MLB Player News

D'Arnaud (surgery) still isn't ready to make his spring training debut, although he is healthy enough to play, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

D'Arnaud is coming off Tommy John surgery, and although the Mets are confident he's healthy enough to play in spring training games, they'll limit him to reps in the back fields for now as a precaution. It's unclear as to when he may take the field with the big-league club, but manager Mickey Callaway stated he wants to see d'Arnaud go through more simulated drills before reintroducing him to game action.

Gomes (illness) will start at catcher and bat sixth Saturday in the Nationals' Grapefruit League opener versus the Astros, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Gomes missed some time this week while battling an illness, but it wasn't anything that was ever believed to be serious. After coming over from the Indians via trade in November, Gomes is expected to be deployed in a timeshare behind the plate with Kurt Suzuki this season.

Gomes was absent from Thursday's workouts due to an illness, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

This is unfortunate to hear, but it doesn't seem like it will be of any long-term concern. Gomes is still expected to catch the team's Grapefruit League opener Saturday, barring any unexpected lingering effects from this issue.

Diaz did not practice Wednesday due to illness, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

There haven't been any suggestions that Diaz will miss significant time, so his status for Opening Day shouldn't be threatened. He's expected to back up Francisco Cervelli again this season.

Manager Dave Martinez said he plans to split catching duties between Gomes and Kurt Suzuki, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Gomes was traded from the Indians to the Nationals in late November, shortly after the team signed Suzuki. Gomes slashed .266/.313/.449 with 16 home runs in 435 plate appearances last season, but Suzuki has been similarly impressive at the plate over the last two seasons. Gomes should still come out ahead in terms of playing time due to his age and superior defense, but it appears as though he won't begin the season in a traditional everyday role.

Casali had hip surgery over the offseason, but he's expected to be ready for Opening Day, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Casali was an ideal backup for the Reds last season, hitting .293/.355/450 in 156 plate appearances. But barring an injury to starter Tucker Barnhart, he's unlikely to get more playing time this year, and of course there's plenty of danger in relying on his small sample size from last year as a candidate to repeat.

Realmuto was traded from the Marlins to the Phillies on Thursday in exchange for catcher Jorge Alfaro, pitchers Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart, and international slot money, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Realmuto is one of the top catchers in the entire league, and after an offseason filled with trade rumors, he finally found a new home for at least the next two seasons. The 27-year-old is coming off his first 20-homer campaign while batting at least .275 for the third consecutive season. Now that he'll get to hit in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Ballpark, there's a good chance he could repeat if not exceed those figures as he aims to garner his second All-Star selection.

Mesoraco signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training.

The oft-injured catcher split time between the Reds and Mets last season, compiling a .221/.303/.398 slash line with 11 homers and 33 RBI. With Wilson Ramos in town, Mesoraco will have to battle with Travis d'Arnaud and Tomas Nido for backup catcher duties to start the season, further limiting his fantasy upside.

Knizner was extended an invitation to the Cardinals' major-league spring training, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports.

This isn't much of a surprise after Knizner tore it up at Triple-A Memphis with a .315/.383/.407 slash line. The 23-year-old is now the clear heir apparent to veteran Yadier Molina after Carson Kelly was traded to Arizona in December as part of the package to acquire Paul Goldschmidt. There's no guarantee Knizner will see much time in the majors this season given Molina's track record, even if he breaks camp as the No. 2 catcher, but Knizner could see some opportunities should any injuries crop up for the veteran.

Stewart signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Thursday which includes an invitation to spring training.

Stewart split time between Atlanta and Arizona in 2018, appearing in just eight big-league games between both stops. With Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejia both ahead of Stewart on the organizational depth chart, the veteran backstop doesn't figure to spend much (if any) time in the majors in 2019.