MLB Player News

Barnes' role with the Dodgers this season is expected to lean more toward a timeshare than a traditional backup situation, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Dave Roberts suggested that both Barnes and Will Smith will play important roles behind the plate for the club this season, though he wasn't precise about how their playing time will shake out. "If you look at timeshare, I guess [Barnes is] a backup, but I don't see it as such," Roberts said. "I think it's a 1 and 1A. They're both very valuable, and I think that we've done a good job of using both of them and exploiting strengths and things to help us win baseball games." While Smith is clearly the more talented offensive performer, Barnes' ability to handle the pitching staff has allowed him to carve out a fair amount of playing time. The Dodgers often deployed Barnes behind the dish while slotting Smith at DH during the playoffs last season, but with the designated hitter out of the National League for 2021, that scenario is no longer an option. Smith is still expected to get the majority of the starts for Los Angeles, but he may not handle as large of a workload behind the plate as most everyday catchers.

Smith is expected to pair with Austin Barnes in a timeshare at catcher for the Dodgers this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Though Smith is considerably more explosive offensively than Barnes -- the former slashed .289/.401/.579 with eight homers last season, while the latter put up a .244/.353/.314 line with only one long ball -- the Dodgers value Barnes' defense to such a degree that they played him over Smith behind the dish frequently during their postseason run in 2020. In that scenario, Smith was able to shift over to designated hitter, but with the DH not expected to be utilized in the National League this season, he's not going to see as many at-bats as your typical starting catcher. "If you look at timeshare, I guess [Barnes is] a backup, but I don't see it as such," manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. "I think it's a 1 and 1A. They're both very valuable, and I think that we've done a good job of using both of them and exploiting strengths and things to help us win baseball games." That doesn't make it clear exactly how playing time will be divided between the two, and Smith is productive enough to be a valuable fantasy contributor even if he's out of the lineup a few days per week, but the situation bears watching early in the campaign to get a sense of how things will shake out.

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a double and a run in Sunday's spring opener.

Narvaez struggled at the plate in 2020, so the two hits in his first appearance of the exhibition season were surely a welcome sight. While Narvaez posted just a .563 OPS last season, he did grade out well defensively, and he figures to form some sort of timeshare behind the plate with Manny Pina.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Ruiz remains without a clear timeline to report to camp while he looks to resolve visa issues, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

According to Toribio, Ruiz has left his native Venezuela and has arrived in Dominican Republic, hoping the change in countries will expedite his migration to the United States. While he waits for the proper paperwork to get resolved, Ruiz has been working hard on his own to stay in shape, according to Roberts. The 22-year-old catcher is expected to open the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he'll be able to play on an everyday basis.

Contreras, who is under team control through the 2022 season, said he is open to a contract extension during spring training, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Contreras and the Cubs avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $6.65 million contract last month, and the catcher will be arbitration eligible again next offseason. He said he is "willing to listen to whatever they have" in terms of extension offers, though the team is also dealing with similar decisions around star players Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. Contreras will look to bounce back and prove his value after a subpar 2020 season in which he posted a .763 OPS in 57 games, down from his .888 mark in 2019.

Casali revealed Saturday that he underwent hamate surgery in December, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Casali signed a major-league contract with the Giants in January, but the catcher revealed Saturday that he had surgery during the offseason. However, the 32-year-old has been playing catch and hitting without pain to begin spring training. While he could face some limitations during camp, Casali was optimistic that he'll be ready for Opening Day.

Knizner is preparing for the possibility of filling a variety of roles this coming season and has reported to spring training with a holistically impressive mindset, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. "Kiz has really done a nice job," manager Mike Shildt said. "He's off to a good start to camp, he's in a good place physically and mentally."

The 26-year-old doesn't quite know whether he'll open the season back in the minors or as Yadier Molina's backup, but he dove into film study of late-inning game situations this offseason in an attempt to be better prepared for whatever comes his way. Knizner has also stepped up his immersion into scouting reports and has already familiarized himself with the Cardinals' first two scheduled opponents of the regular season, the Reds and Marlins. There's more talk than in previous springs of Molina operating in a legitimate timeshare behind the dish as the club prepares for an eventual future that doesn't include the 38-year-old backstop, and Knizner, with his 26 games of big-league experience and familiarity with the pitching staff, seems much more prepared to step in occasionally for Molina than offseason additions Ali Sanchez and Tyler Heineman.

Realmuto (thumb) has been able to catch and hit while wearing his cast, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies certainly didn't want to see their star catcher start camp with a broken thumb, but there appears to be a real chance he'll be ready by Opening Day. The injury may have happened early enough for him to make a full recovery, especially as it doesn't appear to be significantly holding back his preseason preparation. Whether or not the issue has any lingering effects on his ability to hit up to his usual standards early in the season is a question that probably can't be answered until games begin, however.

Stallings enters the 2021 campaign as the Pirates' clear-cut starter behind the plate, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

The 31-year-old, who slashed .248/.326/.376 in 143 plate appearances last year, led the NL in innings caught (345.1) while finishing second in Gold Glove voting. Stallings' .702 OPS was slightly above the league average (.695) for catchers. He's never caught more than 700 innings in a season, but he's ready for the challenge. "My body really held up well," he said Friday. "I felt good. So I was really encouraged about that. I don't think anything will change." Newly acquired catchers Michael Perez and Tony Wolters are expected to compete for the backup job.

Ruiz has not reported to spring training due to a visa issue, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Ruiz made his debut in the big leagues for a brief time in 2020, logging eight plate appearances. He'll face an uphill battle to make the opening day roster for the 2021 season with both Will Smith and Austin Barnes ahead of him on the catching depth chart. There is no timeline for Ruiz's arrival to the team's facility.