MLB Player News

Campusano would be in line to make the Padres' Opening Day roster if Austin Nola (finger) isn't ready by Opening Day, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Nola fractured the middle finger on his left (non-throwing) hand Saturday, casting doubt upon his ability to play when the regular season kicks off. If Nola is unable to go, Victor Caratini would likely open the season as the Padres' primary catcher, with Campusano filling in as the backup. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a strong spring, slashing .313/.421/.438 with a pair of doubles. He has struck out only three times in 16 at-bats.

Stallings went 1-for-3 with a solo homer in Sunday's loss to the Phillies.

Stallings, who's set to serve as the team's starting catcher, is batting .333 in 12 spring at-bats. Better known for his defense, the 31-year-old holds a career .262 batting average in 382 at-bats in the big leagues.

Padres manager Jayce Tingler said Sunday that Nola has been diagnosed with a fractured middle finger on his left hand, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Nola picked up the injury when he took a foul ball off his (left) glove hand Saturday. While the 31-year-old will likely be in line for a shorter absence than he would have if the injury had been to his throwing hand, the fractured finger could still hamper him enough defensively to result in him being shut down. Nola will receive treatment for the next couple of days before the Padres outline a timeline for his return to game action. His status for Opening Day would appear to be up in the air for the time being.

Nido (foot) is in catcher's gear and caught a pregame warmup for Sunday's scrimmage, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

The 26-year-old was already cleared to hit after after fouling a ball off his left foot a few days ago, and it appears he's nearing a return to game action behind the plate. The injury appears to be a minor concern, so Nido's availability for Opening Day shouldn't be affected.

Bart is 6-for-13 with one home run, three runs scored, two RBI, two walks and two stolen bases through seven spring training games.

It's the 24-year-old's third year in big-league camp with the Giants, and he's impressed at the plate each year. Bart made the jump to the majors last season and struggled with a .608 OPS and 36.9 percent strikeout rate, but he should be headed to Triple-A for 2021 to continue his progression. Buster Posey is back as the starter after opting out in 2020, and Curt Casali signed over the offseason to likely operate as the primary backup catcher.

Nido (foot) is expected to be ready to hit Sunday but isn't quite ready to catch, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

Nido was scratched from Friday's lineup after fouling a ball off his foot the day before. X-rays were negative and he's already able to hit, so there's little reason to fear for his readiness for Opening Day.

Diaz went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run in Friday's spring loss to the Giants.

The Rockies' catchers only combined for two home runs last year, but Diaz and Dom Nunez have now homered in back-to-back spring games for Colorado. Diaz has appeared in six games to begin Cactus League play and has gone 7-for-14 with one home run, three doubles, four runs, four RBI, one walk and two strikeouts.

Nido was scratched from the lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Marlins due to a left foot contusion, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The reason for Nido's removal wasn't initially clear, but it sounds like he isn't dealing with anything serious. He fouled a ball off his foot during batting practice Thursday, but X-rays were negative. The injury shouldn't meaningfully impact his preparation for Opening Day.

Nido was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against Miami for undisclosed reasons, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Nido is expected to back up James McCann behind the plate this season. It's not yet clear if he's dealing with something that could send him to the injured list to start the season. Non-roster invitee Caleb Joseph will start in his place Friday and could potentially earn a roster spot if Nido is indeed dealing with a long-term issue.

Ruiz will work as the Dodgers' reserve catcher Friday and Sunday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Ruiz was forced to arrive late to camp due to visa issues, but he's now prepared to appear in his first games this spring. He managed to make eight plate appearances with the big-league club in 2020, but Ruiz is likely to begin the season at the alternate site with Will Smith and Austin Barnes ahead of him on the depth chart.