MLB Player News

Sanchez has a sore back but is expected to return to game action Monday, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.

He played Thursday and Friday and wasn't scheduled to catch Saturday, but it's still noteworthy that he is dealing with some soreness. This doesn't sound like a reason to downgrade him in fantasy drafts, but if he is unable to get back into game action next week, that could change.

Realmuto is a candidate to lead off this season, at least until Andrew McCutchen (knee) returns from the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto batted everywhere from second to fifth last season. A catcher leading off would certainly be unusual, but Realmuto has good speed for the position, stealing at least eight bases in four of the last five seasons. His .328 on-base percentage from last season is hardly an elite mark for a leadoff man, but he's been as high as .343 in that category in the past. If he does move up to the leadoff spot, expect a few extra runs, offset by a slight drop in RBI. Scott Kingery, Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn were also mentioned by manager Joe Girardi as options for the role.

Deglan was sent to minor-league camp Thursday.

The move comes as no surprise as Deglan is not on the 40-man roster and has logged only 19 at-bats at the Triple-A level. The 27-year-old played in five Grapefruit League games, collecting three hits in five plate appearances, including one double.

Mejia is trying out a new stance behind the plate in an effort to improve defensively, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

In the adjusted stance, Mejia kneels rather than squats. The Padres hope the change will enable Mejia to better frame and block pitches as he ranked among the worst backstops in baseball in multiple defensive metrics last season. In spite of his offensive potential, the team has not committed to making Mejia their unchallenged starter at catcher thanks largely to his poor glovework and the exceptional defense of fellow backstop Austin Hedges. The pair figure to fall into some sort of timeshare this season, but if Mejia can show adequate progress behind the plate, he could lock up the lion's share of playing time before long.

Rutschman was assigned to minor-league camp by the Orioles on Friday.

The 2019 first overall pick spent the first couple weeks of spring training in major-league camp, but there was never a realistic chance of him sticking with the big club. Rutschman progressed quickly through rookie ball and finished his first professional season at Low-A Delmarva, though he struggled with a .594 OPS in 46 plate appearances.

Narvaez went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a walk in Thursday's spring game against the Reds.

Narvaez has seen steady playing time this spring and has reached base five times in 15 plate appearances over six games. He is set to open the season as the Brewers' primary catcher, but he will cede at least some starts and at-bats to Manny Pina when the Brewers face left-handed starters and/or manager Craig Counsell wants Pina's superior defense behind the plate.

Stassi (hip) is starting behind the plate and batting sixth in Friday's Cactus League game versus the Royals.

The 28-year-old has previously served as a designated hitter in spring games, but his return to defensive action indicates he's been fully cleared from offseason hip surgery. Stassi is expected to compete with Anthony Bemboom for the backup catching job in spring training.

Grandal (calf) is starting behind the plate and batting cleanup for Friday's Cactus League matchup with the Cubs, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The veteran backstop caught three innings during the White Sox's "B" game Wednesday against the Reds, but Friday will represent his first foray into Cactus League action this spring. Grandal still figures to be limited to a few innings Friday, but it's a promising sign for his Opening Day status as he continues his recovery from the calf strain he sustained in mid-February.

Nola, who's hitting .250 (4-for-16) with one RBI and two runs over his first six Cactus League games, will split playing time at catcher with Tom Murphy fairly evenly this season, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

The Mariners traded Omar Narvaez to the Brewers this offseason, leaving the primary backup job at catcher to Nola, who logged time most of his time at first base during his rookie 2019 campaign. However, manager Scott Servais confirmed Thursday that he envisions Nola being very close in playing time to Murphy in an effort to help prevent wear and tear on both players. "I think it's really going to be a balance," Servais said. "Everybody says, 'Oh, Murphy is the starting catcher.' He'll start Opening Night, probably. We'll see. But those guys are going to be more of a 55-45 [percent split]. They're both going to play a very similar amount."

Wynns (groin) said he was scratched ahead of Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins merely as a precaution, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. "Everything's good," Wynns said. "Just taking precautions, but ready to go."

Wynns is likely just dealing with some minor soreness after taking a foul ball to his groin area while he was catching Monday. He's expected to check back into the spring lineup within the next few days, so his brief absence shouldn't impact his chances of beating out Chance Sisco for the Orioles' No. 2 catching job.