MLB Player News

Stallings left Wednesday's game against the Twins with a stiff neck, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Stalling's exit is being called precautionary, so it doesn't sound like he'll miss much time. The Pirates will hope he's able to return soon, as he'll be needed as temporary backup catcher with Elias Diaz not expected to be built up to speed by Opening Day due to a lengthy illness-related absence.

Diaz (illness) was cleared Wednesday to resume full baseball activities, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Diaz has been idle for nearly the entirety of camp with a viral infection, eliminating any chance he had of cracking the Opening Day roster. The 28-year-old looks like he's finally over the illness, but he'll still need to gradually regain strength and increase the intensity of his workouts over the next two weeks before he's cleared to resume game action. Expect him to open the season on the injured list and return around mid-to-late April, at which point he'll step in as the backup to No. 1 catcher Francisco Cervelli.

Barnes is slashing .294/.385/.559 with two home runs and 12 RBI through 34 at-bats in Cactus League play this spring.

Barnes has been locked in at the plate in spring training and looks primed for a hold onto the starting catcher role for the Dodgers to start the season. The presence of Russell Martin provides Barnes with some competition for starts, but the 29-year-old figures to get the lion's share of the work at the outset of the season given his current form at the dish and his defensive prowess. He'll look to bounce back from a rough 2018 that saw him post a .619 OPS over 200 at-bats.

Murphy has gone 6-for-26 at the plate with three home runs and six RBI during Cactus League play entering Tuesday.

Murphy possesses the most offensive upside of any of the three catchers on the 40-man roster, but the premium the Rockies place on defense at the position has prevented him from receiving much of an extended look at the big-league level. The Rockies' decision to re-sign their primary option behind the plate from 2018, Chris Iannetta, realistically leaves Murphy battling with Tony Wolters for the second catcher spot on the Opening Day roster. Wolters' skills as a defender -- particularly as a pitch framer -- are clearly valued by the Rockies, but the fact that he has a minor-league option remaining may help Murphy, who has no options left and would be exposed to waivers if he fails to make the roster.

Contreras (finger) is back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mariners, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The catcher had been out since Thursday after taking a foul ball off his hand. The issue didn't appear to be a major one, and his preparation for Opening Day should be largely unaffected.

Realmuto went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.

The new Phillie has impressed so far this spring, hitting .429 with three homers in 28 at-bats. Already seen as one of the top offensive catchers in the game, Realmuto's stock only increased upon moving to a much better lineup in a much more hitter-friendly park this offseason, and he hasn't done anything yet to calm the hype.

Contreras (finger) is expected to rejoin the Cubs' Cactus League lineup for one of the team's split-squad games Tuesday versus either the Mariners or Royals, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Cubs confirmed that Contreras was scratched from the starting nine for Saturday's game versus the Diamondbacks due to a right ring finger issue. Contreras sustained the minor injury when he took a foul ball off his hand in his last appearance Thursday, but the Cubs are optimistic that he'll only need a few extra days off to make a full recovery. Contreras was at least able to do some throwing without incident Saturday, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

Contreras was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's Cactus League game against the Diamondbacks due to an apparent right hand injury, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

During his last spring appearance Thursday, Contreras looked to be in some pain after taking a foul ball off his hand, so the Cubs are likely just exercising precaution by holding him out of action for a second straight day. Unless the team relays information to the contrary, Contreras is considered day to day and should be back in action in short order.

Gomes went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.

He blasted a three-run homer off Steven Matz in the first inning, then followed it up with a solo shot in the third off depth bullpen arm Eric Hanhold. Gomes sports a robust .375/.400/.792 slash line with three home run over 25 plate appearances this spring, but his 1:7 BB:K suggests a regular-season batting average closer to his .248 career mark is far more likely.

D'Arnaud went 0-for-3 at the plate, and 0-for-2 throwing out base stealers, in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

It was his first work behind the plate with the big-league club since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. While d'Arnaud's throws to second base didn't get the job done, the fact that he was able to make them at all was an encouraging step in his recovery. He remains in a camp battle with Devin Mesoraco for the Mets' No. 2 catching job.