MLB Player News

Smith went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk Thursday in an exhibition victory over the Angels.

Smith's homer was his second in two days and third overall this spring. The backstop slashed .372/.438/.651 during Cactus League play, driving in 10 runs and posting a 4:6 BB:K across 45 plate appearances. He'll serve as the Dodgers' primary catcher during the regular season, though manager Dave Roberts has indicated that Smith and Austin Barnes won't be far apart in terms of games logged behind the plate.

Contreras went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and two runs scored in Monday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

The catcher finished the exhibition schedule with a flourish, bringing his spring slash line to a robust .317/.440/.756. Contreras batted second in this one and looks likely to slot in there during the regular season. With the likes of Ian Happ, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant around him in the order, Contreras should be able to post strong numbers in 2021.

Campusano will open the season on the big-league roster while Austin Nola (finger) heads to the injured list, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Nola's injury isn't expected to keep him out long, and Campusano will be stuck behind Victor Caratini during his time on the roster, so he might not get the chance to make more than two or three starts before being sent back to the minors. Campusano could surface from time to time this season if Nola or Caratini gets hurt, but he's probably not yet ready to make a significant impact, as his one-game debut last season represents his only appearance to date above the High-A level.

Perez, who went 1-for-3 with a run against the Twins on Monday, has made the Opening Day roster, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

He's had a fine spring in his bid to back up catcher Jacob Stallings, showing off a strong arm while throwing out several would-be base thieves. Perez is already on the team's 40-man roster, something which made his path to the Opening Day roster easier than his competitor, Tony Wolters. Perez, who's batting .185 in 27 spring at-bats, holds a career slash line of .221/.286/.314 in the majors.

Nola (finger) will open the season on the injured list, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Nola didn't appear to have time to fully recover from his fractured middle finger by Opening Day, and that's now been confirmed by the Padres. He's not expected to miss much time, though, as he's been ramping up his activity in recent days. He remains an interesting catching option in most formats after emerging as a late bloomer to hit .271/.347/.461 over the last two years, but those who draft him will have to dedicate a roster spot to another backstop for the first week or two of the season.

The Cardinals reassigned Heineman on Sunday.

As anticipated, the Cardinals will begin the season with Andrew Knizner as their No. 2 catcher behind Yadier Molina, leaving no room for Heineman on the 26-man roster. Heineman served as the Giants' Opening Day catcher last season, but he was cast off the 40-man roster in November after slashing .190/.292/.214 across his 50 plate appearances during the abbreviated 60-game campaign.

Contreras was informed Saturday that he won't be included on Atlanta's Opening Day roster, with the club instead keeping Alex Jackson as the backup catcher behind Travis d'Arnaud, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Contreras (1.089 OPS over 18 at-bats in Grapefruit League play) handily outperformed Jackson (.512 OPS in 28 at-bats), but Atlanta prefers the 23-year-old to play on an everyday basis at Triple-A Gwinnett rather than just once or twice a week behind d'Arnaud. If the historically injury-prone d'Arnaud should miss time at any point, however, Contreras could immediately leapfrog Jackson on the depth chart if Atlanta calls him up.

The Phillies optioned Marchan (hamstring) to their minor-league camp Sunday.

Marchan missed most of spring training with a hamstring injury, but he was at least able to make his return to game action Friday against the Blue Jays, going 0-for-2 while serving as the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto. Though the hamstring issue seems to be behind him, Marchan's absence from most of camp was enough to prevent him from making a serious run at unseating Andrew Knapp for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Expect Marchan to begin the 2021 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Jackson will open the season as Atlanta's backup catcher, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Jackson beat out William Contreras for the role of Travis d'Arnaud's understudy. That may not actually indicate good things for Jackson's future, however, as Contreras will get to continue his development while playing regularly at the Triple-A level while Jackson plays infrequently in the big leagues. If d'Arnaud gets hurt at any point this season, there's no guarantee it will be Jackson and not Contreras who earns the majority of the starts in his absence.

Barnhart has just four hits in 33 at-bats this spring, albeit with five walks.

Despite the slow start and a poor 2020 campaign with the bat, Barnhart is expected to be the primary starter behind the plate ahead of teammate Tyler Stephenson thanks to his superior defensive skills.