MLB Player News

Grandal (foot) is set to begin the season on the 10-day injured list, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The Pirates may wait until Thursday to officially place Grandal on the IL, but he'll be sidelined to begin the season while he still has yet to resume running as he works his way back from plantar fasciitis. Grandal hasn't been shut down from activity entirely, as he's still been able to catch and hit in simulated games at spring training as of last week, per MLB.com. While Grandal is on the shelf, Henry Davis should move into a full-time role behind the plate.

Narvaez will open the season as the Mets' No. 2 catcher behind Francisco Alvarez.

This was the expected role for Narvaez after he played 49 games in 2023 during his first season with New York, slashing a weak .211/.283/.297 with only two homers and seven RBI. The 32-year-old's days as a fantasy asset are behind him, and even if Alvarez were to get hurt, Narvaez would likely split work behind the plate with Tomas Nido, who will begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Sunday that Stassi's availability for Opening Day is up in the air due to unspecified soreness, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Stassi sat out last season due to a hip injury and a serious family medical issue, and it's unclear if the current problem is related to his hip. Korey Lee is likely to begin the season as Chicago's backup catcher should Stassi require a trip to the injured list.

The Diamondbacks optioned Herrera to Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Herrera's demotion signals that Tucker Barnhart has likely won the Diamondbacks' backup catching job. The 27-year-old Herrera should still be the first catcher in line for a call-up to the big-league roster if either Gabriel Moreno or Barnhart is forced to miss time at any point in 2024.

The Nationals optioned Millas to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.

Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams will handle the catching duties again for the Nats this season. Millas will provide depth at Rochester.

The Royals released Leon on Saturday.

Leon wasn't able to win a spot in Kansas City's catcher room after going just 2-for-17 while striking out seven times this spring. The 35-year-old backstop will now attempt to latch on with another organization, likely on a minor-league deal.

Serven will be on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Serven registered five hits in 23 at-bats this spring -- three of which were home runs -- and drove in 12 RBI. However, his performance likely didn't factor into the decision to keep him on the roster as much as Danny Jansen's (wrist) imminent trip to the injured list. Serven will open the year as the backup to Alejandro Kirk.

Casali will not make the Marlins' Opening Day roster, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Casali was brought in as a non-roster invitee this spring, but he was unable to beat out Nick Fortes or Christian Bethancourt for a spot on the roster. Casali has the ability to opt out of his contract with the Marlins and enter free agency, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will do so.

Bart (hamstring) is likely to play Sunday in the Giants' exhibition game against Triple-A Sacramento, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bart left Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs after tweaking his hamstring, but it appears the catcher shouldn't miss extended time. He's had an impressive spring training and is slashing .407/.514/.444 with five RBI over 35 plate appearances.

Susac, who went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a three-run shot in a Cactus League win over the Reds on Friday, is likely to begin the season at Double-A Midland but could conceivably get a major-league opportunity soon, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Susac, a first-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, has shown plenty of upside as a hitter during his first two seasons as a professional, and his success at High-A Lansing to begin last season resulted in a promotion to Midland before the end of the campaign. Susac slashed .280/.304/.360 against Double-A arms in a 13-game cameo, and if he's able to pick up where he left off with the RockHounds, he could soon find himself at Triple-A Las Vegas, at minimum. A's director of player development Ed Sprague believes there's still more power to unlock with Susac and also praised the way the 22-year-old's defensive work behind the dish improved as the 2023 campaign unfolded.