MLB Player News

Sanchez did not report to Brewers camp Wednesday with the rest of the team's pitchers and catchers, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

He has still not arrived as of Friday and there's no word on when or if his reported one-year, $7 million contract will be finalized. Rosiak speculated Wednesday that negotiations might still be ongoing. Assuming the deal does eventually become official, Sanchez is expected to see plenty of action at designated hitter as well as backing up William Contreras at catcher.

Adams (wrist) appears to be fully recovered from hamate bone surgery in his wrist and has no restrictions to begin spring training, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

The catcher underwent surgery in September, ending his 2023 campaign prematurely. Adams had something of a breakout at the plate in 2023, slashing .273/.331/.476 in 158 plate appearances, but the 27-year-old remains firmly behind Keibert Ruiz on the Nationals' depth chart.

Sabol will likely get a look at first base in spring training, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Sabol, a natural catcher, is behind at least Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy at that position. He also saw time in left field last season, but manager Bob Melvin wants to add more versatility to Sabol's profile. The 26-year-old had to stay on the major-league roster all of last season after being acquired in the Rule 5 draft from the Reds, but Sabol will be able to be optioned to the minors if he can't carve out at least a utility role in 2024.

Basallo won't be ready to catch in games until around late April after being diagnosed with a right elbow stress fracture, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The top prospect is able to catch but is not yet allowed to throw. If Basallo gets into any Grapefruit League action this spring, it will be as a designated hitter. The 19-year-old is likely to be assigned to Double-A Bowie once healthy following a breakout 2023 season which saw him slash .313/.402/.551 with 20 home runs across three levels.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Trevino recently suffered a calf strain and won't be ready for the start of spring training games next weekend, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Trevino said in early February he would enter spring training with no limitations from the wrist surgery he underwent in July, but he then suffered the calf injury within the past couple weeks. The new injury is believed to be a minor issue, with Boone also saying the veteran backstop should be ready for Opening Day, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

The Pirates placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

The transaction is a procedural move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Yasmani Grandal, whom the Pirates signed to a one-year contract. Grandal is projected to slot in as the primary backup to top catcher Henry Davis while Rodriguez is set to miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing surgery in December to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow.

Dingler is recovering from arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear when the procedure was performed, but Dingler has already begun a throwing program and is able to do all other baseball activities. The 25-year-old catcher was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster over the offseason and could debut at some point in 2024.

Casali signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins on Tuesday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Casali was the backup catcher in Cincinnati for portions of 2023, though he earned only 96 plate appearances and posted a very poor .490 OPS. On the other hand, he lands in a good spot from an opportunity perspective, as Miami has only Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt as options behind the dish.

O'Keefe signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

O'Keefe saw spot duty with the Mariners each of the previous two seasons, going 3-for-22 at the plate. The 30-year-old will provide the Twins with some catching depth at Triple-A St. Paul.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that the team is "going to lean heavy" on Pinto at catcher this season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays traded Christian Bethancourt this offseason and didn't really replace him, leaving Alex Jackson and Rob Brantly to battle for the backup job. Pinto popped six home runs in 38 games last season and rated very well from an average exit velocity (90.5 mph) and barrel rate (15.9 percent) perspective, but a 34:2 K:BB was worrisome. It sounds like he's going to receive all the playing time he can handle, and he has enough power to be relevant in two-catcher leagues.