MLB Player News

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Rutschman has been diagnosed with a right triceps strain, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. Hyde is hopeful that Rutschman will be out for 2-to-3 weeks before returning.

Hyde's 2-to-3-week estimation appears to be an optimistic view of Rutschman's recovery timeline, as the skipper acknowledged the possibility that the catching prospect may not immediately be ready to resume baseball activities once that shutdown period comes to an end. Regardless, the injury effectively ends Rutschman's bid to make the Opening Day roster, and once deemed healthy, he may need to pick up at-bats at Triple-A Norfolk for an extended period before the Orioles consider promoting him to the majors. Since Rutschman is attending camp as a non-roster invitee, the Orioles won't have to place him on their 10-day injured list. With that in mind, fantasy managers may not have the luxury of stashing him in a reserve slot based on their league settings.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said Haase is a "catcher first," though he will play some at first base and in left field, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The Tigers added Tucker Barnhart in the offseason to play behind the plate, so there was some thought that Haase would primarily play elsewhere with Barnhart taking over as the No. 1 catcher. However, Hinch's comments suggest the two could split duties more evenly. Haase appeared in 98 games last season and popped 22 home runs, and he should maintain decent fantasy value if his playing time looks similar in 2022.

Rutschman is getting treatment for a sore elbow Tuesday, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The injury doesn't seem to be a significant one, with the Orioles expecting him to be limited for only a couple days. If it lasts longer than expected, however, it could hinder his pursuit of an Opening Day roster spot.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone both said Monday that Rortvedt will compete with Kyle Higashioka for playing time behind the plate during spring training, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Before he was dealt to the Yankees on Sunday as part of the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins, Rortvedt was a relative unknown after batting .169 over 98 plate appearances in 39 games as a part-time catcher for the Twins in 2021. The 24-year-old never posted an OPS better than .750 at any stop of the minors, but he was apparently a coveted piece for the Yankees thanks to his exceptional framing skills behind the plate. In that respect, Rortvedt is a dramatic departure from the bat-first Sanchez, and his inclusion in the deal along with another strong up-the-middle defender in shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa perhaps signals a shift in a Yankees organization that had gone all in on offense for a while. Rortvedt's stellar defense alone may not be enough to earn him the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, however, as he may need to tap into a little more pop to hold off the more experienced Higashioka for starts. At least early on, the lefty-hitting Rortvedt may have to settle for the large side of a platoon with the righty-hitting Higashioka.

Jeffers will have added competition at catcher ahead of the 2022 campaign after the Twins acquired Gary Sanchez from the Yankees on Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Jeffers briefly appeared poised to serve as the Twins' top catcher after the team traded Mitch Garver to the Rangers on Saturday, but Sanchez should now be in the mix for playing time as well. Although Sanchez was productive earlier in his career, he's lost out on playing time to Kyle Higashioka in recent seasons. As a result, Nightengale reports that Sanchez will serve as a backup catcher and designated hitter to begin the year, meaning that Jeffers should still have the chance to carve out a significant amount of playing time behind the dish.

Higashioka will likely begin the 2022 campaign in the short side of a platoon after the Yankees acquired Ben Rortvedt from the Twins on Sunday, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Higashioka will no longer have to compete for playing time with Gary Sanchez after he was dealt to the Twins as part of Sunday's trade, but he'll gain increased competition at catcher from Rortvedt, who saw his first taste of major-league action in 2021 and appeared in 39 games behind Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers. Neither backstop has been particularly productive while splitting time early in their careers, so it's possible that one of them could shift into a primary role behind the plate if they perform well early in 2022.

Rortvedt, Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa were traded from the Twins to the Yankees on Saturday in exchange for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela.

Rortvedt finished the 2021 campaign on the injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, but he should be fully healthy heading into spring training. The 24-year-old struggled to find consistent at-bats behind Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers in Minnesota, and he slashed .169/.229/.281 with three homers, eight runs and seven RBI across 39 appearances during his first taste of major-league action last year. Now that Sanchez is in Minnesota, the Yankees plan to utilize Rortvedt on the strong side of a platoon to begin the 2022 season, while Kyle Higashioka should see most of the playing time against left-handed pitchers.

Sanchez and Gio Urshela were traded from the Yankees to the Twins on Sunday in exchange for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

After bursting onto the scene early in his career, Sanchez has had some issues with contact across the last several years, hitting just .201 across the last four seasons. Despite splitting time with Kyle Higashioka in recent years, the 29-year-old Sanchez has still hit double-digit home runs in each of his major-league seasons since 2016. While Sanchez should have the chance to compete with Ryan Jeffers for playing time behind the dish after the Twins traded Mitch Garver to the Rangers on Saturday, Minnesota plans to use the 29-year-old as a designated hitter and backup catcher to begin his time with the club, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Rutschman will serve as a non-roster invitee for the Orioles during spring training in 2022, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.

Rutschman's invitation to big-league camp doesn't come as a surprise after he had a strong showing across 33 games at Triple-A Norfolk in 2021. During his time in Norfolk, Baltimore's top prospect slashed .312/.405/.490 with five homers, 25 runs, 20 RBI and two stolen bases. The 24-year-old will be a strong contender for the Orioles' starting job behind the dish on Opening Day, but it's also possible that the team sends him back to Triple-A to begin the year in an attempt to manipulate his service time.

Fry was traded to the Guardians from the Brewers on Sunday.

Milwaukee acquired J.C. Mejia from Cleveland in November, and Fry will serve as the player to be named later in order to complete the deal. Friday spent most of 2021 at the Double-A level and hit .248/.341/.447 with 11 homers and 41 RBI in 75 games before a late-season promotion to Triple-A.