MLB Player News

Sanchez (illness) will start at catcher and bat seventh in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Sanchez has been out since Monday due to an illness, but he seems to have recovered ahead of Thursday's contest. The 32-year-old backstop is 2-for-10 with two walks and five strikeouts so far this spring, and he still projects to make the Opening Day roster as Adley Rutschman's backup.

Kirk went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

The backstop supplied the Blue Jays with their only run off Mitch Keller through the first four innings, lofting a hanging curve to straightaway center field. It was Kirk's first homer of the spring, but he's been making strong contact so far, going 5-for-15 (.333) through seven appearances. His line-drive swing probably won't ever provide consistent power numbers, but Toronto would be happy if Kirk can supply something close to the .285 batting average and .372 OBP he produced in 2022 over 541 regular-season plate appearances.

Bart has gone 4-for-11 with two home runs and six RBI in Grapefruit League action.

Bart homered for the second consecutive game Wednesday, blasting a fastball over the fence in center field during a win over the Blue Jays. He's expected to be the Pirates' primary catcher in 2025, and his start to spring training has seemingly solidified that role.

Romo is likely to begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Albuquerque, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.

Manager Bud Black has praised Romo this spring for his improvement in blocking skills and in managing a game. However, Saunders suggests that the Rockies will opt to keep Hunter Goodman on the Opening Day roster thanks to his superior skills as a hitter. Even if Romo begins the season in the minors, there's a strong chance he'll be in Colorado at some point in 2025.

Smith (knee) will start at catcher and bat sixth in Thursday's Cactus League contest versus the Rangers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith was removed from Tuesday's game against the Reds after being hit on the left knee by a pitch, but his exit was deemed precautionary and he's back out there following a day of rest. The bigger worry for the 29-year-old catcher is an ankle injury suffered last year that lingered into camp this spring, although it's not expected to affect Smith's Opening Day availability.

The Padres reassigned Salas to minor-league camp Thursday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Salas, 18, was a spring training invitee but always destined to return to the minors to begin the 2025 season. He's a gifted defensive catcher, but the top prospect slashed only .206/.288/.311 at High-A Fort Wayne in 2024, so he'll be looking to take a step forward offensively this season.

Rortvedt (shoulder) will start at catcher and bat fifth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

After getting an injection to relieve pain in his sore right shoulder, Rortvedt had been limited to designated-hitter duties in his last two spring games, but he'll step in behind the plate Thursday for the first time since Feb. 23. Provided that the shoulder issue provides no complications with his throwing over the rest of the spring, Rortvedt will be part of a timeshare at catcher with Danny Jansen to open the season.

Perez was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners due to a laceration under his left eye.

Not much is known regarding the severity of Perez's injury, but the Royals are going to continue monitoring his eye, and there's a good chance he'll be held out of action for a game or two. In the meantime, Freddy Fermin and Luke Maile should get more looks behind the dish.

Nido went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four total RBI in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Nido, who had only four home runs across 49 games for the Mets and Cubs last year, unexpectedly supplied some power in this one. The veteran joined the Tigers on a minor-league deal in January. The team has Jake Rogers and Dillon Dingler ahead of him on the catching depth chart, but Nido provides some insurance in case Detroit's catching depth is tested.

Lee was removed from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Brewers due to a bruised right hand.

X-rays on Lee's hand came back negative after the game, and he is officially considered day-to-day. The 26-year-old backstop suffered the injury during the third inning of Wednesday's contest while attempting to throw to third base to catch a stealing Sal Frelick. The White Sox may give Lee a day or two off to recover, which will open up more reps behind the plate for prospect Edgar Quero.