MLB Player News

Perez went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in a 5-1 Grapefruit League loss Tuesday against Philadelphia.

Batting eighth in the lineup, Perez grounded out and struck out before being replaced by Taylor Davis. The Pirates signed the 33-year-old backstop to a one-year, $5 million contract to serve as their primary catcher following the trade of Jacob Stallings. A career .206 hitter, Perez slashed just .192/.267/.346 with one home run in 11 spring games. While he should get the majority of playing time behind the plate for Pittsburgh, he'll likely be a bottom-of-the-order, low-producing hitter.

The Pirates reassigned Perez to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Perez was one of three non-roster catchers who was sent to minor-league camp Tuesday, leaving the Pirates without an obvious No. 2 option behind top backstop Roberto Perez with Opening Day just two days away. Pittsburgh will most likely explore the trade and free-agent markets for another option to slot behind Roberto Perez on the depth chart.

The Pirates reassigned Davis to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Davis was one of three non-roster catchers who was sent to minor-league camp Tuesday, leaving the Pirates without an obvious No. 2 option behind top backstop Roberto Perez with Opening Day just two days away. Pittsburgh will most likely explore the trade or free-agent market for another option to slot behind Perez on the depth chart.

Stephenson has batted fifth in the last three spring training games that he's played in, all games with what appears to be the Reds' most likely Opening Day starters. He's hitting .393/.514/.500 in 35 spring training plate appearances.

In all three instances, Stephenson was hitting against right-handed starters, reinforcing the notion that he's more than a platoon starter, but the Reds' primary catching option, locked in behind Joey Votto.

Nido is batting .417 (10-for-24) with a double and a homer this spring.

The Mets' backup catcher has only a .566 OPS in his big-league career, so don't expect him to maintain that level of offense once the regular season begins. Nido will likely need a James McCann injury to see significant playing time in 2022, but his spot on the roster at least seems secure for now with top prospect Francisco Alvarez still a couple years away from the majors.

Ruiz went 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The young backstop busted out after a sluggish start to the spring, capping his big performance with a two-run blast off Hector Neris in the eighth inning. Ruiz is locked in as the Nationals' starting catcher after being one of the key pieces in last year's Trea Turner trade with the Dodgers, and he's coming off a season in which he slashed .310/.377/.616 with 21 homers in only 72 games between Oklahoma City and Rochester at the Triple-A level.

The Pirates signed Davis to a minor-league contract March 11.

Davis has been competing with Michael Perez for the Pirates' backup catching job behind Roberto Perez. Whether Davis or Michael Perez ultimately emerges as the No. 2 option, neither is likely to play much more than twice per week while Roberto Perez is healthy.

Stallings went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

The veteran catcher is hitting a lackluster .235 (4-for-17) this spring, but Stallings' spot at the top of the Marlins' depth chart isn't in jeopardy. The 32-year-old's defense will keep him behind the plate most days, and he did post a career-high eight homers and 53 RBI last year for the Pirates before an offseason trade.

Herrera will be the backup catcher after the Diamondbacks reassigned Juan Graterol to minor-league camp Sunday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Herrera has been with the organization since 2014 but will be making his first appearance in the majors. He'll back up Carson Kelly, while the Diamondbacks use Daulton Varsho mostly in center field. Herrera is 3-for-16 (.188) this spring and slashed .248/.346/.705 over seven minor-league seasons (393 games).

The Rockies reassigned Perez to minor-league camp Sunday.

Colorado also reassigned fellow backstop Brian Serven to minor-league camp Sunday, signaling that Dom Nunez has made the Rockies' Opening Day roster as the No. 2 catcher behind Elias Diaz. Perez, who most recently saw big-league action with Texas and Atlanta during the 2018 season, is expected to report to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the 2022 campaign.