MLB Player News

Contreras was informed Saturday that he won't be included on Atlanta's Opening Day roster, with the club instead keeping Alex Jackson as the backup catcher behind Travis d'Arnaud, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

Contreras (1.089 OPS over 18 at-bats in Grapefruit League play) handily outperformed Jackson (.512 OPS in 28 at-bats), but Atlanta prefers the 23-year-old to play on an everyday basis at Triple-A Gwinnett rather than just once or twice a week behind d'Arnaud. If the historically injury-prone d'Arnaud should miss time at any point, however, Contreras could immediately leapfrog Jackson on the depth chart if Atlanta calls him up.

The Phillies optioned Marchan (hamstring) to their minor-league camp Sunday.

Marchan missed most of spring training with a hamstring injury, but he was at least able to make his return to game action Friday against the Blue Jays, going 0-for-2 while serving as the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto. Though the hamstring issue seems to be behind him, Marchan's absence from most of camp was enough to prevent him from making a serious run at unseating Andrew Knapp for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Expect Marchan to begin the 2021 season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Jackson will open the season as Atlanta's backup catcher, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Jackson beat out William Contreras for the role of Travis d'Arnaud's understudy. That may not actually indicate good things for Jackson's future, however, as Contreras will get to continue his development while playing regularly at the Triple-A level while Jackson plays infrequently in the big leagues. If d'Arnaud gets hurt at any point this season, there's no guarantee it will be Jackson and not Contreras who earns the majority of the starts in his absence.

Barnhart has just four hits in 33 at-bats this spring, albeit with five walks.

Despite the slow start and a poor 2020 campaign with the bat, Barnhart is expected to be the primary starter behind the plate ahead of teammate Tyler Stephenson thanks to his superior defensive skills.

Nola (finger) has been taking swings off a tee and could take part in full batting practice this weekend, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old also began working as a full participant in catcher drills Tuesday, so he appears to be progressing well in his recovery from a fractured finger. Nola isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day, but he could be cleared to play after a short stint on the injured list to open the season.

Narvaez went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs and a walk over his last two spring games.

Narvaez started the spring hot, and he is ending it in the same fashion. He really struggled with the bat last season, but he made serious strides behind the plate, and the Brewers decided to keep him around for another year. That looks to have been the right move thus far, as he has posted a stellar 1.276 OPS this spring.

Realmuto (thumb) will catch and bat second Tuesday against Toronto, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Time is getting tight for Realmuto to get up to speed by the start of the regular season as he works his way back from the fractured thumb he suffered right before camp began. He was originally scheduled to make his spring debut Sunday against the Tigers but wound up delayed an additional two days due to general soreness. There still seems to be optimism that he'll be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, but he might need to be managed carefully early in the season due to his very abbreviated buildup.

Nola (finger) appeared to be a full participant in all catcher drills during a workout Tuesday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Though he's still nursing a fractured middle finger on his (left) catching hand, Nola doesn't appear to be experiencing any pain when he's behind the plate. Instead, Nola will need to prove that the finger doesn't affect him when he swings the bat before the Padres consider using him in games. Nola doesn't look as though he'll have enough time to fully heal from the injury before Opening Day, but he may require only a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season.

Amaya went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Monday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

It was the first home run and third hit overall this spring for the 22-year-old catcher. He has plenty of upside, but he's yet to appear in a game above the High-A level, so he'll likely start the season at Double-A or Triple-A.

Realmuto (thumb) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Realmuto was expected to make his spring debut Sunday against the Tigers but wound up getting scratched due to general soreness. As it turns out, he'll be debuting at least two days later than originally scheduled. Per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, he could be in the lineup Tuesday against Toronto. Time is getting quite tight for him to get up to speed by the start of the regular season, so he may need more days off than he's used to even if he avoids a trip to the injured list.