MLB Player News

Moreno (hand) is starting behind the plate and batting eighth in Sunday's spring game against the Brewers.

The 23-year-old has been dealing with a minor hand injury since he was hit by a pitch March 18, but he'll return to the lineup Sunday with spring training in its final stages. Moreno is poised to open the season as Arizona's primary backstop with Carson Kelly sidelined by a fractured forearm. Jose Herrera currently tracks to fill the backup job, though the club may look to add a more veteran option.

Nola (hand/nose) isn't starting Sunday's spring game against the Mariners as previously reported, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

The 33-year-old exited a minor-league contest Saturday after taking a foul tip off his non-catching hand, and he's not in the lineup Sunday despite an earlier report indicating otherwise. Nola also suffered a fractured nose when he was hit in the face by a pitch March 19. According to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com, the veteran backstop is scheduled to hit in the cage Sunday and rejoin the lineup for Monday's Cactus League finale, so his outlook for Opening Day doesn't appear to be in question.

Gomes went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

Gomes continued his strong spring, as he now has a 1.020 OPS and four home runs across 37 at-bats. The veteran catcher figures to split starts with Tucker Barnhart, but with Gomes looking much better offensively in Cactus League play, he could see a slightly larger share of the playing time.

Nola (hand/nose) is back in the lineup for Sunday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

Nola took a foul ball off his hand in a minor-league contest Saturday, and he also suffered a fractured nose after being hit in the face by a pitch March 19. The backstop is feeling well enough to play in an exhibition contest, however, and it appears there's a good chance Nola will be ready to roll for the beginning of the regular season.

Stubbs (knee) will serve as the Phillies' designated hitter and leadoff man in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles.

Stubbs (knee) will make his first appearance in the spring lineup since March 4, after he was briefly shut down when a right knee injury cropped up earlier this month while he was working out with Team Israel for the World Baseball Classic. The 29-year-old will look to make up for the lost at-bats by likely playing most of Sunday's game at DH, but the Phillies will presumably want to have him play behind the plate at least once before the end of spring training to feel confident in his ability to handle the No. 2 catcher role behind J.T. Realmuto.

Nola (nose) left a minor-league contest Saturday after taking a foul tip to his non-catching hand, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.

It hasn't been the most enjoyable spring for Nola, who suffered a fractured nose after getting hit in the face by a pitch March 19. He returned to the field Saturday to catch for Yu Darvish in a minor-league contest, but the backstop was forced to depart after taking a foul tip to his left hand. Nola was already uncertain for Opening Day due to the nose injury, and it's uncertain whether the hand issue will further complicate his ability to be ready for Thursday's opener.

Perez will be a part of San Francisco's Opening Day roster, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Perez was signed to a minor league-deal with an invite to MLB spring training, and the Giants will have to purchase his contract in the coming days. He could see a good deal of playing time in 2023, but he likely will open the year as the backup backstop to Joey Bart.

Murphy went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

The catcher hasn't gone yard yet this spring -- in fact, Friday's double was his second extra-base hit -- but Murphy should supply plenty of pop once the games start to count. The 28-year-old set new career highs with 18 home runs, 37 doubles and 66 RBI in 2022 with Oakland, and his home ballpark and lineup support both got major upgrades over the winter. Even if his workload gets scaled back as expected from last year's 611 plate appearances, Murphy might still improve on his fantasy numbers.

Barrera won't play for the remained of the Grapefruit League schedule due to knee soreness, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Barrera had a chance to win the backup catcher job in spring training, but he went 2-for-13 with a double, a home run and two RBI over 12 spring games. Andrew Knizner appears set to open the season as the backup catcher, so there's a good chance Barrera is reassigned to Triple-A Memphis soon. He's on a minor-league and will serve as organizational depth at catcher.

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and a second run scored in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays.

The sixth-inning shot off Kyle Crick was the catcher's first homer of the spring. Narvaez will split time behind the plate with Tomas Nido this season -- at least until top prospect Francisco Alvarez is deemed ready. After a slow start to his spring prior to leaving for the WBC, Narvaez is now batting .300 (6-for-20).