MLB Player News

Mejia was delayed getting into the country but should be able to join team workouts on Tuesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Similar logistical delays may pop up for a few players around the league given the difficulties of starting the season during a global pandemic. Mejia's teammate Diego Castillo's arrival has been delayed for the same reason. Both players won't be able to join their teammates until completing a mandatory quarantine, but they should have plenty of time to prepare for the start of the regular season, barring further delays.

Athletics manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Murphy will be delayed to begin spring training after the catcher required offseason surgery to address a collapsed lung, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Though Murphy won't be in attendance for the start of workouts, Melvin said he still expects the 26-year-old to be ready to go for Opening Day. Assuming Murphy endures no setbacks in his recovery from surgery, he could take on an even heavier workload behind the dish in 2021 after the Athletics traded his top backup, Jonah Heim, to the Rangers over the winter. Murphy finished with a subpar .233 average in 140 plate appearances in 2020, but he showed above-average power (seven home runs, five doubles) and drew walks at a 17.1 percent rate.

Plawecki was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

While it's not clear whether Plawecki has tested positive for COVID-19, he'll begin spring training on the injured list with pitchers and catchers reporting Wednesday. The 29-year-old returned to the Red Sox on a one-year deal in early December and should serve as Christian Vazquez's backup once he's available.

Rogers and Grayson Greiner will likely compete this spring to serve as the backup catcher in Detroit behind new addition Wilson Ramos, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The Tigers signed Ramos to a one-year deal in January, and although the veteran had a down 2020 campaign, he is set to serve as the top backstop in Detroit. That leaves Rogers to battle with Greiner, unless the team opts to carry three catchers, which seems unlikely at this point. Rogers didn't make an appearance for the Tigers last year, but he did play in 35 games in 2019, slashing .125/.222/.259 with four home runs.

Collins will be challenged for the backup catching job with the addition of Jonathan Lucroy, Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald reports.

With the White Sox building toward a deeper playoff run, manager Tony La Russa may prefer the veteran Lucroy over Collins, who has yet to establish himself behind the plate. He may still be part of the 26-man roster as a third catcher and DH if prospect Andrew Vaughn opens the season in the minors.

Rutschman has been invited to the Orioles' big-league camp.

Rutschman probably won't receive serious consideration for an Opening Day roster spot, as he's played just 37 career professional games. His debut may not be too far off, however, as he's one of the best catching prospects in years and is already quite advanced. He was reportedly under consideration for a debut last season if the Orioles managed to stick in the playoff race. Exactly when Rutschman might make his debut this year remains unclear.

Heim was sent from Texas to Oakland along with Khris Davis and Dane Acker on Saturday in a trade which sent Elvis Andrus, Aramis Garcia and cash considerations the other way, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Heim made a brief MLB debut last season, hitting .211/.268/.211 in 13 games. He may not project as anything close to a star, but he has a good chance to be a useful enough piece for the Rangers, as he hit a strong .310/.385/.477 in 85 games across the two highest levels of the minors in 2019. He'll be competing for a roster spot with Jose Trevino, Sam Huff and Drew Butera in camp.

Perez signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics on Friday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

The 30-year-old has spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues, though he hasn't done much with his opportunities and hasn't received any since 2018. in 670 career plate appearances at the highest level, he owns a .215/.257/.319 slash line. He was a member of Oakland's player pool last season but never made it onto the big-league roster.

Godoy was invited to Seattle's minor-league camp Thursday, Lauren Smith of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Godoy has spent his entire professional career thus far as a member of the Cardinals' system. He's a fringe prospect at best, projecting for a sub-par bat with average defense, but he could earn his big-league debut this season as he lines up as one of Seattle's top minor-league depth options behind the plate.

The Athletics announced Monday that Soderstrom will report to big-league spring training as a non-roster invitee.

After being selected in the first round of the 2020 first-year player draft, Soderstrom didn't get the chance to make his debut in affiliated ball due to the cancellation of the minor-league season. The assignment to major-league spring training will thus give the Athletics a greater opportunity to evaluate Soderstrom against higher-level competition, even though he won't be a serious candidate to break camp with the big club. Look for the 19-year-old backstop to make his professional debut at the rookie-ball level.