MLB Player News

Manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that he expects Gomes to play around 4-to-5 times per week during the regular season, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Though Martinez didn't say so explicitly, his division of the workload behind the plate implies that Gomes is the No. 1 catcher. Meanwhile, Martinez said that Suzuki, the other backstop on the roster, would serve as the regular battery mate for Max Scherzer and Anibal Sanchez. Suzuki is the superior hitter of the two, but Gomes' ability to control the run game along with his skills as a pitch framer look to be enough for him to handle the larger portion of a timeshare.

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday.

The backstop will make the move to the International League for the first time after splitting the 2019 campaign between High-A Florida and Double-A Mississippi. Contreras doesn't have the long-term fantasy upside of older brother and fellow catcher Willson, but he boasts decent contact skills and should be able to stick behind the plate once he eventually gets the call to the big leagues.

Contreras went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Giants.

Contreras has been chugging along this spring, posting a .292 batting average and .930 OPS in Cactus League play. The 27-year-old catcher had a solid 2019 campaign with 24 home runs and 64 RBI, and he should once again be one of the top options at the position in 2020.

Bart was reassigned to minor-league camp Tuesday, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Bart was in big-league camp to start the spring but was never under serious consideration for an Opening Day roster spot. The 23-year-old may be the catcher of the future for the Giants, but that future won't be coming just yet as he's played only 22 games at the Double-A level. His destination to start the season has yet to be announced.

Amaya was optioned to Double-A Tennessee on Tuesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

He was in big-league camp for the experience, rather than as an actual candidate to break camp in the majors. Amaya is a better real-life prospect than a fantasy one, as he projects to be a quality defender who hits for a middling average and solid power.

Ruiz was optioned to minor-league camp Monday.

Ruiz struggled in Cactus League play, going hitless in 10 at-bats and racking up four strikeouts. He'll likely open the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he hit .316 with two home runs in 40 plate appearances last season.

Campusano was sent to minor-league camp Sunday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Campusano got into two Cactus League games, going 1-for-4 with a single. He will likely begin the season in Double-A ball after tearing up the California League last season with a .325 batting average and 15 home runs en route to co-MVP honors.

Grullon was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday, Meghan Montemurro of The Athletic reports.

Grullon was trying to compete for the Phillies' backup catcher role during spring training, but it appears as though Andrew Knapp (ribs) will likely secure the role despite dealing with an injury this spring. Grullon made his major-league debut in 2019 and could return at some point in 2020, but his fantasy outlook will likely be limited as long as J.T. Realmuto is healthy and serving as the starting catcher.

Realmuto is a candidate to lead off this season, at least until Andrew McCutchen (knee) returns from the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto batted everywhere from second to fifth last season. A catcher leading off would certainly be unusual, but Realmuto has good speed for the position, stealing at least eight bases in four of the last five seasons. His .328 on-base percentage from last season is hardly an elite mark for a leadoff man, but he's been as high as .343 in that category in the past. If he does move up to the leadoff spot, expect a few extra runs, offset by a slight drop in RBI. Scott Kingery, Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn were also mentioned by manager Joe Girardi as options for the role.

Mejia is trying out a new stance behind the plate in an effort to improve defensively, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

In the adjusted stance, Mejia kneels rather than squats. The Padres hope the change will enable Mejia to better frame and block pitches as he ranked among the worst backstops in baseball in multiple defensive metrics last season. In spite of his offensive potential, the team has not committed to making Mejia their unchallenged starter at catcher thanks largely to his poor glovework and the exceptional defense of fellow backstop Austin Hedges. The pair figure to fall into some sort of timeshare this season, but if Mejia can show adequate progress behind the plate, he could lock up the lion's share of playing time before long.