MLB Player News

Romo is not on the Triple-A Albuquerque roster to begin the season as he is being evaluated for a finger injury, Patrick Lyons of JustBaseball.com reports.

Romo entered spring training projected to make the Opening Day roster, though Hunter Goodman performed extremely well to claim the backup catcher job. The severity of the issue is unclear, but Romo should make an appearance in the majors at some point in 2025, assuming he isn't sidelined for a lengthy period.

Rodriguez will start at first base and bat seventh in Thursday's opener against the Marlins.

Rodriguez is the backup catcher behind Joey Bart, but he will also see ample time at first base while Spencer Horwitz (wrist) is on the shelf. Jared Triolo -- who likely represents Rodriguez's primary competitor for playing time at first base -- will begin Thursday's game on the bench.

The Mets placed Alvarez (hand) on the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Alvarez had the stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand earlier this week and will begin strengthening exercises. He could be ready to make his season debut by the end of April if all goes well in his rehab.

Maldonado has been informed that he will make San Diego's Opening Day roster, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Maldonado's shortcomings as a hitter are well-documented -- he hasn't notched a regular-season batting average above .191 since 2020 and slashed a meager .167/.310/.208 during spring training this year. However, the veteran's defense and ability to work with pitchers are well respected, which appears to be enough for him to break camp with the big club as the Padres' No. 2 catcher behind Elias Diaz. Former vaunted prospect Luis Campusano was optioned to Triple-A El Paso on Monday, but Maldonado's roster spot could be challenged at any point in the season if Campusano shows growth with the bat in the minors.

The Giants reassigned Stassi to Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday.

Even with the Giants placing Tom Murphy (back) on the 60-day injured list to begin the season, Stassi was unable to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster as a backup catcher. The Giants will instead go with Sam Huff as the No. 2 option behind top backstop Patrick Bailey, while Stassi heads to Triple-A. Stassi hasn't seen big-league action since 2022 and was limited to just five games in the minors in 2024 before undergoing a season-ending left hip surfacing procedure last June.

The Giants placed Murphy (back) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

Murphy was diagnosed with a mid-back disc herniation in February and was expected to miss Opening Day for much of spring training, and his placement on the 60-day IL will ensure that he remains out until at least late May. While Murphy works his way back, Sam Huff will fill in as the backup catcher behind Patrick Bailey, and Christian Koss will claim the open spot on the 40-man roster.

The Nationals reassigned Knizner to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.

Knizner landed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Jan. 17. That contract included an invitation to spring training, though he struggled to a .120/.214/.120 slash line across 28 plate appearances. Knizner will begin the 2025 regular season in Triple-A, but he could get a call-up to the majors if Keibert Ruiz or Riley Adams miss time.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Alvarez had the stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand Monday and will begin strengthening exercises, SNY.tv reports.

After Alvarez has regained the necessary strength in his hand, he will progress to baseball activities. Alvarez is a little over two weeks into a projected 6-to-8 week timetable for his return, so he could make it back before the end of April if everything goes well. In the meantime, Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger will handle the catching duties for the Mets.

The Mets informed Senger on Wednesday that he will be included on the Opening Day roster, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

He will open the season as the Mets' backup catcher behind Luis Torrens while Francisco Alvarez (hand) is on the shelf. Senger will be making his major-league debut when/if he gets into a game.

The Reds placed Stephenson (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

Stephenson will be eligible for activation April 3, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to make his season debut by then while he continues to recover from a low-grade left oblique strain. He didn't appear in any Cactus League or exhibition games after suffering the injury in mid-March, so Stephenson will likely need at least a brief minor-league rehab assignment to pick up some at-bats before the Reds are comfortable bringing him back. In the meantime, Cincinnati will lean on Jose Trevino as its primary backstop, while Austin Wynns serves as the No. 2 option behind the dish.