MLB Player News

Mejia signed a minor-league contract with the Rays on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was abruptly released by the Angels over the weekend but has quickly found new work in a familiar spot. Topkin notes that Alex Jackson is still expected to be Rene Pinto's backup, but Mejia will provide depth at catcher and is already familiar with much of the pitching staff.

Wong (elbow) will start at catcher in Saturday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Nationals, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Wong has been limited to designated hitter duties so far while tending to a right elbow issue, but he appears to have put that behind him. The 27-year-old is in line to receive the bulk of the starts at catcher for Boston this season.

Raleigh went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in the Mariners' Cactus League loss to the Royals on Wednesday.

Raleigh connected off Chris Stratton with Nick Solak and Alberto Rodriguez aboard in the third inning to extend the Mariners' lead to 4-0 at the time. The slugging backstop has belted 57 homers over the last two seasons, and he'll once again be counted on as a primary power source in Seattle's lineup while logging the majority of the time behind the dish. Mitch Garver, signed by the Mariners in the offseason, is expected to serve as the designated hitter almost exclusively.

Sanchez (hand) will take batting practice Wednesday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Sanchez will be getting in his first BP of the spring, as he's slightly behind the Brewers' other position players in camp due to the right hand issue he suffered in an offseason workout. The 31-year-old -- who previously fractured the hand in September -- caught a live batting practice session Tuesday. At this stage, his ability to swing the bat comfortably may be of greater concern than his ability to play defense.

Jackson (shoulder) will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Jackson will pick up his second start behind the dish this spring after he went 1-for-2 with a base hit while catching four innings against the Tigers on Sunday. After being acquired in a trade from the Brewers on Aug. 1, Jackson appeared in 14 games at Triple-A Durham before being shut down for the final month of the season due to a right shoulder injury. Now healthy again and attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee, Jackson will look to win a spot on the Rays' Opening Day roster as a reserve backstop.

Ruiz is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox due to an illness, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

A bug may be making its way around the clubhouse, as Nick Senzel is also under the weather. Ruiz, who is 1-for-4 in two games so far this spring, should be considered day-to-day.

Trevino (calf) has been catching live batting practices and bullpen sessions and could be cleared for games soon, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

Trevino ramped up his activities Tuesday and is slated to continue upping the progression for the rest of this week. If he gets through that with no issues, it sounds like he'll be cleared for Grapefruit League contests at that point. Trevino has been slowed by a calf strain he suffered before camp opened.

Herrera is in line to share the catching duties with Willson Contreras in 2024, Lynn Worthy of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Herrera, 23, has a clear path to the backup role after Andrew Knizner signed with the Rangers in the offseason. Herrera is focusing on building rapport with the Cardinals' overhauled pitching staff this spring. Considering Contreras is turning 32 in May, he may see some additional time at designated hitter if Herrera performs well enough to command extra playing time behind the dish.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Realmuto is on track to make his Grapefruit League debut Wednesday versus Atlanta, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto and first baseman Bryce Harper have been spectators for the Phillies' first four spring games, but neither is dealing with an injury and both are just getting extra time to ramp up before being thrust into action. Because Realmuto will likely shoulder one of the heavier workloads among all catchers in the league during the upcoming season, the Phillies will likely ease up on his usage during the spring and instead hand Garrett Stubbs, Rafael Marchan (back) and Cam Gallagher more opportunities behind the dish. Largely because of the high volume of starts he's historically handled, Realmuto will likely continue to be drafted as a top-five fantasy catcher, even though he may be more of a neutral rather than a positive asset in batting average these days after he hit .252 while striking out at a career-worst 25.7 percent clip in 2023.

Naylor has been scratched from the lineup for Monday's Cactus League game against the Padres due to back spasms, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Naylor had been slated to serve as the Guardians' designated hitter Monday but will be replaced by Dom Nunez. At this point, it's not clear whether the back issue is a day-to-day situation or potentially something more. Naylor is projected to serve as Cleveland's primary catcher in 2024.