MLB Player News
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Eric Haase C | SF
Tigers' Eric Haase: Homers in Opening Day win
Haase went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a strikeout in Friday's 5-4 win over the White Sox.
Haase struck out in his first at-bat Friday when he entered the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth, but he blasted a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth to help the Tigers secure a comeback win. The 29-year-old should see a fair amount of playing time this year since he has the ability to play behind the dish, at first base and in the outfield.
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Adley Rutschman C | BAL
Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Placed on minor-league injured list
Rutschman (triceps) was placed on the 7-day minor-league injured list Friday.
Rutschman had already been ruled out for Opening Day and the start of the minor-league season due to his triceps injury, and he'll be forced to miss at least a week. The 24-year-old has resumed baseball activities and is expected to return to game action within a few weeks. While Rutschman's injury has delayed the timetable for his big-league debut, he's still expected to join the Orioles at some point in 2022.
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Max Stassi C | SF
Angels' Max Stassi: Day off Friday
Stassi will sit Friday against the Astros, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Stassi started behind the plate Opening Day but will hit the bench for the second game of the season. That could signal that Stassi will be used less frequently than other starting catchers this year, or it could simply be a way to ease him into a heavier regular-season workload. Kurt Suzuki will catch Reid Detmers in his absence.
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Cal Raleigh C | SEA
Mariners' Cal Raleigh: Gets start in opener
Raleigh will catch and bat ninth in Friday's game against the Twins.
The Mariners will carry three catchers to start the year, but it's Raleigh who will get the nod in Seattle's first game over Tom Murphy and Luis Torrens. Raleigh is a fairly interesting prospect but struggled to a .180/.223/.309 line in his 47-game MLB debut last year after posting a far superior .324/.377/.608 line in 44 games for Triple-A Tacoma. His underlying numbers in the majors suggest he deserved that poor performance, as he combined a 35.1 percent strikeout rate with a 4.7 percent walk rate, but the Mariners clearly believe he'll do better going forward.
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Zack Collins C | CLE
Blue Jays' Zack Collins: Joining Opening Day roster
Collins was recalled by the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Collins was optioned by the White Sox prior to being traded to Toronto on Sunday, but he'll win a roster spot with his new team. His presence will allow Alejandro Kirk to serve as the designated hitter while still giving the Blue Jays a backup catcher behind Danny Jansen.
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Seby Zavala C | LAD
White Sox's Seby Zavala: Outrighted to Triple-A
Zavala was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.
The White Sox acquired Reese McGuire from the Blue Jays on Sunday, and Zavala was unable to secure an Opening Day roster spot as a reserve catcher. The 28-year-old made 37 appearances in the majors last year and hit .183 with five homers, 15 runs and 15 RBI.
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Ben Rortvedt C | NYM
Yankees' Ben Rortvedt: Lands on injured list
The Yankees placed Rortvedt (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.
The move can be backdated three days, making Rortvedt eligible to return April 14. It's unclear if he'll be ready at that point, however, as his strained right oblique kept him from playing in any Grapefruit League games. Kyle Higashioka and Jose Trevino will open the season as the Yankees' catchers.
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Jake Rogers C | DET
Tigers' Jake Rogers: Placed on 60-day IL
Rogers (forearm) was placed on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Wednesday's move is simply procedural since the catcher is expected to miss most or all of the 2022 campaign after he underwent Tommy John surgery last September. He began a throwing program in early March, but it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action. Tucker Barnhart and Eric Haase are slated to begin the year as Detroit's top two catchers.
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Anthony Bemboom C | DET
Orioles' Anthony Bemboom: Wins backup catcher role
Bemboom has made the Orioles' Opening Day roster, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
Manager Brandon Hyde has selected Bemboom to be the primary backup at catcher behind Robinson Chirinos to open the season. This marks the first time that the 32-year-old has made an Opening Day roster, largely earning it by posting a .308 average this spring in 13 at-bats. With star prospect Adley Rutschman (triceps) currently unavailable, Bemboom should receive his fair-share of reps early in 2022.
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Eric Haase C | SF
Tigers' Eric Haase: Might work in platoon?
Haase may work on the short side of a platoon with Akil Baddoo to begin the season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The Tigers traded for Austin Meadows on Monday, which adds some new wrinkles to the outfield. Both Meadows and Baddoo are left-handed bats, and one or both may sit out against southpaws. In such a scenario, Haase along with Victor Reyes are options for more at-bats. Even with the addition of Meadows, Haase should see plenty of playing time, as he's versatile enough to play in the outfield, at first base and behind the plate.