Diamondbacks' James McCann: Set to lose work to Moreno
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McCann will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Reds.
Though he's included in the lineup for the series finale, McCann was on the bench for the previous two games and appears to have moved into the No. 2 role at catcher after Gabriel Moreno (finger) made his long-awaited return from the 60-day injured list Friday. McCann has been a serviceable replacement since he signed with Arizona in late June, slashing .247/.337/.403 with three home runs and nine RBI through his first 29 games with the team.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: On bench Sunday
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McCann is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.
McCann will head to the bench for the second time in the series while Jose Herrera receives a turn behind the plate. Arizona continues to lean on a three-man committee at catcher that also includes Adrian Del Castillo, who has typically been serving as Arizona's designated hitter but has made three starts as a backstop.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Resting Monday
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McCann is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers.
After starting behind the plate in three of Arizona's previous four contests, McCann will get a breather as the Diamondbacks kick off a three-game set in Texas. Adrian Del Castilo will handle the catching duties for the Diamondbacks on Monday.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Getting breather Saturday
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McCann isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game versus Colorado.
McCann will get a day to clear his head Saturday after going just 1-for-17 with a walk and five strikeouts over his last six games. Jose Herrera will catch instead for starter Eduardo Rodriguez and bat ninth.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Idle Tuesday
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McCann isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Padres.
The Diamondbacks have begun to use McCann behind the plate every other day since the start of August, and Tuesday will mark a day off for the 35-year-old backstop. Jose Herrera will start at catcher instead and bat ninth.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Back on bench Sunday
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McCann is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.
McCann will be on the bench for the third time in four games while the Diamondbacks continue to use a three-man committee at catcher that also includes Jose Herrera and Adrian Del Castillo. Herrera will get the nod behind the dish Sunday, catching for starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Taking reps at first base
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McCann started taking reps at first base this week, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.
McCann was signed to the roster late in June and has played regularly since his arrival. His primary job remains that of catcher, but he's hit well in nine games (1.224 OPS) and could spell Josh Naylor when needed, giving McCann another route to playing time once Gabriel Moreno (finger) is healthy.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Guides another struggling starter
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McCann went 1-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over San Diego.
McCann's been a welcome addition to the offense, going 7-for-20 (.350) with six walks, four extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored over his first seven contests. However, his biggest contribution may be as a manager of pitchers. After backstopping Zac Gallen through two consecutive strong outings, McCann guided Brandon Pfaadt through eight innings, the starter's longest outing of the season. Prior to McCann's arrival, Pfaadt had failed to pitch six innings in seven straight starts (8.48 ERA), but he's thrown six and now eight innings (12 strikeouts, 3.86) in his two starts with McCann as a batterymate.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Guides Gallen through gem
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said prior to Monday's 6-3 win over the Padres that he would continue to have McCann catch for right-hander Zac Gallen if the battery continues to achieve positive results, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Given that Gallen allowed one unearned run on five hits and one walk while striking out nine over six innings Monday, McCann looks like a good bet to remain in the lineup in Gallen's next turn through the rotation. Prior to the Diamondbacks signing McCann on June 23, Gallen endured a nine-start stretch during which he posted a 6.97 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with 21 walks through 51.2 innings. In the two subsequent outings with McCann behind the dish, the right-hander has gone 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, 19 strikeouts and one walk over 13 innings. The catcher has also produced at the plate, going 6-for-18 with two doubles, one home run, three RBI and five runs over six starts behind the dish.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Homers in win
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McCann went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and two total runs scored in Tuesday's 8-2 win over the Giants.
McCann's first homer of the year was the Diamondbacks' last run in this contest. The catcher is 4-for-8 with two extra-base hits, two RBI, three walks and four runs scored over three contests since signing a major-league deal with Arizona on June 23. He's seen a little less time than Jose Herrera behind the dish, but both have been steady at the plate, so the playing time is unlikely to change much.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Two hits in Saturday's loss
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McCann went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-7 loss to Miami.
McCann made his second start behind the plate since the Diamondbacks signed him Monday. The veteran backstop was drilled by a pitch on the hand Saturday but was able to stay in the game. He's expected to split work behind the dish with Jose Herrera until Gabriel Moreno (finger) returns from the injured list.
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Diamondbacks' James McCann: Gets MLB deal from Arizona
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The Diamondbacks signed McCann to a one-year contract Monday.
The veteran backstop will share catching duties with Jose Herrera while Gabriel Moreno (hand) is on the injured list. Before Atlanta released him over the weekend, McCann had played exclusively in the minors in 2025, slashing .305/.345/.510 over 165 plate appearances. The 35-year-old owns a .673 OPS over parts of 11 seasons in the big leagues but probably offers more value as a game caller and a defender than as a hitter at this stage of his career.
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James McCann: Expected to sign with Arizona
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McCann is expected to sign a major-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
McCann had a rolling opt-out clause in his minor-league deal with Atlanta, meaning that if another team offered him a major-league job, Atlanta needed to either promote him or allow him to leave. Since Atlanta was set at catcher at the big-league level with Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy, the organization will allow McCann to move on to Arizona. With the Diamondbacks, McCann will add some much-needed depth behind the dish after top backstop Gabriel Moreno (finger) was placed on the injured list Thursday. McCann will likely operate in a timeshare with Jose Herrera at catcher until Moreno returns from the IL.
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James McCann: Cut by Atlanta
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Atlanta released McCann on Sunday.
After signing a minor-league deal with Atlanta, McCann never received a call to the majors despite producing a .297 average with six home runs, 31 RBI and 19 runs scored over 148 at-bats in 41 games with Triple-A Gwinnett. The veteran backstop appeared in 66 contests with the Orioles in 2024, batting .234 with eight long balls. He shouldn't have much trouble securing a contract with a new organization.
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Braves' James McCann: Inks minor-league deal with Atlanta
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McCann agreed to a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
McCann will catch on with Atlanta after he spent 2024 in Baltimore, batting .234 with eight home runs, 31 RBI, 27 runs scored and one stolen base over 233 plate appearances during the regular season. Drake Baldwin and Chadwick Tromp had been expected to open the season as Atlanta's catching tandem while Sean Murphy recovers from a fractured rib, but McCann could get one of the two spots if Atlanta prefers to have a backstop on the roster with more MLB experience.
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Orioles' James McCann: Starting at catcher in Game 1
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McCann will start at catcher and bat ninth Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Royals, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
With left-hander Cole Ragans toeing the slab for the Royals, the Orioles are going with McCann behind the plate and Adley Rutschman at designated hitter in Game 1. McCann closed out the regular season on a high note with a 1.087 OPS and four home runs in September.
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Orioles' James McCann: Blasts three-run homer
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McCann went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Sunday against the Twins.
McCann's three-run shot provided the winning runs for the Orioles and gave him eight home runs on the year. Over his final 14 games spanning 49 at-bats, McCann contributed a .265 batting average with five homers and 15 RBI. He'll continue to play a key role off the bench for the Orioles as they begin their postseason push Tuesday at home against the Royals.
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Orioles' James McCann: Goes deep twice
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McCann went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI in Friday's win against the Tigers.
McCann knocked a two-run shot in the fourth inning and then capped off Baltimore's seven-run night with a solo shot in the sixth. He's hit four home runs over his last 11 appearances dating back to Aug. 20. The veteran catcher owns a .645 OPS with 16 extra-base hits through 221 plate appearances this season.
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Orioles' James McCann: Goes deep in win
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McCann went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Sunday's win against the Rockies.
McCann accounted for Baltimore's only two extra-base hits during the 6-1 victory. He ripped a two-run homer in the fourth inning followed by a double in the ninth. It was his fifth home run of the year and second in his last five appearances. McCann is slashing .223/.270/.348 with 13 extra-base hits and 22 RBI through 200 plate appearances.
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Orioles' James McCann: Smacks fourth home run
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McCann went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and three total RBI in Tuesday's 9-5 win over the Mets.
McCann made his presence felt against his former team, extending Baltimore's lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second inning before blasting a two-run homer off Jose Quintana in the fourth. The 34-year-old McCann has been solid at the plate recently, going 10-for-33 (.303) over his last 11 games. Overall, he's slashing .226/.277/.339 through 184 plate appearances this year with four homers, 19 RBI and 23 runs scored while backing up Adley Rutschman behind the plate.