MLB Player News

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Ruiz remains without a clear timeline to report to camp while he looks to resolve visa issues, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

According to Toribio, Ruiz has left his native Venezuela and has arrived in Dominican Republic, hoping the change in countries will expedite his migration to the United States. While he waits for the proper paperwork to get resolved, Ruiz has been working hard on his own to stay in shape, according to Roberts. The 22-year-old catcher is expected to open the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he'll be able to play on an everyday basis.

Contreras, who is under team control through the 2022 season, said he is open to a contract extension during spring training, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Contreras and the Cubs avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.65 million contract last month, and the catcher will be arbitration eligible again next offseason. He said he is "willing to listen to whatever they have" in terms of extension offers, though the team is also dealing with similar decisions around star players Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. Contreras will look to bounce back and prove his value after a subpar 2020 season in which he posted a .763 OPS in 57 games, down from his .888 mark in 2019.

Casali revealed Saturday that he underwent hamate surgery in December, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Casali signed a major-league contract with the Giants in January, but the catcher revealed Saturday that he had surgery during the offseason. However, the 32-year-old has been playing catch and hitting without pain to begin spring training. While he could face some limitations during camp, Casali was optimistic that he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Knizner is preparing for the possibility of filling a variety of roles this coming season and has reported to spring training with a holistically impressive mindset, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. "Kiz has really done a nice job," manager Mike Shildt said. "He's off to a good start to camp, he's in a good place physically and mentally."

The 26-year-old doesn't quite know whether he'll open the season back in the minors or as Yadier Molina's backup, but he dove into film study of late-inning game situations this offseason in an attempt to be better prepared for whatever comes his way. Knizner has also stepped up his immersion into scouting reports and has already familiarized himself with the Cardinals' first two scheduled opponents of the regular season, the Reds and Marlins. There's more talk than in previous springs of Molina operating in a legitimate timeshare behind the dish as the club prepares for an eventual future that doesn't include the 38-year-old backstop, and Knizner, with his 26 games of big-league experience and familiarity with the pitching staff, seems much more prepared to step in occasionally for Molina than offseason additions Ali Sanchez and Tyler Heineman.

Realmuto (thumb) has been able to catch and hit while wearing his cast, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies certainly didn't want to see their star catcher start camp with a broken thumb, but there appears to be a real chance he'll be ready by Opening Day. The injury may have happened early enough for him to make a full recovery, especially as it doesn't appear to be significantly holding back his preseason preparation. Whether or not the issue has any lingering effects on his ability to hit up to his usual standards early in the season is a question that probably can't be answered until games begin, however.

Stallings enters the 2021 campaign as the Pirates' clear-cut starter behind the plate, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

The 31-year-old, who slashed .248/.326/.376 in 143 plate appearances last year, led the NL in innings caught (345.1) while finishing second in Gold Glove voting. Stallings' .702 OPS was slightly above the league average (.695) for catchers. He's never caught more than 700 innings in a season, but he's ready for the challenge. "My body really held up well," he said Friday. "I felt good. So I was really encouraged about that. I don't think anything will change." Newly acquired catchers Michael Perez and Tony Wolters are expected to compete for the backup job.

Ruiz has not reported to spring training due to a visa issue, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Ruiz made his debut in the big leagues for a brief time in 2020, logging eight plate appearances. He'll face an uphill battle to make the opening day roster for the 2021 season with both Will Smith and Austin Barnes ahead of him on the catching depth chart. There is no timeline for Ruiz's arrival to the team's facility.

Manager Joe Girardi revealed Thursday that Realmuto recently suffered a fractured right thumb, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto's thumb will be immobilized for two weeks, and he'll be re-evaluated after that time. While the catcher will miss several spring games due to the injury, the Phillies are still hopeful that he'll be ready for Opening Day. Andrew Knapp, Rafael Marchan and Jeff Mathis should compete for the backup catcher job while Realmuto is sidelined.

Campusano has reported to Padres camp and the team is said to "feel good" about his legal situation, Darnay Tripp of NBC San Diego reports.

Campusano was charged with felony marijuana possession in Georgia last October, casting a cloud over his status for the 2021 campaign. However, the catcher's presence in camp suggests that San Diego expects him to be able to compete this season. Nonetheless, his path to an Opening Day roster spot is clouded by the presence of Austin Nola and Victor Caratini ahead of him on the depth chart.

Contreras heads into spring training with a chance to win the No. 2 catching job for Atlanta, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

At the moment, starter Travis d'Arnaud is the only catcher with significant experience on the roster, leaving prospects Contreras and Alex Jackson to fight for the backup spot. The 23-year-old Contreras made his big-league debut last year on an emergency basis, going 4-for-10 with four strikeouts before spending the rest of the season at the team's alternate training site. His 2019 performance at the plate at High-A and Double-A wasn't particularly impressive, but Contreras still has the potential to emerge as a solid big-league asset. Atlanta could still elect to bring in a veteran such as Tyler Flowers to fill out the depth chart, but barring an outside addition, Jackson might be the front-runner for the job, if only because Contreras is more likely to be a long-term piece for the team and could use more minor-league development.