MLB Player News

Lee is being given a look at first base during Grapefruit League play, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Lee is battling for the backup catcher spot this spring with Yanier Diaz, and as McTaggart points out, Diaz has shown the ability to play first base which could give him an edge on the position. Lee will get a chance to even the playing field by getting reps at first base during exhibition season, and the former first-round pick told reporters it's a position he's been practicing a lot. Be it Lee or Diaz, the backup catcher for Houston is unlikely to have much fantasy relevance this year, but both could have the chance to earn the starting gig in coming seasons.

Jackson was reassigned Monday to minor-league camp, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Jackson spent five games with the Brewers in 2022 and went 3-for-12 with seven strikeouts at the dish. He'll more than likely begin the 2023 campaign at Triple-A Nashville and serve as organizational depth in case either William Contreras or Victor Caratini goes down.

Cartaya was optioned Monday to minor-league camp by the Dodgers.

Cartaya is one of the top prospects in the Los Angeles system and was protected from the Rule 5 draft by being added to the 40-man roster in November. The 21-year-old is likely at least a season away from the majors and should begin the season with Double-A Tulsa.

Stubbs is dealing with knee discomfort and won't be available Monday for Team Israel in its World Baseball Classic game against Team Puerto Rico, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

After informing the Phillies of Stubbs' injury, Team Israel manager Ian Kinsler said that the two sides made the decision to hold the catcher out Monday as a precaution. Stubbs' injury isn't believed to be anything significant, and he could still be available for any World Baseball Classic games that Team Israel plays later this week. The 29-year-old is slated to open the regular season as the top backup catcher in Philadelphia behind starter J.T. Realmuto.

Contreras is hitting .250 with one double, one RBI and six strikeouts over six Grapefruit League games.

Contreras stayed in camp rather than going to the World Baseball Classic to get to know the pitchers on his new team. The catcher signed a five-year deal in December to become the Cardinals' new No. 1 backstop after the retirement of Yadier Molina. Contreras won't enjoy the friendly confines of Wrigley Field as often as he used to, but he's a four-time 20-homer hitter and should continue to return solid numbers at a position where those are scarce.

Fermin is 5-for-13 with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and three runs scored over eight Cactus League games.

Fermin was added to the Royals' 40-man roster in November, so he has a clearer path to the majors if he can hold onto that status. He could still begin the season at Triple-A Omaha, as Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez will handle the vast majority of the catching duties for Kansas City this season. If either of them gets hurt, Fermin would likely be called upon to serve as a backup option behind the dish.

Campusano (hamstring) is scheduled to return to the Padres' Cactus League lineup Wednesday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Campusano hasn't played in several days because of a hamstring injury, but it sounds like he's almost ready to go. The 24-year-old is competing with Austin Nola for playing time at catcher for San Diego this season. Campusano has hit very well in the minors but has yet to see that production carry over during his brief time in the majors.

Wong (hamstring) caught Corey Kluber's bullpen session Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

The Red Sox haven't indicated when Wong will be ready to return to the team's Grapefruit League lineup, but the fact that he's now taken batting practice and resumed catching suggests that he may be nearly recovered from the Grade 1 left hamstring strain he sustained March 2. Once cleared to play in games, Wong will likely require only a handful of at-bats to get himself ready for Opening Day, so he still has a chance at breaking camp as Boston's No. 2 catcher.

Kirk (personal) will start at catcher and bat third in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

As Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun notes, rain is in the forecast in Dunedin, Fla. for Monday's game, so Kirk could have his spring debut pushed back a day or play fewer innings behind the plate than anticipated. In any case, Kirk looks on track to be ready to go for Opening Day, after he had previously spent the early part of camp away from the team to witness the birth of his child. After hitting .285 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI in 2022 while also making his first All-Star Game appearance, Kirk profiles as a strong No. 1 catcher for fantasy squads during the upcoming season.

Langeliers is hitting .261 (6-for-23) with a double, a home run, three RBI, a walk, a hit by pitch and five runs across nine Cactus League games.

Langeliers, the Athletics' projected Opening Day catcher after the trade of Sean Murphy to Atlanta in December, had a quick start to his spring but has gone 0-for-8 over his last three exhibitions. The 25-year-old posted just a .218 average and middling .691 OPS across his first 153 big-league plate appearances in 2022, and the hope is the exposure he got to major-league arms and his added reps this spring will help him significantly pare down the 34.6 percent strikeout rate he generated in that sample. Results are slightly encouraging on that front thus far in Cactus League play, as Langeliers has struck out seven times in 26 spring training PAs.