MLB Player News

Diaz "seems to have moderately separated himself" in the competition to be the Padres' No. 1 catcher, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Diaz first came to San Diego on a minor-league deal last August and ended up going just 4-for-21 over 24 regular-season games with the Padres. However, the offseason departure of Kyle Higashioka opened up a battle for the team's primary catcher role, and none of the club's backstops has seized hold of the opportunity this spring. Diaz is just 3-for-18 with five strikeouts and one walk, but Luis Campusano has been even less productive with a 2-for-16 line, while Brett Sullivan has gone 2-for-15 and Martin Maldonado is 0-for-13. Ethan Salas is viewed as the catcher of the future for San Diego, but he won't turn 19 until June and has just 33 plate appearances at Double-A under his belt. Cassavell speculates that Diaz's reputation as a good defender could earn him the starting role come Opening Day, though the catcher situation could be fluid throughout the campaign and tilt at any time this spring if one of the backstops goes on a hot streak.

Fry (elbow) was cleared to begin taking dry swings Wednesday.

The Guardians sent Fry to the 60-day IL in February, which ensures he'll be out until at least May 26. Depending on how quickly he progresses through the rest of his rehab from November elbow surgery, he may be ready to contribute as a DH by then, though he won't have any hope of playing in the field or behind the plate until 2026.

Wong was scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League lineup versus the Twins due to illness, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Wong appears to have caught the bug that's been going around Boston's clubhouse this month. He should be OK after a day or two of rest. Seby Zavala will sub in at catcher Wednesday.

Baldwin was scratched from Atlanta's lineup for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles due to an allergic reaction.

Atlanta describes Baldwin's removal from the lineup as precautionary, so the young backstop can be considered day-to-day moving forward. With Sean Murphy (rib) set to begin the season on the injured list, Baldwin remains the leading candidate to serve as Atlanta's Opening Day catcher.

The Rockies optioned Romo to Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday.

Romo's demotion likely solidifies Jacob Stallings and Hunter Goodman as the Rockies' catching tandem heading into Opening Day. The 23-year-old Romo already appears major-league ready from a defensive standpoint, but the Rockies would presumably like to see him show more improvement with his plate skills before giving him an extended run in the big leagues as their No. 1 catcher. Romo hit .297 with 14 home runs while striking out in just 17.8 percent of his 370 plate appearances at Albuquerque last season, but he languished upon getting his first big-league call-up in mid-August. Over 53 plate appearances with the Rockies, Romo hit .176 with a 3.8 percent walk rate and a 34 percent strikeout rate.

The Dodgers reassigned Rushing to minor-league camp Tuesday.

Rushing has breezed his way through the Dodgers' minor-league system and had a real chance to open the year on the Opening Day roster after slashing .273/.396/.511 over 169 Triple-A plate appearances in 2024. Instead, the Dodgers will give him a few more looks in the minors to start 2025, but he could certainly break through into Los Angeles if he continues to dominate in Triple-A.

The Twins optioned Cartaya to minor-league camp Tuesday, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Cartaya has gone 1-for-7 at the plate this spring while also trying to learn a new pitching staff after being acquired via trade from the Dodgers over the offseason. The 23-year-old will share catching duties at Triple-A St. Paul this season with Jair Camargo.

Serven hasn't appeared in any Grapefruit League games since March 2 due to a left oblique strain, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Serven has been taking part in daily rehab activities since suffering the injury, but it's unclear if he'll be able to return to the lineup before the end of spring training. The oblique injury likely eliminates any chance Serven had of making the Tigers' Opening Day roster as a backup catcher.

Moreno went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Monday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers.

In a lineup predominantly made up by minor leaguers and bench players, Moreno was moved up the order and batted third. He recorded two of Arizona's five hits and launched his second Cactus League home run in the sixth inning. The 25-year-old catcher hit mostly in the bottom third of the order in 2024 and is expected to be there again this coming season. He enters 2025 as the Diamondbacks primary backstop and won't be a cipher (.280/.347/.740 career slash) for fantasy rosters.

Wells went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's Grapefruit League win over the Tigers.

Wells batted leadoff in the contest, which he's been doing often this spring and may end up doing during the regular season. The 25-year-old catcher has been blistering the ball in that role in Grapefruit League action, leading off the Yankees' half of the first inning with a home run on three occasions. Wells is slashing .368/.400/.895 overall this spring and could be primed for a breakout after posting a .717 OPS over 414 regular-season plate appearances in his first full campaign in the majors last year.