MLB Player News

Kelly went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks.

Kelly, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Cubs in December, connected for his first spring home run in his new uniform. The veteran backstop was brought in to pair with Miguel Amaya, and both players figure to see plenty of playing time, at least to start the season. While Kelly's experience should be valuable for Chicago, he's a limited offensive player with less upside at the plate than Amaya.

Hicks caught Sandy Alcantara on Sunday, and the Marlins' ace came away impressed by his game-calling and pitch framing, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Hicks was selected in the Rule 5 draft from Detroit, giving Miami every incentive to keep him on the 26-man roster, but Hicks is showing early in camp he can make an immediate contribution as well. The 25-year-old backstop went 1-for-2 at the plate Sunday, but it's his work behind the plate that will likely keep him in the majors. Hicks has yet to play above Double-A, and he slashed .264/.379/.357 over 113 games at that level in 2024 split between the Tigers' and Rangers' organizations. If he does secure a spot on the Marlins' roster, he'll back up Nick Fortes to begin the season.

Rortvedt will be held out of action for a few days with right shoulder soreness, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

The Rays do not seem worried that it could be a long-term issue for the catcher. Rortvedt is projected to open the season as the backup behind Danny Jansen.

Wynns (shoulder) went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Giants in Cactus League action.

Wynns made his spring debut Sunday, making his return to game action for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in July. The catcher appeared in seven games with the Reds in 2024, batting .368 with four doubles, two RBI and three runs scored over seven games.

Dingler went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees.

Dingler saw 27 games of action during his MLB debut in 2024, and his role figures to grow this year as the presumed Opening Day backup to Jake Rogers behind the plate. If Dingler impresses during camp and gets off to a hot start in the regular season, he could even push Rogers for starting duties, as the former struggled last year with a .197/.255/.352 slash line. Either way, both catchers should have some fantasy utility in deeper formats, though they figure to cap each other's value to a degree while splitting time.

Smith (ankle) might be ready to make his Cactus League debut by Thursday or Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith has been slowed early on in camp by an ankle injury, but it hasn't kept him from catching bullpen sessions or taking live batting practice and he's almost ready to play in a game. The Dodgers open their season on March 18 in the first of two games against the Cubs in Tokyo and Smith is expected to be ready to roll by then.

Murphy has been diagnosed with a mid-back disk herniation and is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Murphy was given an epidural injection and will be re-evaluated in a few weeks. The 33-year-old entered camp as the favorite to be the Giants' backup catcher behind Patrick Bailey, but now Sam Huff and Max Stassi will compete for that gig. The Giants have also promoted Adrian Sugastey from the minor-league side of camp to supplement their catching depth.

Wong (shoulder) is not in Monday's lineup against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

It was reported Sunday that Wong had a sore shoulder and would likely return to action Monday, but he's absent from the lineup in favor of Omar Narvaez. Wong should be considered day-to-day.

Hernandez signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins in November.

Hernandez is starting in left field and batting ninth in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He was once a top prospect with the Rays but he slid down the defensive spectrum and hit .187 in 44 games at Triple-A last year.

Wong is dealing with shoulder soreness but is expected to be in the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

It's unclear when exactly Wong sustained the injury, but it's not expected to keep him sidelined for long. The 28-year-old is poised to operate as Boston's No. 1 catcher this season after he posted a .280/.333/.425 slash line with 13 homers and eight steals in 126 games in 2024.