MLB Player News

The Diamondbacks placed Del Castillo on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a left calf strain.

Del Castillo was unable to make any Cactus League appearances after straining his left calf shortly before the start of camp, but he made enough progress in his recovery for Arizona to clear him to serve as a designated hitter in a minor-league spring training game earlier this week, per MLB.com. Arizona will likely want Del Castillo to be available to play catcher prior to activating him from the IL, and it's unclear how close the 26-year-old might be to taking part in defensive drills.

Atlanta placed Murphy (hip) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Murphy's move to the IL was merely a formality after Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported at the onset of spring training that the veteran backstop would likely be out until sometime in May while completing his recovery from September surgery to address a right hip labral tear. Per MLB.com, Murphy was able to take on-field batting practice March 9, but it's not clear if he's taking part in defensive work or full baserunning yet. Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim will open the season as Atlanta's two catchers.

Del Castillo (calf) is continuing to rehab and has begun running, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

Del Castillo will operate as a designated hitter in minor-league games before the organization makes its next move. It's unclear what the Diamondbacks have in mind once Del Castillo is ready to play. He could serve as a third catcher and part-time DH in the majors or head back to the minors where he can continue to develop defensively.

Ruiz will be the Nationals' starting catcher to begin the season, Jessica Camerato and Paige Leckie of MLB.com report.

The 27-year-old switch hitter could get pushed by prospect Harry Ford later in the year, but at least to begin the campaign, Ford will be at Triple-A. Ruiz has seen his offense decline significantly since a career-best 2023 in which he posted 18 homers and a .717 OPS over 136 games, and if he isn't able to rebound, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him lose his starting job over the summer. Ruiz has managed just a .184/.295/.289 slash line in 16 spring games, albeit with a 5:5 BB:K.

Del Castillo (calf) will begin the season on the injured list, MLB.com reports.

Del Castillo reported to Diamondbacks camp with a left calf injury and didn't play in any Cactus League games, so it's not a surprise he's destined for the IL. It's unclear how far along he is in his rehab or how much time he might miss. Once healthy, Del Castillo could be assigned to Triple-A Reno.

Moreno started at catcher and went 3-for-4 with a double and two solo home runs in Sunday's spring game against the Padres.

Moreno was back behind the plate for the first time in two weeks. He dealt with forearm tightness for a stretch and returned to action last Thursday as the designated hitter. Now that Moreno is defending again, it looks like there will be no limitations for the catcher heading into Opening Day. He's batting .242 (6-for-33) with three homers and five RBI through 11 Cactus League contests. He and James McCann will split duties behind the plate, although Moreno could garner additional plate appearances as a DH when not behind the dish.

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer announced Sunday that Sullivan has secured a spot on the Opening Day roster, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Sullivan beat out Braxton Fulford for the Rockies' backup catcher gig during spring training. The Rockies are expected to formally select Sullivan's contract Friday, when the team sets its final roster ahead of the season opener in Miami. Sullivan split time between the Padres and Pirates organizations in 2025, seeing action in only three games in the majors while slashing .207/.264/.325 with four home runs and six stolen bases across 295 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He's expected to play sparingly behind top backstop Hunter Goodman.

The Rockies optioned Fulford to Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Fulford had a .591 OPS in 38 games with the Rockies last season but was unable to win the backup catcher job during spring training. The 27-year-old could get called up by the Rockies if Hunter Goodman or Brett Sullivan suffer an injury.

Hernandez is likely to see extra playing time in left field due to Kyle Stowers (hamstring) being set to begin the season on the IL, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Hernandez was initially see more time at DH while providing a platoon partner for Stowers in left field and Owen Caissie in right, but he now might need his glove more often. Griffin Conine will also have a big role in the LF/DH mix with Hernandez, while Connor Norby could also get some starts in left if he shows he's up to the task defensively. Hernandez is batting .226 (7-for-31) in 13 Grapefruit League games with three homers, four steals and a 6:9 BB:K.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Sunday that Stubbs will be designated for assignment if the Phillies are unable to trade the 32-year-old catcher prior to Wednesday, Ty Daubert of PhilliesNation.com reports.

The Phillies will head into Opening Day with J.T. Realmuto and Rafael Marchan as their two catchers, and since Stubbs has no minor-league options remaining, he'll have to be exposed to waivers if he isn't dealt. In an effort to strengthen his case for a roster spot, Stubbs played some third base and left field during the Grapefruit League, but it wasn't enough for the Phillies to keep him over Marchan.