MLB Player News

Maile went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI singles in Sunday's 7-3 Grapefruit League win over the Red Sox.

Both of Maile's run-scoring hits, which came in the fourth and eighth innings, were of the two-out variety. The 26-year-old is locked in a battle with Curt Casali and non-roster invitee Jesus Sucre, who's impressed thus far both at the plate and behind it, for a roster spot. He slashed .227/.252/.361 over 126 plate appearances last season, which represented an improvement over his initial 15-game major league stint in 2015. Maile doesn't offer much in the way of power but does flash above-average speed for a catcher, as evidenced by 11 triples and 13 stolen bases in 18 attempts at the minor league level.

Stubbs (shoulder) didn't throw for the third straight day because of discomfort in his shoulder, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

It doesn't seem too serious, but the Astros are playing it safe with the 23-year-old, who is being held out of Grapefruit League games for the time-being. He slashes .304/.391/.469 in 86 games last season between High-A and Double-A, and he'll likely work in the minors again in 2017.

Narvaez developed a good rapport with several of the White Sox's starters in 2016, something that gives him an edge to claim a roster spot when the team heads north.

Narvaez was decent (.267) in his introduction to the majors, but his presence was felt behind the plate more, a notion reinforced by Carlos Rodon's 3.45 ERA in 12 starts with Narvaez as his battery mate. If the future ace of the staff is comfortable throwing to Narvaez, you can bet he'll have a spot on the 25-man roster. Unfortunately for fantasy players, there's little in Narvaez's minor-league profile to suggest he'll be anything more than a .250-hitter with little pop.

Collins will have to prove he can catch at the major-league level, according to scouts, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Collins, the White Sox's fourth-ranked prospect according to RotoWire, says he uses those scouting assessments as fuel to improve as a catcher. The White Sox also have acknowledged the need to develop his defensive skills, having him primarily focus on that area of the game during the Arizona Fall League. There's a lot on a young catcher's plate -- blocking balls, calling pitches, controlling baserunners, framing pitches -- those are the areas Collins needs to develop over the next few seasons ahead of his 2019 ETA.

Stubbs reported to training camp weighing 10 pounds heavier than when he finished playing in the Arizona Fall League last November, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stubbs, the organization's seventh-ranked prospect according to RotoWire, is the catcher closest to the major leagues after reaching Double-A Corpus Christi in 2016. Between High-A Lancaster and his time with the Double-A Hooks, he slashed /304/.391/.469/.860 and was actually better after leaving the hitter-smooching High-A California League. The Astros want to see the slight-framed catcher bulk up to better handle the rigors of catching long term. He'll reach Triple-A this season and is on schedule for MLB in 2018 or 2019.

Perez will begin the 2017 season as the backup catcher to Yan Gomes, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Manager Terry Francona made it clear Thursday morning that there will be no competition between Perez and Gomes for the primary job behind the plate. The skipper added that he'll look for opportunities to work Perez into the mix as often as possible. Even as the backup, the 28-year-old should see a fair amount of innings. Gomes has played in fewer than 100 games in four of his five professional seasons, and he hit a career-low .167 in 251 at-bats last year. If he struggles early or suffers another injury, Perez, who's already a decent fantasy asset in deep leagues, becomes an immediate option across most formats.

Manager Mike Scioscia said that he will let his catcher situation play out this spring and Perez isn't guaranteed to be a backup, the Orange Country Register reports.

It was thought that Martin Maldonado would see the majority of starts behind the dish when the club acquired him this offseason, and while that may end up happening, it appears Perez will get a chance to prove himself this spring. Neither option offers much from an offensive standpoint, so a timeshare would ultimately end what little fantasy value both catchers would have had if there was a full-time starter.

Manager Mike Scioscia said he will let his catcher situation play out this season, the Orange County Register reports.

Initial thinking was that Maldonado would get the lion's share of starts behind the dish with his new club, but Scioscia may have other ideas regarding how he splits up starts behind the plate. He brought up a good point in that Maldonado has never caught 100 games in a season before. Scioscia even hinted at a potential 50-50 split in playing time between he and fellow catcher Carlos Perez. Neither catcher had much offensive value in the first place, but a timeshare would almost assuredly render both useless in even deep formats.

McCann has simplified his approach at the plate in an effort to cut down on strikeouts, MLive.com reports.

McCann struck out 29.2 percent of the time last season, which was the highest rate of his MLB career. McCann's batting average also dropped to a career-worst .221. "Last year was really the first year that I struck out at the rate that I did," he said. "I think the changes that I've made will impact that area directly." McCann figures to be Detroit's primary catcher in 2017, although Alex Avila figures to snag some playing time as well.

Gomes will remain the starting catcher ahead of Roberto Perez to open the 2017 campaign, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

In 2014, Gomes hit 21 homers with a .785 OPS and won the AL Silver Slugger award for backstops. He declined in 2015 and then the bottom fell out last season. Gomes hit .167/.201/.327 and his postseason playing time was usurped by Roberto Perez. After suffering a separated right shoulder that cost him more than two months in 2016, the 29-year-old says he feels 100 percent healthy entering this season. Cleveland has invested a lot in Gomes, who is signed through 2019 with team options for the '20 and '21 seasons, so they'll give the catcher plenty of leeway to find his stride in the upcoming campaign.