MLB Player News

Garver will start at catcher and bat seventh against the Phillies on Saturday.

Garver is making his 2023 debut after ceding catching duties to Jonah Heim in the season opener Thursday. After playing just 14 games at catcher in 2022 due to a forearm injury, he may not qualify at catcher depending on league settings, but Garver is expected to share backstop duties with Heim in 2023. He'll also rotate at designated hitter along with Heim and Brad Miller, who will start at DH on Saturday.

Grandal will head to the bench for Saturday's game against Houston.

Grandal went 2-for-8 with a home run in the first two games of the year, but it's no surprise that the veteran catcher isn't being asked to crouch for three straight days this early in the year. Seby Zavala takes over behind the plate, catching for Lucas Giolito.

Raleigh went 1-for-4 with a two-run double in the Mariners' loss to the Guardians on Friday.

The slugging backstop was one of the few bright spots on the night for the Mariners, knocking in Kolten Wong and Ty France with his third-inning double to knot the game at 3-3. The fact Raleigh already has an extra-base knock on the board in 2023 is par for the course, considering the 26-year-old came into the season having recorded at least a double on 62 of his first 103 major-league hits.

Vazquez started at catcher and went 2-for-4 in Thursday's season-opening win over Kansas City.

Vazquez should be the primary catcher for the Twins, with the only question being how much playing time backup Ryan Jeffers will receive. The 32-year-old Vazquez slashed .274/.315/.399 with nine home runs, 52 RBI, one stolen base and 41 runs scored over 119 contests last season between Boston and Houston.

Garver did not play in Thursday's 11-7 win over the Phillies.

The switch-hitting Jonah Heim got the start behind the plate against Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola, while Brad Miller served as the designated hitter. Those two players plus Garver are expected to see most of the at-bats at DH this season for the Rangers.

Grandal went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 3-2 victory over the Astros.

The White Sox were unable to get on the scoreboard through seven innings before Grandal broke through with a 401-foot solo shot off Rafael Montero in the eighth. The veteran backstop experienced a dramatic decline in power last season with just five homers in 376 plate appearances, so this was a promising start to the campaign. Grandal's fantasy stock has fallen dramatically due to his struggles in 2022, but it's worth remembering that he hit at least 22 long balls each campaign (aside from the shortened 2020 season) from 2016 to 2021.

Rutschman went 5-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and a walk during Thursday's 10-9 victory over the Red Sox.

After impressing in spring training by recording a 1.015 OPS in 50 plate appearances, Rutschman picked up right where he left off by hitting a solo home run off Corey Kluber in the first inning. Of course, his 1.000 batting average is sure to fade as the season progresses, but the 25-year-old backstop could provide more great hitting performances this season as he continues to establish himself as one of the best offensive catchers in baseball.

Angels manager Phil Nevin said O'Hoppe will be the team's starting catcher in Thursday's season opener in Oakland, Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Less than a week ago, O'Hoppe looked as though he would open the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, but Max Stassi's (hip) move to the injured list has not only freed up a spot on the Opening Day roster for the 23-year-old backstop, but also a perhaps a temporary run as the Angels' No. 1 catcher. Nevin hasn't outlined how he plans to divvy up the starts at catcher between O'Hoppe and Matt Thaiss while Stassi is out, but given that the 27-year-old Thaiss owns an unremarkable .291 wOBA over 278 career MLB plate appearances and is coming off a poor spring at the plate, the Angels may be motivated to give the younger prospect a chance to prove he belongs in the majors. On the heels of a poor season at the dish, Stassi likely didn't have much job security prior to getting hurt, so if gets off to a hot start, O'Hoppe could hold down the No. 1 gig for good even after Stassi returns to full health.

The Guardians selected Gallagher's contract from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.

Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria both made the roster and will be behind Mike Zunino on the depth chart. The fantasy value among the trio figures to be pretty minimal.

Diaz is starting in the designated hitter spot and batting sixth for the Astros in Thursday's opener versus the White Sox.

The Astros are carrying three catchers in part so they can use Diaz at DH and he's in that slot for the first regular-season contest. It enhances his fantasy outlook, although he might not yet be catcher-eligible in your league. Worth remembering is that Michael Brantley (shoulder) will be used at DH when he's ready, as will Yordan Alvarez.