MLB Player News

Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-6 win over Seattle.

Vazquez has a pair of hits, both for extra bases, in seven at-bats, a surprising start to the season for the catcher who slugged a meager .283 in 2018. He's started the first two games but will cede the position to Blake Swihart on Saturday. Vazquez is expected to get the greater share of starts based on his defense.

Gomes is out of the lineup Saturday against the Mets.

Gomes sits atop the depth chart at catcher and started Opening Day, but it's likely the Nationals will deploy something close to a 50/50 timeshare behind the plate with Gomes and Kurt Suzuki, who gets the nod Saturday. The arrangement hurts the overall fantasy viability of the two backstops, though both should warrant ownership in leagues that start two catchers each week.

Stassi started at catcher and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Rays.

Stassi got the start on the second day of the season, catching Gerrit Cole on a night when an infield error led to three unearned runs. Stassi is the clear backup to Robinson Chirinos but should make a couple of starts per week. He was a member of the team last year when Houston led in catcher ERA, so manager AJ Hinch recognizes his defensive contribution and will keep him fresh.

Barnes isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against Arizona, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Barnes collected three hits including a home run in Thursday's season opener, but he'll head to the bench Friday. Russell Martin will draw the start behind the dish in his absence.

Maile will start at catcher and bat ninth Friday against the Tigers.

After Danny Jansen earned the Opening Day start, Maile will get his first regular-season action Friday with the left-handed Matthew Boyd slated to start for the Tigers. The 28-year-old is coming off a tough spring training that saw him go 2-for-21 at the plate, but he's an effective catcher who frames pitches well which should help him earn a handful of at-bats when Jansen hits the pine.

Jansen is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Tigers.

Jansen received the starting nod in Thursday's season opener and went 0-for-3 with one strikeout. The 23-year-old figures to be a regular fixture behind the plate for the Blue Jays this season, though Luke Maile will grab the start Friday.

Murphy was traded to the Mariners from the Giants on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Murphy was claimed off waivers by the Giants at the start of this week but didn't make the Opening Day roster and was designated for assignment shortly thereafter. The only other catchers on Seattle's 40-man roster are Omar Narvaez and David Freitas -- who was optioned to Triple-A -- so Murphy will now have a chance to serve as the backup catcher. According to Greg Johns of MLB.com, Murphy will draw his first start in a Mariners uniform on Sunday in the series finale against the Red Sox.

McCann started at catcher Opening Day and went 0-for-3 in a 5-3 loss to the Royals.

McCann was the battery mate for Carlos Rodon, who worked well with the catcher during spring training, according to Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times. It's not clear if McCann will be the personal catcher for Rodon, or if the decision was borne out of McCann having a stronger arm than Welington Castillo against the speedy Royals.

Barnes went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored in the Dodgers' 12-5 win over the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

Barnes carried his hot hitting from spring training over into Opening Day, touching up Arizona starter Zack Greinke with a fourth-inning solo shot as part of his three-hit day. Barnes had a tough year at the plate last year with a paltry .619 OPS over 200 at-bats, but he's looking locked in thus far in 2019. Pedro Moura of The Athletic reported that manager Dave Roberts said he expects Barnes to get at least 60 percent of the starts behind the dish, with the rest of those starts set to go to veteran Russell Martin.

The Pirates officially placed Diaz (illness) on the 10-day injured list prior to Thursday's game against the Reds.

The transaction was set in motion several weeks ago when the Pirates ruled Diaz out for Opening Day while he remained away from the team to recover from a viral illness. Diaz has since shaken the illness and is expected to participate in simulated games or embark on a minor-league rehab assignment by the end of next week. That could put Diaz on track to return from the IL around mid-April.