MLB Player News

Alvarez isn't expected to see game action this spring until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.

The Mets are bringing a number of key position players along slowly this spring, including Luis Robert, Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty (hamstring). Alvarez underwent thumb surgery right after the end of last season, which explains the team's caution with its starting catcher, but the 24-year-old appeared to be fully healthy when he reported to camp. The Mets are hoping that good health extends into the regular season -- Alvarez played only 76 games in 2025, his lowest total in three years since becoming a big-league regular.

Herrera (elbow) did outfield drills in Cardinals camp Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

The catchers were working on pop time drills and throws to second base, something Herrera is not yet cleared for as he returns from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. The plan is for Herrera to return to catcher in 2026 after the elbow issue limited him to designated hitter for the final few months of last season. He did play four games in left field in 2025, and if catching doesn't work out, Herrera could give the outfield a try again or possibly first base.

Wong (hand) took part in live batting practice Monday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Wong reported to camp last week and appears to be fully healthy after he underwent a carpal boss excision procedure on his right hand back on Oct. 9. The hand issue perhaps played a factor in Wong's dramatic drop in production in 2025, when his OPS fell to .500 over his 188 plate appearances after he had posted a .758 OPS the season prior. Carlos Narvaez ended up overtaking Wong on the depth chart, and manager Alex Cora relayed Saturday that Narvaez "earned the right" to be the team's starter heading into 2026, per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Cora added that Wong's solid defense behind the plate should allow him to play more frequently than the typical backup catcher, and the 29-year-old could also be an option to make starts first base when Willson Contreras needs a day off.

Perez (thumb) took live batting practice during Monday's full-squad workout, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Perez had previously injured his thumb during the offseason while playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, but he looks to have made a full recovery prior to reporting to camp last week. The 35-year-old Perez heads into the upcoming campaign with considerable tread on his tires after logging at least 140 starts in four of the past five seasons. However, the Royals made more of an effort to keep him fresh last season by limiting him to 89 starts at catcher, with his other 66 coming at either designated hitter or first base. With young catcher Carter Jensen expected get a full-time look in the majors in 2026, the Royals should be able to continue managing Perez's workload behind the dish while still keeping his bat in the lineup on a near-everyday basis.

Del Castillo said Monday that he expects to be sidelined for around one month due to his left calf injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

While Del Castillo is hopeful that he'll be able to play in at least one Cactus League game or exhibition before the beginning of the regular season, the extended time he'll miss this spring could end up costing him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Arizona is expected to head into the season with Gabriel Moreno and James McCann as its top two catchers, so Del Castillo would merely provide a third option at the position and would likely see most of his playing time at designated hitter. Because the 26-year-old still has a pair of minor-league options remaining, the Diamondbacks may prefer to option Del Castillo to Triple-A Reno, which would allow him to play on a more regular basis once he overcomes the calf issue.

Realmuto is an option to bat cleanup in 2026, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Manager Rob Thomson considers Alec Bohm the favorite for the role, and it sounds like Adolis Garcia is in contention as well. Realmuto enters his age-35 campaign in fairly evident decline, considering his OPS has dropped steadily in each of the past four seasons, but the possibility of hitting fourth in Philadelphia's lineup at least gives him some upside as a late-round catcher option in fantasy drafts.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Ballesteros (personal) isn't expected to report to camp until next weekend at the soonest, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The Cubs are short on catching depth for the early part of camp, as Ballesteros and non-roster invitee Christian Bethancourt continue to work through visa issues that have delayed their arrival in the United States. A poor defender, Ballesteros likely won't be counted on to make frequent starts behind the plate with the Cubs in 2026, but he's an impact bat who could push his way into the everyday lineup as a designated hitter. Ballesteros didn't look overmatched in his first exposure to big-league pitching last season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with a 13.6 percent walk rate and 18.2 percent strikeout rate over his 66 regular-season plate appearances for Chicago.

The Mets claimed Rortvedt off waivers Sunday.

Rortvedt has been continually on the move during the offseason, and he's now been claimed via waivers for a third time since the beginning of November. The 28-year-old likely won't have much roster security with the Mets since Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are locked in as the big club's top catchers.

The Tigers announced Sunday that Dingler (elbow) is working his way through a throwing progression, but he's taking part in all other baseball activities, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

After a Gold Glove-winning 2025 campaign, Dingler underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Jan. 28 and is still working his way back to full strength. While the backstop will need to prove he can throw with his usual velocity and distance in order to avoid a stint on the injured list to open the season, Dingler should be able to pick up at-bats at designated hitter during Grapefruit League games until he's cleared for defensive duties.

Narvaez (knee) will serve as Boston's starting catcher again in 2026, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

According to manager Alex Cora, Narvaez's knee was a problem throughout the entire 2025 season. Narvaez was able to avoid the injured list and remained an excellent defensive backstop, but the injury helps explain his offensive downturn in the second half, when he posted a .187/.233/.387 slash line. Following a left knee meniscectomy in October, Narvaez will slot back in as the No. 1 catcher for the Red Sox ahead of Connor Wong.