MLB Player News

General manager Dave Dombrowski said Sunday that Marchan has won a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster, Ty Daubert of PhilliesNation.com reports.

Marchan was able to win the backup catcher job over Garrett Stubbs. J.T. Realmuto will see the majority of the starts behind the dish, but Marchan could see a slight uptick in opportunities behind the 35-year-old. Despite staying healthy for the entire 2025 campaign, Marchan was limited to just 118 plate appearances and slashed .210/.282/.305 with two home runs, 13 RBI and nine runs.

The Pirates optioned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.

The 25-year-old struggled this spring, going 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts and six walks in 14 games. Flores made his MLB debut with seven appearances for Pittsburgh last year and could rejoin the big club in 2026 if depth at first base or catcher is needed.

Atlanta reassigned Leon to minor-league camp Friday.

Leon saw action in five games with Atlanta in 2025 but had little chance of cracking the Opening Day roster after the club signed Jonah Heim to a one-year deal shortly before the start of spring training. Leon will likely need at least one of Drake Baldwin or Heim to break down while Sean Murphy (hip) is still sidelined to make his way back to the big leagues.

Ramirez went 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and an RBI in Friday's split-squad game against the Nationals.

The 24-year-old catcher has struggled to get much going in Grapefruit League action, as Friday's double was his first hit in camp and he's batting just .053 (1-for-19) with a 1:8 BB:K. Ramirez also went 1-for-7 with a double in two games for the Dominican Republic during the WBC. After a 2025 rookie season that saw Ramirez slash .231/.287/.413 with 21 homers and 16 steals over 136 games, he's looking for more consistency -- both at the plate and behind it -- in his sophomore campaign.

The Mets optioned Senger to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.

The Mets will go with Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens as the club's top catchers while Senger will open the 2026 season in Triple-A. Senger made his major-league debut in 2025 and appeared in 33 regular-season games, posting a .181/.221/.194 slash line with one double and four RBI in 78 plate appearances.

Stephenson went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's spring game against the Cubs.

Stephenson popped a second-inning homer, his first of the Cactus League. The catcher appears to be coming around with hits in three of his last four games but is batting just .176 (6-for-34) this spring. Stephenson will be Cincinnati's starting catcher, but those occasional starts he used to get as a designated hitter may dry up in 2026. Eugenio Suarez is expected to serve as the everyday DH this season.

The Cubs informed Bethancourt that he did not make the major-league roster out of camp, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Bethancourt joined the Cubs back in December on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. With Chicago keeping all of Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya and Moises Ballesteros on its Opening Day roster, there simply was no room for Bethancourt. The veteran catcher instead will likely head to Triple-A Iowa, where he'll give the team organizational depth.

Alvarez (back) will start behind the plate and bat ninth in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Alvarez was lifted from Thursday's exhibition due to back tightness, a move which left fantasy managers holding their breath, but he has made a quick turnaround. Assuming no further issues, Alvarez should be fine to catch for Freddy Peralta on Opening Day.

Bart has gone 5-for-31 with 13 strikeouts across 12 Grapefruit League games.

Bart is likely the favorite to win a roster spot as Pittsburgh's second catcher alongside Henry Davis, and his path became clearer earlier in the week when Endy Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Rafael Flores also remains in the mix, though he has hit poorly this spring.

Flores has gone 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts during Grapefruit League games.

Flores is vying for a roster spot as a second catcher alongside Henry Davis, with Joey Bart being his primary competition. Neither has made much of an impression, as Bart has struck out 13 times across 31 at-bats with only five hits. Flores made his major-league debut to close 2025 but had only 17 plate appearances.