MLB Player News

Grandal (knee) started at designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's spring game against the Angels.

Grandal, who made his Cactus League debut, has been dealing with a twisted knee suffered during a running drill Feb. 24. There's still no word on when he'll start behind the plate or what his availability will be come Opening Day, but there is more than two weeks remaining in spring training for him to progress to the point of catching.

Bart is 6-for-13 with one home run, three runs scored, two RBI, two walks and two stolen bases through seven spring training games.

It's the 24-year-old's third year in big-league camp with the Giants, and he's impressed at the plate each year. Bart made the jump to the majors last season and struggled with a .608 OPS and 36.9 percent strikeout rate, but he should be headed to Triple-A for 2021 to continue his progression. Buster Posey is back as the starter after opting out in 2020, and Curt Casali signed over the offseason to likely operate as the primary backup catcher.

Manager Bob Melvin expects Murphy (lung) to play in a spring training game sometime this week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

The 26-year-old has yet to make his spring debut after undergoing offseason surgery to address a collapsed lung, but he's been taking part in baseball activities for the past couple weeks. Murphy should have enough time to ramp up for Opening Day if he's able to see game action this week as expected.

Soderstrom is 2-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI over his first six Cactus League games.

The 26th overall pick of the 2020 first-year player draft, Soderstrom lost out on his first opportunity for extended professional development with the cancellation of the 2020 minor-league season. The 19-year-old is gaining from the experience of being around the big-league club this spring, however, and he hasn't looked out of place over the small sample of at-bats thus far. Soderstrom is thought to have a bright future at catcher and will likely start the 2021 season at either the rookie or Low-A level.

Nido (foot) is expected to be ready to hit Sunday but isn't quite ready to catch, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Nido was scratched from Friday's lineup after fouling a ball off his foot the day before. X-rays were negative and he's already able to hit, so there's little reason to fear for his readiness for Opening Day.

Stassi started at catcher in Friday's Cactus League game versus Arizona, playing four innings and drawing a walk in his only plate appearance.

Stassi has been working his way back from the hip surgery he underwent last October, and he was consequently limited to DH duty prior to Friday. Now that he has returned to the field, Stassi should have adequate time to prepare for his role as the Angels' primary catcher this season.

Diaz went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's spring loss to the Giants.

The Rockies' catchers only combined for two home runs last year, but Diaz and Dom Nunez have now homered in back-to-back spring games for Colorado. Diaz has appeared in six games to begin Cactus League play and has gone 7-for-14 with one home run, three doubles, four runs, four RBI, one walk and two strikeouts.

Grandal (knee) will make his Cactus League debut Saturday against the Angels, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

It was originally announced that Grandal would appear in "B" games Friday and Saturday, but the White Sox changed course and will have the injured catcher appear in Saturday's main game. He served as the designated hitter Friday and went 1-for-4 and will follow up as the DH on Saturday against Los Angeles' Shohei Otani. There have been no announced plans for when Grandal will start behind the plate, although manager Tony La Russa said Grandal has been participating in catching drills and is "on time" in terms of his rehab.

Nido was scratched from the lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Marlins due to a left foot contusion, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The reason for Nido's removal wasn't initially clear, but it sounds like he isn't dealing with anything serious. He fouled a ball off his foot during batting practice Thursday, but X-rays were negative. The injury shouldn't meaningfully impact his preparation for Opening Day.

Grandal (knee) will serve as the designated hitter in a pair of B games Friday and Saturday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Grandal has been dealing with knee inflammation since late February. The White Sox have been cautious with him, and it's still not clear exactly when he'll get back behind the plate. He should still have time to get up to game speed by Opening Day as long as he begins getting defensive reps soon, however.