MLB Player News

Huff (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Huff always would have been an undergo to break camp in the big leagues, as he skipped the two highest levels of the minors to make his 10-game debut last season. A hamstring strain suffered early in camp seemingly took him out of the mix entirely. He's entering the home stretch of his recovery, but he'll likely head to the minor leagues once healthy.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed that Vazquez (eye) will be available for Friday's season opener against the Orioles, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez probably would have been ready to play Thursday had the Opening Day game not been postponed due to inclement weather, but the extra day off should only help the backstop, who had been recovering from a laceration to his left eye. According to Bill Koch of The Providence Journal, Vazquez will bat eighth against Orioles lefty John Means while serving as the battery mate for Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi.

Barnes is starting Thursday's game against the Rockies, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Barnes was recently described by manager Dave Roberts as a "1A option" behind the plate and is expected to serve in a timeshare with Will Smith this season. While Smith should see slightly more playing time this year, Barnes will start at catcher for Thursday's Opening Day matchup, batting eighth.

Smith isn't starting Thursday's game against Colorado, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

While Smith should see most of the playing time behind the dish in 2021, manager Dave Roberts recently described Austin Barnes as a "1A option" at catcher. Barnes will draw the start on Opening Day, batting eighth.

Rutschman isn't expected to make his major-league debut until late in 2021, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Rutschman was assigned to Double-A, which indicates that he's likely a few months away from making his major-league debut. A top catching prospect, Rutschman is a name for fantasy managers to keep an eye on. The 23-year-old spent all of 2020 at the alternate training site. For now, Chance Sisco and Pedro Severino will handle the Orioles' catching duties.

Kelly isn't starting Thursday's game against the Padres.

Kelly will take a seat for Opening Day while Stephen Vogt starts behind the dish. Vogt caught Madison Bumgarner this spring and could see an uptick in playing time when the left-hander is on the mound, although it hasn't been declared that Bumgarner will use a personal catcher in 2021.

McGuire was designated for assignment as expected Thursday, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

There was some thought over the offseason that his lack of options would keep him on the roster despite the obvious talent of Alejandro Kirk, but the Jays evidently decided that potentially losing McGuire was an acceptable outcome. The 26-year-old's career .243/.281/.444 slash line in 63 major-league games could be decent enough for another team to claim him off waivers, especially as he has a solid defensive reputation.

Perez will start at catcher and bat eighth Thursday against the Tigers.

Heading into the final year of the four-year, $9 million deal he inked in April 2017, Perez remains locked in as Cleveland's top backstop ahead of Austin Hedges. Perez is well regarded for his game-calling and defensive abilities, but he regressed mightily in 2020 after slugging a career-high 24 homers in 2019. Over 110 plate appearances last season, Perez managed a lowly .165/.264/.216 slash line while striking out at a career-high 34.5 percent rate. Though he projects to have one of the larger workloads in baseball, his shortcomings at the plate render him a low-end fantasy option.

Vazquez (eye) and the Red Sox won't play the Orioles on Thursday after their Opening Day game was postponed due to rain, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

The two teams are now scheduled to play their season opener Friday, which was initially set to be an off day for both sides. Vazquez was sidelined late in the Red Sox's Grapefruit League schedule to an eye contusion and laceration, but he's expected to be behind the plate Friday, working in a battery with Nathan Eovaldi.

Barrera will be recalled from the Nationals' alternate site prior to Thursday's season opener against the Mets, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo revealed earlier Wednesday that one Washington player tested positive for COVID-19, with four of teammates and a staff member having since been identified as close contacts. Washington is expected to add five replacement players to the 26-man roster as a result, and Barrera's call-up would seem to suggest that at least one of the team's two catchers -- Yan Gomes and Alex Avila -- has been ruled out for Opening Day. Assuming one of Gomes or Avila is cleared to play Thursday, Barrera likely won't see much use as the No. 2 catcher during his time on the active roster.