn't able to turn the knocks into production as the Nationals only managed six hits and one run on the day. Ruiz could be in line for a big first full campaign in the majors after slashing .310/.377/.616 with 21 homers and a 30:33 BB:K in 72 games at Triple-A in 2021.

Nola will start at catcher and bat leadoff in Thursday's season opener versus the Diamondbacks.

The Opening Day leadoff assignment is a nice surprise for Nola's fantasy managers, but it bears mentioning that Arizona is bringing a lefty (Madison Bumgarner) to the hill. The lefty-hitting Trent Grisham -- who is batting ninth Thursday -- typically slotted atop the lineup versus right-handed pitchers during Cactus League play, so expect that trend to carry over into the regular season. Nola will likely move to the bottom half of the San Diego lineup versus righties.

Marchan was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and placed on the 60-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Thursday.

Marchan missed out on an Opening Day roster spot this year, and he'll be sidelined for the first two months of the season due to a hamstring strain. His placement on the 60-day IL clears room on the 40-man roster for Bryson Stott, who had his contract selected by the Phillies on Thursday.

Smith finished Cactus League play hitting only .179, but four of his five hits went for extra bases, and he tallied two homers along with four RBI.

Smith began last season in a projected timeshare with Austin Barnes, but he eventually captured primary catcher duties with a standout campaign, and he's expected to log the bulk of the playing time behind the plate along with occasional DH duties in 2022. The 27-year-old has largely been targeted as a top-three catcher in fantasy drafts this season, and his combination of power and on-base skills justifies that expectation.

Campusano was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old appeared to have a better chance of making San Diego's Opening Day roster after Victor Caratini was shipped to Milwaukee earlier in the day, but the young backstop will still begin the 2022 campaign at the Triple-A level. Austin Nola and Jorge Alfaro will operate as the Padres' two catchers with Campusano returning to El Paso, where he hit .295/.365/.541 with 15 home runs and 45 RBI last year.

Jackson was acquired by the Brewers from the Marlins on Wednesday in exchange for infielder Hayden Cantrelle and pitcher Alexis Ramirez.

Backup catcher Pedro Severino will miss 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance, so the Brewers traded for Victor Caratini and Jackson on Wednesday. Caratini will handle backup duties behind starter Omar Narvaez, while Jackson should head to Triple-A Nashville. Jackson had a .488 OPS in 52 games between Atlanta and Miami last year and could be called up by Milwaukee if Narvaez or Caratini suffer an injury.

There could be room on the Padres' Opening Day roster for Campusano now that Victor Caratini has been traded to the Brewers, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com suggests.

Campusano was essentially blocked from a roster spot with Austin Nola, Jorge Alfaro and Caratini all ahead of him on the catcher depth chart, but he could break camp with the big club now that Caratini is out of the picture. Of course, that would require San Diego to decide to carry three catchers, which is far from a certainty. Campusano didn't do much to help his case this spring, as he batted .118 (2-for-17) with nine strikeouts, though both of his hits were home runs.

The Padres acquired Sullivan and outfielder Korry Howell from the Brewers on Wednesday in exchange for catcher Victor Caratini, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.

Much like Austin Nola, Sullivan is primarily a catcher, but one that also possesses the athleticism to play the corner outfield or corner infield in a pinch as needed. His addition allows the Padres to maintain their organizational catching depth with Caratini headed to Milwaukee, though Sullivan will face a tougher path to earning a role in the big leagues in San Diego. In addition to Nola, the Padres have two other catchers (Jorge Alfaro and Luis Campusano) on the 40-man roster who are both presumably ahead of Sullivan in the pecking order. Sullivan is expected to report to Triple-A El Paso with his new organization.

Caratini was traded from the Padres to the Brewers on Wednesday in exchange for Korry Howell and Brett Sullivan, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The Padres have plenty of options to serve as catching depth, so Caratini will head to Milwaukee to serve as the No. 2 backstop behind Omar Narvaez after Pedro Severino was issued an 80-game suspension Tuesday. Caratini appeared in 116 games for the Padres last year and slashed .227/.309/.323 with seven home runs, 39 RBI, 33 runs and two stolen bases.