MLB Player News

Rortvedt (oblique) is taking swings and will catch in the bullpen Sunday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rortvedt has been ramping up his activity in recent days, and the plan is for him to play in Grapefruit League games soon. However, it remains a possibility that he will open the season on the injured list, which could mean the Yankees would rely on a combination of Kyle Higashioka, Rob Brantly and David Freitas behind the plate.

Maile (hamstring) is expected to begin the season on the injured list, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Maile suffered the injury while running from first to third base in an early spring training contest. He has yet to retake the field. Austin Hedges and Sandy Leon will likely split time behind the dish in Maile's absence.

Rortvedt (oblique) took dry swings Friday and has been throwing at 120 feet, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Rortvedt was diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain last weekend, but it's encouraging to see him taking swings once again. The 24-year-old is expected to return to game action at some point before the end of spring training, but it's still possible that he'll require a stint on the injured list to begin the year with a week and a half remaining until Opening Day. Regardless of his status to begin the regular season, Rortvedt has certainly made encouraging progress in his recovery so far.

Rutschman (triceps) has been able to do some receiving work behind the plate but has yet to test his arm with any throwing or hitting, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Rutschman still hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day, but he has a lot to do in his recovery from a triceps strain if he's to be ready to make his big-league debut right away. He's 10 days into his two-to-three week shutdown period and remains on that schedule, as he's expected to get back to throwing and hitting in about a week. He'll at least be sharp defensively by Opening Day, as he's been able to continue his work behind the plate, but he won't have the chance to get in many Grapefruit League at-bats.

Rortvedt (oblique) has thrown at distances up to 90 feet and is expected to see game action before the end of camp, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rortvedt has been dealing with the injury for some time, as the Yankees were reportedly aware of the issue prior to trading for him March 13. However, the backstop appears to be improving, and manager Aaron Boone said that he should begin swinging a bat soon. Rortvedt could still open the season on the injured list, but if he makes it into some spring contests and doesn't suffer any setbacks, it's certainly possible that he could be healthy enough to play by Opening Day.

Langeliers was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Langeliers was acquired from Atlanta by Oakland as part of the return for Matt Olson mid-March. He closed the 2021 season at Triple-A, though it's not particularly surprising that he will start the new campaign in the minors as Sean Murphy will retain the starting role behind the dish, and the Athletics also recently signed Stephen Vogt. Despite some depth at the position, Langeliers could still be in line for his big-league debut at some point in 2022.

Stassi signed a three-year, $17.5 million extension with the Angels on Thursday.

Stassi and the Angels avoided arbitration after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal worth $3 million Tuesday. He was set to become a free agent at the close of the 2022 campaign, though he's now in line for significant playing time behind the dish for the next several seasons. Stassi has posted 136 and 107 wRC+ marks in the last two seasons, respectively, so he has some offensive punch relative to the position.

Bemboom was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit Lineup against the Red Sox due to an illness, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles didn't initially provide a reason for Bemboom's removal from the lineup, but it's unlikely that his illness will lead to a significant absence. Assuming the illness isn't related to COVID-19, the catcher should be considered day-to-day.

Kirk could have a clearer path to playing time this season than previously expected, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Blue Jays traded Randal Grichuk to the Rockies for Raimel Tapia and Adrian Pinto on Thursday.

While the Grichuk-for-Tapia part of the deal doesn't reduce the number of MLB-caliber players on the Blue Jays' roster, it's partially a cost-cutting move and not necessarily a straight swap in terms of talent. Grichuk has a better bat than Tapia, with the former's 102 career wRC+ easily besting the latter's career mark of 78. Prior to the trade, Toronto's optimal configuration may have seen Grichuk in the outfield and Teoscar Hernandez at designated hitter, leaving Kirk to fight for playing time behind the plate with Danny Jansen. Now, the best setup may see Hernandez in the outfield, leaving Kirk to serve as the primary DH. Kirk is young and inexperienced but has the talent to fill the role, as he produced a strong 11.0 percent barrel rate and an excellent 11.6 percent strikeout rate in 60 games last season.

Bemboom was removed from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup against Boston for an unspecified reason, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's not clear whether Bemboom's removal from the lineup was due to an injury, but Beau Taylor will now take over behind the dish and bat ninth. Whether Bemboom is available off the bench remains to be seen.