MLB Player News

Garver's MRI on his right knee revealed no structural damage and he hopes to return to game action this weekend, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

He tweaked his knee during Wednesday's game and the routine tests did not reveal anything that would keep him sidelined for long. Garver seems to be close to a lock to make the big-league roster as the backup catcher. He slashed .291/.387/.541 with 17 home runs in 88 games at Triple-A last year as a 26-year-old. Much of that production was likely just the product of an older hitter feasting on minor-league pitching, but given how barren the offensive landscape at the catching position is, he's worth a flyer in deeper two-catcher formats. He could hit double-digit home runs with a low batting average.

Garver tweaked his knee during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Houston, but is not expected to miss an extended period of time, Mike Berardino of The Pioneer Press reports.

Garver sustained the injury when he was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate. He remained in the game for a couple more innings before eventually leaving in the fifth. He should be considered day-to-day.

Narvaez (elbow) went 1-for-2 in his spring debut Friday against the Dodgers.

Narvaez was hampered with a bout of tennis elbow at the end of 2017, but it seems like that issue is now behind him. The 26-year-old batted .277 in 90 games as a part-time catcher with the White Sox. At this point, Narvaez seems to be competing for backup catching duties now that Welington Castillo is in town.

Perez is competing with Yan Gomes for the Indians' starting catching job, though manager Terry Francona noted both backstops are expected to play in 2018, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. "(It's like) when we play Kansas City, (Salvador Perez) catches a lot, and then you see (Drew) Butera catch the odd game here or there," the manager said. "We're never going to be like that. Our guys are too close together where we need them to play more than that, so they will."

Francona noted that even though both catchers will see their fair share of playing time, the shakeout won't necessarily be an even split. That said, playing time could prove similar to last year, when the starter appeared in around 100 games while the backup saw action in around 70. Perez, who opened the 2017 season as the Indians' backup, hit .207/.291/.373 with eight homers in 248 plate appearances, while Gomes posted a .232/.309/.399 line with 14 homers in 383 plate appearances. Both graded out similarly on the defensive end, so whoever performs better throughout spring will likely enter the season as the team's starter. Even in a slightly larger role, however, Perez wouldn't be more than a second catcher in deeper or AL-only formats given he's a career .216/.309/.362 hitter.

Mejia is expected to open the 2018 season with Triple-A Columbus, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. ""He's a really well thought of young catcher," manager Terry Francona said of Mejia. "I don't think he's even been to Triple-A, so there's nothing wrong with him getting some seasoning there."

With Roberto Perez and Yan Gomes expected to split catching duties again for the Indians this season, Mejia will open the year as the starter for Triple-A Columbus. Francona didn't rule out a possible promotion for Mejia if either Gomes or Perez were to go down with an injury, but at this point it sounds like the highly-touted 22-year-old will spend most of the 2018 campaign continuing his development in the minors.

Gomes is competing with Roberto Perez for the starting catching job, though manager Terry Francona noted both catchers are expected to see their fair share of playing time in 2018, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports. "(It's like) when we play Kansas City, (Salvador Perez) catches a lot, and then you see (Drew) Butera catch the odd game here or there," the manager said. "We're never going to be like that. Our guys are too close together where we need them to play more than that, so they will."

That said, Francona didn't say the two would split time evenly. Depending on who wins the starting gig in spring, it sounds like the playing time could shake out similar to last year; Gomes, who entered the season as the starter, appeared in 105 games, while Perez, the backup, appeared in 73 contests. The two were pretty similar defensively in 2017, with Gomes throwing out 42 percent of attempted base stealers compared to Perez's 43 percent mark. Gomes did hold the slight offensive advantage, however, as he hit .232 with 14 homers in 383 plate appearances last season while Perez finished the year with a .209 average and eight homers in 248 trips to the plate. Gomes will look to retain his starting role with a strong spring, though his fantasy value could take a slight hit if Perez emerges as the team's No. 1 option behind the dish.

Wynns is in the conversation to be the Orioles' backup catcher in 2018, Eduardo Encina of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Although he's in the competition, the 27-year-old is a long shot to actually garner a big-league roster spot. Wynns hit well in the minors last season, producing a .796 OPS with 10 homers with Double-A Bowie, but Chance Sisco and Andrew Susac (illness) both have major-league experience to their name. Wynns, meanwhile, has just eight games of Triple-A experience under his belt, so he'll likely head to the minors for more seasoning unless he puts together an absurdly good spring.

Deglan (undisclosed) re-signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees, Baseball America reports.

Deglan is a former first-rounder who gained prominence in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League before graduating high school. Since then, he has yet to rise higher than Double-A and he missed all of 2017 with an undisclosed injury. Still, Deglan is only 25 years old, and the year off may be just what he needs to improve on his .194/.256/.332 slash line from 2016.

Sanchez said Sunday that he spent the winter focusing on improving his flexibility, which he believes will help him from a defensive standpoint, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

After a dominant showing at the dish in his two-month stint with the big club as a rookie in 2016, Sanchez erased any doubt that he's one of the majors' premier offensive talents at catcher during his first full season in pinstripes, finishing with a .278/.345/.531 line to go with 33 home runs, 90 RBI and 79 runs. He again shapes up as an elite fantasy option at his position in 2018, though Sanchez will likely need to make more strides defensively in order to stick behind the plate permanently. For what it's worth, new Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he's been pleased with the defensive form Sanchez has shown in the early stages of camp drills, but the 25-year-old will need to do a better job of curbing passed balls in the games that count before his skeptics are silenced.

Stassi is looking to claim the final available roster spot for the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

With little drama in spring training for the World Series champs, we're left watching the one available spot for a position player. Does manager A.J. Hinch keep a third catcher, like Stassi, or an extra infielder/outfielder, such as Tyler White or Tony Kemp? Stassi's out of options, so he'll need to clear waivers if Houston wants him at Triple-A Fresno. That gives him an edge, but Hinch would feel more comfortable if Stassi continues to hit as he did in 2017 for the Grizzlies (12 HR, .856 OPS). Having a third catcher on the roster allows Hinch the flexibility to deploy Evan Gattis as the designated hitter, but it all comes down to Stassi's offense.