MLB Player News
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Moises Ballesteros C | CHC
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Officially with team
Ballesteros reported to spring camp Sunday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Ballesteros has officially joined the Cubs for spring camp after dealing with visa issues entering the United States, Just 22 years old, Ballesteros could compete for the Cubs' DH job after slashing .298/.394/.474 with two homers, 11 RBI and 12 runs across 66 plate appearances for the team in 2025.
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Gary Sanchez C | MIL
Brewers' Gary Sanchez: Making 2026 spring debut
Sanchez (knee) will DH and bat second in Sunday's spring training game against Kansas City.
Sanchez missed the final months of the 2025 season with a knee injury, but he's seemingly fully recovered from the injury. The veteran catcher returns to Milwaukee after a one-year stint in Baltimore, where he slashed .231/.297/.418 with five home runs, 24 RBI and 13 runs scored across 101 plate appearances. The 33-year-old catcher is slated to back up William Contreras, but could see occasional playing time at DH.
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Moises Ballesteros C | CHC
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Expected to report Saturday
Ballesteros (personal) is expected to report to spring camp Saturday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
After working through visa issues that have delayed his entry into the United States, Ballesteros will finally be able to begin preparing for the regular season. The 22-year-old's poor defense will likely keep him from starting behind the plate with the Cubs, but after slashing .298/.394/.474 across 66 regular-season plate appearances last year, he could earn a job as Chicago's primary DH.
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Royals' Elias Diaz: Catches on with Royals as NRI
The Royals signed Diaz to a minor-league contract Friday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Diaz is expected to report to Royals camp next week. The 35-year-old appeared in 106 regular-season contests for the Padres last season, slashing .204/.270/.337 with nine long balls. Unless the Royals carry three catchers on their Opening Day roster, Diaz is likely ticketed for Triple-A Omaha.
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Mitch Garver C | SEA
Mariners' Mitch Garver: Inks minor-league deal with Seattle
The Mariners signed Garver to a minor-league contract Wednesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Garver spent the last two seasons with the Mariners serving as the team's backup catcher to Cal Raleigh. Garver will get a chance to reprise that role for the 2026 campaign, and he'll face competition from Jhonny Pereda and Andrew Knizner in spring training. Garver appeared in 87 regular-season games for Seattle in 2025 and slashed .209/.297/.343 with three steals, nine home runs and 30 RBI across 290 plate appearances.
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Francisco Alvarez C | NYM
Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Will get eased into spring action
Alvarez isn't expected to see game action this spring until the second week of the Grapefruit League schedule, Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report.
The Mets are bringing a number of key position players along slowly this spring, including Luis Robert, Jorge Polanco and Brett Baty (hamstring). Alvarez underwent thumb surgery right after the end of last season, which explains the team's caution with its starting catcher, but the 24-year-old appeared to be fully healthy when he reported to camp. The Mets are hoping that good health extends into the regular season -- Alvarez played only 76 games in 2025, his lowest total in three years since becoming a big-league regular.
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Ivan Herrera C | STL
Cardinals' Ivan Herrera: Works with outfielders Tuesday
Herrera (elbow) did outfield drills in Cardinals camp Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The catchers were working on pop time drills and throws to second base, something Herrera is not yet cleared for as he returns from surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. The plan is for Herrera to return to catcher in 2026 after the elbow issue limited him to designated hitter for the final few months of last season. He did play four games in left field in 2025, and if catching doesn't work out, Herrera could give the outfield a try again or possibly first base.
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Connor Wong C | BOS
Red Sox's Connor Wong: Set for backup catcher role in 2026
Wong (hand) took part in live batting practice Monday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Wong reported to camp last week and appears to be fully healthy after he underwent a carpal boss excision procedure on his right hand back on Oct. 9. The hand issue perhaps played a factor in Wong's dramatic drop in production in 2025, when his OPS fell to .500 over his 188 plate appearances after he had posted a .758 OPS the season prior. Carlos Narvaez ended up overtaking Wong on the depth chart, and manager Alex Cora relayed Saturday that Narvaez "earned the right" to be the team's starter heading into 2026, per Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Cora added that Wong's solid defense behind the plate should allow him to play more frequently than the typical backup catcher, and the 29-year-old could also be an option to make starts first base when Willson Contreras needs a day off.
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Salvador Perez C | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Looks healthy for spring
Perez (thumb) took live batting practice during Monday's full-squad workout, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Perez had previously injured his thumb during the offseason while playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, but he looks to have made a full recovery prior to reporting to camp last week. The 35-year-old Perez heads into the upcoming campaign with considerable tread on his tires after logging at least 140 starts in four of the past five seasons. However, the Royals made more of an effort to keep him fresh last season by limiting him to 89 starts at catcher, with his other 66 coming at either designated hitter or first base. With young catcher Carter Jensen expected get a full-time look in the majors in 2026, the Royals should be able to continue managing Perez's workload behind the dish while still keeping his bat in the lineup on a near-everyday basis.
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Adrian Del Castillo C | ARI
Diamondbacks' Adrian Del Castillo: Status in doubt for Opening Day
Del Castillo said Monday that he expects to be sidelined for around one month due to his left calf injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
While Del Castillo is hopeful that he'll be able to play in at least one Cactus League game or exhibition before the beginning of the regular season, the extended time he'll miss this spring could end up costing him a spot on the Opening Day roster. Arizona is expected to head into the season with Gabriel Moreno and James McCann as its top two catchers, so Del Castillo would merely provide a third option at the position and would likely see most of his playing time at designated hitter. Because the 26-year-old still has a pair of minor-league options remaining, the Diamondbacks may prefer to option Del Castillo to Triple-A Reno, which would allow him to play on a more regular basis once he overcomes the calf issue.