MLB Player News

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud was forced to have a bone spur in his throwing elbow surgically removed last September, but he's not allowing that to be an excuse for his struggles behind the plate last season.

"My arm feels looser. I have more range of motion in my elbow," d'Arnaud said Saturday, contrasting the end of last season with how he feels now. "I don't want to make excuses. I still should have made clean throws. You never know, though. It could have cut range of motion, so I couldn't extend all the way."

d'Arnuad finished near the bottom of the league in throw out attempts of would-be base stealers in 2014, tossing out just 19.4 percent.

Diamondbacks catcher Tuffy Gosewisch, who is considered the favorite to win the starting catcher job this spring, is not worried about the skeptics who don't believe he can handle being Arizona's top catcher.

"That's more motivation for me," he told The Arizona Republic. "All that matters to me is that the team believes in me. It seems like they do and I believe in myself. The more people that come out and say that, that's fine. That's just more motivation for me to go out and prove that I belong and I can do it."

Gosewisch is not known for his offense, but the Diamondbacks are comfortable with going with a defense-first catcher because they believe the rest of the lineup will help pick up the slack offensively.

"I know that in my position, my number one job is the pitchers," he said. "So 80 percent, 90 percent of my game has to be focused on them. Knowing what they do best and knowing what the other team does best and trying to come up with a game plan -- there's not a whole lot of stats that can be put on that part of the game.

"If I can just contribute to the team offensively, I think that's what they're looking for. I'm not saying I'm going to be an All-Star, but I'm confident in my ability to hit. I know there's a lot of people out there who doubt that, but I know I can do it and I know people here think I can do it."

Giants backup catcher Hector Sanchez said he is feeling great at the outset of spring training after missing most of last season due to multiple concussions.

"Amazing. I feel really good," Sanchez said, per CSNBayArea.com. "Two-hundred percent. I'm 200 percent (healthy)."

Sanchez said he has been fully cleared to catch.

"I love it. I love my position," he said. "It's the way I started playing baseball, you know? It's the only way I know to play baseball. I know it's not safe but I love it. I love my position." 

Sanchez will be competing for the backup catcher role this spring with Andrew Susac, who is viewed as the favorite for the job.

"He (did) a really good job and is a really good player," Sanchez said of Susac. "I came in here and I'm going to do what I have to do. I'll work hard and they'll make the decision."

The Brewers announced Wednesday that All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy is expected to miss 4-6 weeks due to a mild strain of his right hamstring.

Brewers assistant general manager Gord Ash said Lucroy's agent called with the news of the injury, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The injury is at the top of the leg, where it attaches to the hip. Ash added Lucroy mentioned some soreness in that area at end of 2014 season, but the team had no concerns about the injury at the time. Lucroy told MLB.com the injury flared up when he ramped up his running two weeks ago. Lucroy received a PRP injection Tuesday to help with the healing.

Lucroy was examined Monday by Brewers head physician William Raasch, who initially diagnosed the injury. It was then confirmed Tuesday during a second opinion with Marlins medical director Dr. Lee Kaplan, per MLB.com.

Ash said Lucroy can do some hitting, fielding and throwing while he recovers from the injury. He just can't run or perform any activities that might put serious strain on his hamstring.

Ash said the Brewers are "very hopeful" Lucroy will be ready by opening day. Martin Maldonado is Lucroy's backup and catcher Juan Centeno is also on the 40-man roster. Brewers pitchers and catchers are expected to report for spring training Feb. 20. 

This is an unfortunate setback for Lucroy, who is coming off his first All-Star season. He also finished fourth in the NL MVP voting and totaled a league-leading 53 doubles in 2014.

Lucroy has been a very good offensive catcher since 2013. Over the last two seasons, he is batting .291 with a .357 on-base percentage, .460 slugging percentage and .817 OPS.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he doesn't plan to add a veteran shortstop or catcher before spring training opens, per ESPN. However, he could add to the roster at both positions during camp.

According to the depth chart on the team's official website, Carlos Ruiz remains the starting catcher and Cameron Rupp, who has played just 22 games at the major-league level, is his backup. Freddy Galvis is listed as the only shortstop in the wake of Jimmy Rollins' trade to Los Angeles.

The Phillies enter spring training with a severe lack of depth behind starting catcher Carlos Ruiz, who is 36 and could be trade bait to a contender at the July deadline, reports Philly.com. "We're short there," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. admitted.

Cameron Rupp is the current backup. He batted .183 in 60 at-bats last year.

Tommy Joseph is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. The highly-touted 23-year-old prospect is coming back from August wrist surgery and might start the season at Double-A. He took his first batting practice a couple weeks ago.

“We’d be in trouble if Chooch goes down, so we have to continue to keep an eye on that,” Amaro said recently. “We’ve had some dialogue with some clubs about possible trades to add depth there, too. We’ll see. I think that may be something that gets more resolved in spring training than anything else.”

Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud said being more comfortable at the plate helped him surge during the second half, according to the New York Post. 

The 25-year-old got off to a slow start last season, hitting just .180 in his first 39 games. After a brief demotion, d'Arnaud returned and hit .272 for the rest of the year. When asked what changed, d'Arnaud said he wasn't "scared to go up to the plate anymore. "I wanted to be up at the plate in certain situations, and I felt so much more relaxed and free at the plate."

D'Arnaud has been working out since December, and said his goal for 2015 is to stay healthy. "For me, it’s going to help me stay healthy and going into the season being the strongest I’ve ever been," d’Arnaud said.

D'Arnaud hit .242/.302/.416 over 385 at-bats last year.

New Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said Monday he is willing to allow time to be split between he and A.J. Ellis if it means the team wins more this season.

"A.J. couldn't put it any better: He said, 'Whatever it takes to win,'" Grandal said. "If that day, A.J. is the man for the job behind the plate and we are going to get a win with A.J. behind the plate, that's going to be him. At the end of the day, if we get a ring, that's going to be a team win and we all have rings. Twenty years from now, I get to show that ring off and say, 'Hey, I won a World Series.'"

Grandal, who hit .225 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI for the Padres in 2014, was traded to Los Angeles in the offseason in exchange for Matt Kemp among other players.

"I think both teams got what they wanted," Grandal said. "The Dodgers were looking for a catcher. The Padres were looking for a big-time bat. That's what Kemp brought to the table and that's what I brought to the table."

Reds manager Bryan Price indicated catcher Devin Mesoraco could see a lot more time behind the plate in 2015, per the Dayton Daily News. He appeared in 114 games in 2014, starting 109 at catcher.

“I’ve been asked that question a lot about Mesoraco playing first base,” Price said. “How much would he play? Only if (Joey) Votto was injured. Realistically, I see him as a Yadier Moilina-type guy, who is going to catch 145 games a year, more so than I see him catching 110 a year and playing 20 or 30 at first base.

“It stood out more last year because I linked up Johnny Cueto with (Brayan) Pena catching. I anticipate Mesoraco catching a lot more games this year, especially if he stays healthy. We won’t pair Pena with Cueto as much. Devin did a real nice job with Johnny the times he caught him.”

The Reds agreed to a four-year, $28 million contract extension with catcher Devin Mesoraco, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. Mesoraco was in his first year of arbitration, so the deal covers all three years of arbitration and his first year of free agency.

Mesoraco was a first-time All-Star in 2014, when he hit .273 with 25 doubles, 25 home runs and 80 RBI in 114 games. He has a career .245/.315/.432/.747 slash line in 289 games.