MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks selected Barnhart's contract Monday.

The transaction confirms that Barnhart will be a part of the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster, which had already been made apparent when his primary competition for the No. 2 catcher role, Jose Herrera, was optioned to Triple-A Reno on Sunday. During his time in the big leagues with the Reds, Tigers and Cubs, Barnhart has been valued for his defensive work and ability to handle a pitching staff, but the Diamondbacks aren't likely to count on him to make more than one or two starts per week while top backstop Gabriel Moreno is healthy.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Monday that Grandal (foot) could be cleared to begin running early next week, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal has done advanced plyometric work as he rehabs from plantar fasciitis in his foot. He will begin the season on the injured list, which means Henry Davis will head into Opening Day atop the Pirates' catching depth chart.

Adams will begin the season as the Nationals' backup catcher behind Keibert Ruiz.

Adams was surprisingly productive at the plate in 2023, slashing .273/.331/.476 with four homers in 158 plate appearances, and he showed no signs of regression in camp. Ruiz will see a heavy workload, but Adams has earned the trust of the pitching staff and could see more consistent action in 2024, giving him some fantasy appeal as a cheap endgame catcher in deep formats.

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.