MLB Player News

D'Arnaud went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and two runs scored in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

The veteran backstop has had a solid start to his spring, batting .333 (5-for-15) through seven games, but Wednesday's double was his first extra-base hit. With Sean Murphy locked into the starting role behind the plate and Marcell Ozuna an everyday designated hitter, d'Arnaud could see his workload decline a bit further this season -- he went from 426 plate appearances in 2022 to 292 in 2023. Atlanta also signed Adam Duvall to bolster its outfield, likely further locking in Ozuna as a DH.

Maile went 3-for-4 with a home run, five RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's spring game against San Francisco.

Balls were flying out the park in Scottsdale, as the two teams combined for 10 home runs in a 19-11 victory for the Reds. Maile's grand slam was one of seven homers for Cincinnati. He's on a tear this spring, batting .471 with a 1.432 OPS, including two home runs and nine RBI. Maile is slated to back up Tyler Stephenson at catcher.

Smith was scratched from the lineup Wednesday for the Dodgers' Cactus League game against the Mariners due to low-back tightness, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Smith should be fine to play a week from now when the Dodgers take on the Padres for the first of two games in South Korea to kick off their regular season. The Dodgers felt no need to push Smith to play in their final Cactus League game, so Austin Barnes will handle catching duties Wednesday.

Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Bailey (hand) will be unavailable to play for a few days, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bailey avoided any fractures when he took a foul ball off his right hand in Cactus League action Tuesday, but he's dealing with some swelling and discoloration and is unable to make a fist. He'll undergo treatment and will rest a bit before returning to spring games.

Contreras went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's exhibition contest.

Contreras had been a bit quiet after homering in his first appearance of the spring, but he made all kinds of noise Tuesday and now owns a .976 OPS through 10 spring games. The Brewers brought in fellow backstop Gary Sanchez over the offseason, but he will likely see most of his action at the designated hitter spot while Contreras handles the bulk of the starts behind the plate.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Grandal (foot) is able to hit and catch but is unable to run yet, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal is battling plantar fasciitis and hasn't caught in a Grapefruit League game in a couple weeks. Manager Derek Shelton had said this past weekend that he expected the 35-year-old to be ready for games soon, but it's uncertain when that might happen. Grandal's foot issue could just come down to a matter of pain tolerance, though a stint on the injured list to begin the season can't be ruled out at this stage.

Bailey was removed from Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Dodgers due to a right hand contusion, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The severity of Bailey's injury is unclear, but he may sit out the Giants' next several spring training games as a result. The 24-year-old backstop is 2-for-11 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored across five games this spring and figures to serve as San Francisco's main catcher during the regular season.

The Brewers optioned Quero to Triple-A Nashville on Sunday, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

Quero was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster in November after slashing .262/.340/.443 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI over 382 plate appearances with Double-A Biloxi in 2023. He'll start 2024 with Triple-A Nashville and could crack into the majors later in the season if he's able to show continued improvement in the minors and/or if the Brewers have a need for another catcher.

Grandal is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his foot, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal hasn't caught a spring training game since the end of February due to his foot, but manager Derek Shelton said he expects Grandal to resume playing in games soon. The 35-year-old will operate as Pittsburgh's starting catcher during the regular season, but Shelton has stated that Grandal's workload will be limited due to his age.

Sanchez (hand) is in the lineup for Milwaukee's Cactus League game against Seattle on Saturday.

Sanchez has spent the first portion of spring training recovering from a right hand injury he suffered during the offseason. He logged three hits over six at-bats while hitting on the back fields Wednesday and will make his spring debut as the Brewers' designated hitter -- a role Sanchez is expected to fill often in the regular season.