MLB Player News

Jackson has made a strong impression on the Braves' coaching staff and could break camp on the 25-man roster, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

With a fairly light early schedule that features plenty of off days, Atlanta could carry an extra bench player instead of loading up its pitching staff, creating an opening for Jackson on the roster that would allow the club to use Tyler Flowers and Brian McCann as pinch hitters. Jackson's stay in the majors would likely be brief, but it's clear the 23-year-old still has a place in the organization's future plans despite his rough 2018 at the plate for Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.

Casali (hip) will have his first spring training game behind the plate on Sunday, March 10th, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Casali went 1-for-2 as the DH on Thursday against the Mariners in his first spring training game action. Barring any setbacks when he returns to catching, it appears that he's on track to be ready for Opening Day.

Casali (hip) is leading off and serving as the designated hitter Thursday against the Mariners.

Reports that Casali would only miss about a week with the hip injury turned out to be accurate. He is apparently getting eased back into action as the DH, and it remains to be seen when he will return to catching in games.

Caratini went 1-for-2 with a walk and a solo home run in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Royals.

It was the first home run of the spring for Caratini, who hit just two last season in 181 at-bats to go along with a .232/.293/.304 line. Despite mediocre numbers a season ago, the 25-year-old still projects as an above-average offensive catcher, though playing time could remain sparse behind regular starter Willson Contreras.

Nido underwent Lasik surgery in the offseason, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old had noticed his vision growing blurrier over the last couple of seasons, particularly when turning his head to hit, prompting the procedure. "Going from seeing everything blurry to now seeing everything detailed, that's what I'm getting used to now," Nido said. "It's a night and day change." The acquisition of Wilson Ramos cuts off any chance Nido had of breaking camp with the Mets, and he's expected to begin the season at Triple-A Syracuse. Even so, neither Ramos nor Travis d'Arnaud is exactly an ironman, so Nido could see his share of action in the majors in 2019.

Diaz (virus) will be examined by team doctors within the next day, John Perrotto of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Director of medicine Todd Tomczyk updated Diaz's status, saying that the catcher is feeling good and in good spirits. With Opening Day less than three weeks away, it wouldn't be surprising to see Diaz land on the injured list for the start of the season. He has yet to play this spring. Jacob Stallings or Steve Baron would likely serve as the team's backup catcher behind starter Francisco Cervelli if Diaz is forced to miss time.

Mejia was 3-for-3 with a double, a solo home run and two RBI in Tuesday's spring game against the Mariners.

Mejia cracked his first homer of the spring to lead off the fourth inning against Mike Leake. The 23-year-old is 8-for-16 with three doubles and one home run in spring training.

Contreras went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI in Tuesday's Cactus League loss to the Angels.

Contreras is off to a great start this spring, slashing .385/.467/.923 through 13 at-bats with two home runs, six runs scored and six RBI. The young catcher didn't quite live up to preseason expectations in 2018, but the talent is certainly there for him to rebound and be an elite option at the position in 2019.

D'Arnaud is scheduled to play catcher in a "B" game Thursday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.

D'Arnaud is being eased into action this spring as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. After being limited to DH duties through his first two Grapefruit League appearances, d'Arnaud has been cleared to set up behind the dish for the first time this spring. Barring any setbacks, the 30-year-old should open the season as the backup to Wilson Ramos.

D'Arnaud went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Seeing his first action in nearly a year due to Tommy John surgery, d'Arnaud slotted in at DH and quickly showed the offensive side of his game was A-OK. The next step will be to show he can handle his defensive duties, but if he has no setbacks this spring, the 30-year-old figures to begin the season as the Mets' No. 2 catcher behind Wilson Ramos.