MLB Player News

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.

Narvaez went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a walk in Thursday's spring game against the Reds.

Narvaez has seen steady playing time this spring and has reached base five times in 15 plate appearances over six games. He is set to open the season as the Brewers' primary catcher, but he will cede at least some starts and at-bats to Manny Pina when the Brewers face left-handed starters and/or manager Craig Counsell wants Pina's superior defense behind the plate.

Maile (hamstring) is in the lineup for Thursday's spring game against the Rays, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com.

Maile's injury has kept him off the field since Feb. 25, but he will return to action Thursday and will hit sixth while getting the start behind the plate.

Stephenson went 2-for-2 with a homer, double, walk and four RBI in Thursday's spring training win over the Diamondbacks.

Stephenson finally put together a healthy minor-league season in 2019 and followed that up with a nice campaign in the Arizona Fall League. He's expected to begin the year at Triple-A Louisville, but if Tucker Barnhart continues to falter at the plate, there's a window for Stephenson to potentially take over the No. 1 job for the Reds over the summer.

Maile was scratched from Friday's spring game with left hamstring tightness, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Maile was tabbed to start behind the plate Friday but will instead be unavailable due to the hamstring issue. The specifics of the injury remain unclear, but he'll likely at least take a few days off.

Grullon (mouth) will start at catcher and bat eighth in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Grullon's spring debut was delayed after he required dental work last week, but he was cleared to play Wednesday in the Phillies' 5-4 win over the Twins, entering the game off the bench as a designated hitter and making two plate appearances. He'll now be ready to assume his normal duties in the field as he attempts to win a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster as a backup catcher.

Ruiz (finger) said that he'll make his spring debut in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Angels, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

It's unclear if Ruiz will enter the contest behind starting catcher Will Smith or if he'll merely be used as a designated hitter, but the 21-year-old looks to be back to full health in any case after he missed the final month of the 2019 season with a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand. Rather than the result of any concern about the injury, the switch-hitting Ruiz noted that his spring debut was delayed because he was working on an adjustment to his swing from the left side of the plate.

Stallings went 2-for-2 with a double and an HBP against the Yankees on Monday.

The 30-year-old is expected to serve as Pittsburgh's primary catcher in 2020. He saw his first sustained action last season, slashing .262/.322/.410 with six homers in 309 plate appearances. Primarily known for his defensive skills behind the plate, Stallings has batted .291 (in 523 at-bats) over his last three minor-league campaigns with nine homers and two steals.

Marchan earned rave reviews from manager Joe Girardi following Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Girardi called Marchan the "block master" and also praised his arm during an in-game interview. Marchan hasn't played above the High-A level and struggled to a .231/.291/.282 line there in 22 games for Clearwater, so he's unlikely to be considered for a big-league job any time soon. The 20-year-old has good contact ability, with a career .285 average and a 9.3 percent strikeout rate in four minor-league seasons, but he's yet to hit a professional home run. He profiles as a defense-first backup.