MLB Player News

Fermin is projected to be the Royals' backup catcher to begin 2024, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The Royals recently signed Austin Nola, but he's viewed as an experienced depth option. Fermin has gone 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout over two Cactus League games. With Salvador Perez in the latter half of his career, it wouldn't be surprising to see Fermin shoulder more of the workload behind the dish, which could see Perez take more games at first base or designated hitter.

Cartaya has not participated in spring training games due to back soreness, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the team expects Cartaya to be ready for the start of the MiLB season. The prospect catcher is coming off a disappointing 2023 season with Double-A Tulsa in which he slashed .189/.278/.377 with 19 home runs and 57 RBI over 403 plate appearances.

The White Sox won't carry three catchers on the Opening Day roster, which could mean Lee begins the season in the minors, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The White Sox added both Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado this offseason, neither of whom have minor-league options. While Lee is a more logical fit for the rebuilding roster, he does have one option remaining. Lee has only six plate appearances to this point in the spring, but he has homered once and collected one other hit.

Sanchez (hand) could make his Cactus League debut March 14 against the Mariners, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It's not clear whether the plan is to have him catch or serve as a designated hitter initially, but it will give Sanchez just under two weeks' worth of games to get ready for Opening Day. The 31-year-old has been eased into things this spring after injuring his hand in an offseason workout. Sanchez is projected to serve as Milwaukee's DH and backup catcher.

Dingler (elbow) will come off the bench and work behind the plate in Friday's spring game against the Phillies, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The 25-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow during the offseason, and he's now game ready after being limited with his throwing at the start of camp. Dingler was added to Detroit's 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2024.

Ruiz (illness) is starting behind the plate and batting third in Friday's spring game against the Astros, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Ruiz sat out the past couple days due to an illness but will rejoin the lineup for Friday's contest. The 25-year-old is looking to take another step forward in 2024 after he posted a .260/.308/.409 slash line with 18 homers in 136 games last season.

Naylor (back) was cleared to catch a simulated game Thursday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Naylor has been held out since Monday due to back spasms, but getting behind the plate for a sim game is a good sign that the 24-year-old backstop will be able to return to Cactus League play relatively soon. Naylor is in line to serve as Cleveland's everyday catcher this season after slashing .237/.339/.470 across 230 plate appearances in 2023.

Angels manager Ron Washington said Thursday that he's hoping to have O'Hoppe make 125-to-135 starts at catcher this season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

It's a rough estimate by the skipper, and O'Hoppe could potentially make some additional starts at designated hitter. The 24-year-old backstop missed nearly four months with a torn labrum in his left shoulder last season but offered plenty of thump when in the lineup with 14 homers in just 51 games. Nine of those 14 longballs came in September. If he can stay healthy in 2024, O'Hoppe offers breakout potential.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton indicated Thursday that Grandal resides at the top of the catching depth chart but will need to have his workload limited, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

While it sounds like Shelton technically views Grandal as the starting catcher, he noted that Grandal is 35 years old and catching 100 games this season is "not going to happen." Shelton also indicated that the No. 2 catcher role is undecided, but whoever wins the job is "going to be in tandem a little bit" with the veteran. Grandal finished with just a .234/.309/.339 slash line over 405 plate appearances with the White Sox last season and doesn't make for a very appealing fantasy option.

Basallo (elbow) took on-field batting practice Thursday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Basallo doesn't look poised to take part in Grapefruit League games anytime soon, but the 19-year-old backstop is seemingly coming along well in his recovery from a stress fracture in his right elbow. In addition to taking part in batting practice, Basallo has already been able to do some throwing during camp. He's expected to open the season at Double-A Bowie, though he may be in store for a brief stint on the 7-day injured list to begin the campaign.