MLB Player News

After going 2-for-3 in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Padres, Amaya is now batting an even .500 this spring.

Amaya is 9-for-18 with a home run and two RBI so far in Cactus League play. The 25-year-old is slated to split time behind the plate with offseason acquisition Carson Kelly this season, though Amaya could seize a larger share of playing time if he continues to show progress as a hitter. He finished with an OPS below .700 each of the last two years but flashed more offensive upside as he came up through the minors.

Baldwin has a chance to open the season as Atlanta's starting catcher after Sean Murphy suffered a fractured rib Friday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

The injury will keep Murphy out for the rest of the spring, and at a minimum, he'll be out for the first week or two of the season. Baldwin, the club's top prospect, slashed .276/.370/.423 with 18 home runs between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024. He is not yet on the 40-man roster, which could work against him if Atlanta is confident Murphy will not miss much time. However, Baldwin offers much more upside than the other catching options in camp (Chadwick Tromp, Sandy Leon and Curt Casali).

Murphy will be out for 4-to-6 weeks after being diagnosed Monday with a fractured rib on his left side, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Murphy suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch Friday, and he will need a stint on the injured list to begin the season. The door is now open for top prospect Drake Baldwin to begin the season as Atlanta's starting catcher. However, Baldwin is not on the 40-man roster, so the club could go with Chadwick Tromp and one of Sandy Leon or Curt Casali if they're confident Murphy's absence will be relatively brief.

Sanchez is away from Orioles camp Monday while he recovers from an illness, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez will likely need just a couple days off to shake off the illness before returning to action. The 32-year-old is in line to open the season as the Orioles' No. 2 catcher behind Adley Rutschman.

Rortvedt (shoulder) went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in Saturday's 10-1 loss to the Mets in Grapefruit League play.

Rortvedt played for the first time since receiving an injection in his sore right shoulder early last week, though he was limited to a non-defensive role. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rortvedt will be available off the bench again Monday versus Atlanta, but if called upon to play, the 27-year-old will most likely replace starting designated hitter Eloy Jimenez. According to MLB.com, the Rays are targeting Thursday's game versus the Phillies for Rortvedt's return to catching duty, assuming his throwing is no longer compromised by the shoulder issue.

Driscoll has been sidelined after rolling his right ankle and will see a doctor Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Driscoll is on the 40-man roster, but as Topkin notes, Driscoll likely was headed to Triple-A to start the year regardless of health. He slashed .288/.362/.468 with seven home runs in 72 minor-league games a season ago.

Fortes (back) is starting at catcher and batting eighth in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

Fortes was scratched from Sunday's lineup with back spasms but he is evidently over the issue a day later. Fortes is the incumbent behind the dish, while prospect Agustin Ramirez is the higher-upside option who could push Fortes for playing time this summer.

Ramirez continues to work on his defense in an effort to stick as a catcher when he reaches the major leagues, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Acquired from the Yankees in last year's Jazz Chisholm trade, Ramirez's bat has never been in question -- Wednesday, he posted an exit velocity of 115.1 mph, the sixth-fastest hit recorded by any player this spring and a mark topped among 2024 MLB catchers by only William Contreras -- but the 23-year-old still has work to do on his pitch framing, blocking and release time on base-stealing attempts. Ramirez showed up early to camp to try and improve in all those areas, however, and his work ethic has been noticed by the Marlins' coaching staff. "We've been hammering all of it," catching coach Joe Singley said this week. "I think he's super talented, and there's a lot of low hanging fruit there. We're getting him in positions where he can let that athleticism go, slightly adjusting some things to help him block the ball and receive it without having to think about it too much. Just clearing up some positions for him to be an athlete." Ramirez is expected to begin the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, but if Nick Fortes' back issues linger into Opening Day, it could open up a spot for the organization's top catching prospect to make his MLB debut.

Heim went 2-for-2 with a run scored, threw out a runner attempting to steal and picked off a runner at third base in Saturday's spring game against the Brewers.

Heim had a strong game after fellow catcher Kyle Higashioka belted two home runs and drove in six a day earlier. The two backstops are expected to have a relatively even share behind the plate, which could help the switch-hitting Heim maintain a strong bat all season and avoid a second-half fade.

Vazquez went 1-for-3 in Saturday's loss to the Red Sox and is hitting 2-for-8 in his first three spring games.

Vazquez was the subject of trade rumors in the offseason as the Twins were thought to want to offload the $10 million for the final year of his contract. However, he looks set to stay on the roster and repeat sharing catching duties fairly equally with Ryan Jeffers. Vazquez continues to slip at the plate as he had a career-worst .575 OPS and .248 OBP last season, but he is still seen as a strong defender (ninth in baseball with seven Defensive Runs Saved).