MLB Player News

Bethancourt will make his first catching appearance in the Padres' Cactus League game Sunday, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The 25-year-old is being tested for a role as a dual catcher-pitcher this season, and he'll get his first action of the spring in his more familiar role after appearing exclusively as a hurler for the beginning of the spring. Bethancourt has found a surprising amount of success on the mound so far, allowing as many hits as he's garnered himself (none), so if he continues to find success there while playing good enough defense behind the plate, his combined role could be his calling card for a 25-man roster spot.

Plawecki (knee) will serve as the Mets' designated hitter for Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki had been out of the lineup for more than two weeks while dealing with a badly bruised left knee, and though he's yet to resume duties behind the plate, the fact that he's at least well enough to hit and run the bases Sunday is a step in the right direction. It's likely that the 26-year-old will get some time in at catcher before the spring draws to a close, but because of the extended action he's already missed, it appears he'll have little chance of beating out Rene Rivera for the No. 2 catching duties behind Travis d'Arnaud. Expect Plawecki to report to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin the 2017 season.

Hedges (hamstring) will take swings Saturday, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

He is still not ready to return to game action, but he is trending in the right direction. Hedges posted monster numbers in the Pacific Coast League last year, and has become a trendy late-round target in two-catcher leagues, but it is unclear how much of his success will translate against big league pitching in more neutral hitting environments.

Bethancourt has yet to allow a hit through three spring training innings as a pitcher.

Bethancourt -- primarily a catcher -- has been experimenting with pitching this spring after seeing action on the mound in two games last season. He threw another scoreless inning in Friday's win over the Angels, notching his first strikeout in the process. Bethancourt features a mid-to-high 90s fastball, but is far from a finished product. If he continues to have success in Cactus League action, then he should punch his ticket for the 25-man roster due to his unique blend of being able to fill three backup spots on the depth chart (catcher, outfielder and pitcher).

Mesoraco will be back behind the plate for the first time this spring Sunday when the Reds face the Brewers, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds have been taking things slowly with Mesoraco, who has been recovering from hip and shoulder issues that hampered him down the stretch last season. After a solid season in 2014, the 28-year-old's past two seasons have been disappointing both in terms of injury issues and his performance when he was actually on the field. He'll look to see if he can regain his 2014 form now that he appears to be finally healthy.

Hedges was held back from normal work Friday with a hamstring injury, but it's not considered serious, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The Friars' starting backstop will be handled with care heading into the regular season, and this looks like a temporary setback. After adding ample offense to his defensive prowess last season in the minors (326/.353/.597 with 21 homers and 82 RBI with Triple-A El Paso), the 24-year-old Hedges has the makings of a mixed league sleeper, though he'll likely endure some bumps in his second year of extensive MLB work.

Barnhart is out of Thursday's lineup with lower-back stiffness but, according to manager Bryan Price, should play this weekend, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

The issue doesn't appear serious, though it's worth watching as third-stringer Stuart Turner takes his place. Barnhart is likely to make the Opening Day roster if healthy and start most games while the Reds preserve Devin Mesoraco early in the season. If the latter can handle a starter's workload as the campaign wears on, however, Barnhart will lose plenty of reps. He may help fantasy owners in two-catcher mixed leagues during the spring, though.

Stewart went 0-for-1 with a walk Tuesday, catching four innings in his spring debut against Atlanta.

He picked off Anthony Recker from second base and then gunned down Micah Johnson attempting to steal second in the same inning. Stewart also drew a four-pitch walk but the Pirates will be in trouble if the 35-year-old is forced to play more than one or two games per week. Stewart, who is coming off knee surgery, has hit .272 in three seasons with Pittsburgh but compiled a meager .657 OPS.

Mesoraco could get into his first spring training game on Sunday, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Zach Buchanan reports.

Hip and shoulder injuries led to essentially a lost season in 2016 (16 games) after he played just 26 games in 2015, so the Reds are understandably proceeding with caution this spring. He says he feels good, and should be the healthiest he has been in about a year.

D'Arnaud hit his second home run of the spring Monday and the Mets are thrilled with his performance so far in camp, The New York Daily News reports. "It's really good to see because he's worked so hard to fix his swing,'' manager Terry Collins said. "And he hasn't had to throw a lot, but he threw very, very well the other day. So hopefully he's on the right track."

He's hitting a robust .450 (9-for-20) through seven Grapefruit League games and d'Arnaud's simplified swing is drawing rave reviews. "I'm able to see the ball longer and not have to cheat to get to certain pitches,'' d'Arnaud said Monday. "I've shortened the swing up so it's more direct and I don't have to over-commit too soon." The 28-year-old's track record of getting hurt on a regular basis makes him difficult to trust on a fantasy roster, but in deep leagues he's looking more and more like an intriguing sleeper for 2017.