MLB Player News

Barnes left Sunday's exhibition game with an apparent left hand injury, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Barnes was hit by a pitch on his left hand in the bottom of the fourth inning, and he was replaced behind the dish in the fifth frame as a result. The exact nature and severity of the injury are unclear. If he's healthy, Barnes should serve as the Dodgers' backup catcher to begin the season, though comments made by manager Dave Roberts this spring suggest that Barnes and Will Smith could split time.

Caratini is an option to see regular time at first base early in the season with Anthony Rizzo (back) uncertain for the start of the year, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Caratini has primarily worked as a catcher for the Cubs, though he did appear in 23 games at first last year. The 26-year-old has been tabbed as the personal catcher for Yu Darvish, so he'll still get time behind the plate, but the team may need to use him more at first if Rizzo can't go in the early going. Caratini has looked pretty good at the plate when he's been able to play regularly, so fantasy managers should take note if the playing time is there.

Maile underwent surgery to address his fractured right index finger Friday and will be sidelined 10-12 weeks.

Maile was poised to operate as Pittsburgh's primary backup catcher this season, but the lengthy recovery timeline means he's unlikely to see the field during the shortened season. John Ryan Murphy should step into the backup job behind starter Jacob Stallings.

Knizner has made a strong case to serve as a bat off the bench and potential third catcher during the regular season, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

As part of MLB's unique 2020 format, teams will be allowed to take a three-man taxi squad on road trips, and one of those players must be a catcher. That opens up an opportunity for Knizner, who Rogers points out could also be available for home games in a pinch-hit capacity or in-game replacement and as a bullpen catcher to warm up relievers. Additionally, the advanced age of Yadier Molina and Matt Wieters, the two backstops ahead of him on the depth chart, could also help lead to the occasional spot start for Knizner, who slashed .226/.293/.377 during his first taste of big-league action last season but also put together an impressive body of work as a hitter during his six minor-league stops.

Ruiz (undisclosed) reported to Dodgers camp Friday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ruiz wasn't present for the first part of camp and was added to the 10-day injured list Thursday for an undisclosed reason, but he joined the team Friday. The 21-year-old prospect is expected to serve as organizational depth at catcher this year.

Marchan was added to Philadelphia's 60-man player pool and placed on the injured list Thursday, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Marchan is sidelined with what manager Joe Girardi referred to as a "medical issue." The backstop spent 2019 in the lower minors and isn't expected to make his big-league debut during the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

Ruiz (undisclosed) was transferred to the 10-day injured list Thursday, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Ruiz has yet to report to camp due to an unspecified issue, though he reportedly hit in an indoor cage earlier in the week. Once healthy, the backstop is expected to serve as organizational catching depth during the shortened season.

The Cardinals assigned Herrera to their alternate training site in Springfield on Thursday.

St. Louis appears content to proceed with veterans Yadier Molina and Matt Wieters as its main catching options on the Opening Day roster, and prospect Andrew Knizner is probably the next man up in the event the Cardinals elect to bring a third backstop aboard. As a result, Herrera finds himself somewhat buried on the organizational depth chart, though the 20-year-old could be a potential successor to Molina down the road. Herrera split time between High-A Palm Beach and Low-A Peoria in 2019, slashing .284/.374/.405 with nine home runs and 47 RBI in 87 games.

Realmuto expects to be able to handle a very heavy workload this season, given the shortened schedule and the universal designated hitter, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

The catcher believes he can catch at least 50 games and could serve as the designated hitter or first baseman in the rest. Players intending to play every day is hardly a rare occurrence, though Realmuto is known for his heavy workloads. No one spent more innings behind the plate than he did last season.

Ruiz (undisclosed) is the only member of the Dodgers' player pool yet to report to camp, but he hit in an indoor cage Tuesday, Michael J. Duarte of NBC LA reports.

The reason for Ruiz's absence from camp remains undisclosed, though he is one of a handful of Dodgers whom manager Dave Roberts indicated last week could return "sooner than later." Ruiz wasn't expected to break camp with the club even if he reported on time despite his presence on the 40-man roster.