MLB Player News

Realmuto has hit .308/.355/.498 with one homer through nine spring games.

Spring stats shouldn't move the needle on a player's value very much, but it's still good to see that Realmuto looks fully ready to go as he heads into his ninth major-league season. His .263 batting average last season represented his lowest mark since 2015, but his .782 OPS and 17 homers were still quite good for a catcher. He also helped his fantasy value with 13 steals, a career high and the highest for any catcher since Russell Martin stole 18 bases in 2008.

Knizner is expected to start at catcher more frequently in 2022, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Knizner's increased role is designed in part to afford 39-year-old Yadier Molina more rest in his last major-league campaign. While the plan is to have Knizner play more, he'll have to hit better than the .174/.281/.236 slash line he compiled in 185 plate appearances last season to maintain the added time. The 27-year-old still shouldn't be expected to play enough to make much impact in fantasy outside of two-catcher formats.

Rortvedt (oblique) isn't expected to be ready to play in any spring training games, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rortvedt was acquired in a trade with the Twins at the start of camp but has battled an oblique strain all spring. He's expected to eventually compete with Kyle Higashioka for starts behind the plate, but Higashioka appears to be penciled in as the primary catcher to start the season, with Rortvedt likely heading to the injured list.

Collins was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.

Collins' poor defense behind the plate has led the White Sox to prefer Seby Zavala as Yasmani Grandal's backup. As a prospect, Collins was once thought to have enough pop in his bat to have a shot at carving out a role as a designated hitter even if he couldn't stick behind the plate, but his .195/.315/.330 career slash line suggests that won't be happening.

Lee was reassigned to Houston's minor-league spring training Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Lee was in camp with the big-league club but was never a likely bet to make the Opening Day roster. He hit .254/.320/.443 with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 50 games for Double-A Corpus Christi before receiving a September promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land, where he's likely to open 2022.

Ruiz is hitting .125 (2-for-16) so far in Grapefruit League action with one double and a 1:2 BB:K.

The contact is nice to see, but it's not a surprise after Ruiz posted a 9.4 percent strikeout rate in 96 big-league plate appearances between the Dodgers and Nationals last season. The 23-year-old is being counted on to seize the top catching job in Washington this season, and a handful of spring at-bats won't jeopardize his spot on the depth chart after he slashed .310/.377/.616 with 21 homers and a 30:33 BB:K across 72 games at Triple-A in 2021.

Adams should open the season as the Nationals' backup catcher behind Keibert Ruiz, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

Acquired from Toronto last season in a trade for Brad Hand, Adams posted an .887 OPS in 90 plate appearances with Washington after slashing .239/.371/.487 with seven homers in 35 games for Triple-A Buffalo last year prior to the trade. The 25-year-old's power and patience profile could give him some modest fantasy value in deep NL-only formats.

Herrera was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.

Herrera spent the majority of the 2021 season with Double-A Springfield, where he hit .231/.346/.408 across 437 plate appearances. He was promoted to Triple-A Memphis to close the campaign, though he appeared in only one game at the level. Given that, it's no surprise that he isn't starting the season in St. Louis, but he could be in line for his big-league debut if either Yadier Molina or Andrew Knizner suffer an injury.

Barnhart said he would be open to an extension with the Tigers, though no formal contract talks have taken place, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Barnhart was traded to the Tigers in November, and the team then exercised his club option for 2022. However, the catcher is open to sticking around past this season, and the organization has expressed some interest in finding a deal as well. For the time being, Barnhart will look to make a good first impression with his new team in the hopes of increasing the value of a potential new contract.

Leon exercised an opt-out clause in his contract Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Leon went 0-for-9 with an RBI, a walk and three strikeouts across six spring games this year, and he was informed Thursday that he wouldn't make the Guardians' Opening Day roster. Rather than reporting to the minors, the 33-year-old will become a free agent ahead of the regular season in hopes that he'll be able to land a spot elsewhere on a major-league roster.