MLB Player News

Kirk (illness) went through a full workout Monday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk had to be scratched from Sunday's lineup with a non-COVID-related illness but was feeling better a day later. The Blue Jays are off Tuesday, setting Kirk up for a possible return to game action Wednesday.

Rogers (elbow) will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays.

Rogers exited Friday's game against the Blue Jays after being hit by a pitch in the left elbow, but he avoided any structural damage and was merely nursing some bruising and soreness over the past couple days. With Rogers drawing back into the lineup after resting through the weekend, he'll be in strong position to break camp with the Tigers as the No. 2 catcher behind Eric Haase.

Garver started at catcher and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's spring game against Seattle.

Garver, who missed half the 2022 season due to a forearm injury, caught all nine innings for the first time this spring. For those into reading signs, that Garver was behind the plate for Jacob deGrom's Cactus League debut indicates he will resume playing catcher for Texas after last season's injury limited him to DH duties.

Padres manager Bob Melvin said Sunday that he "can't imagine it's not broken" in reference to Nola's nose after the catcher was hit in the face during a Cactus League contest, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Nola was carted off the field after getting hit by a pitch in the face during the fourth inning of Sunday's exhibition game against the Cubs. The extent of the injury is unclear, but if Nola isn't ready to return in time for Opening Day, Luis Campusano would likely open the campaign as San Diego's primary backstop.

Nola was carted off the field in the top of the fourth inning during Sunday's Cactus League game against the Cubs after being hit in the face by a pitch, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Nola was down for several minutes after being hit by the pitch, and he had to be helped to the cart while pressing a towel to his face. The Padres have a day off Monday, but the severity of the catcher's injury isn't yet clear. If Nola is forced to miss any time, Luis Campusano and Pedro Severino would see additional playing time behind the dish.

McGuire went 0-for-3 in Saturday's spring game against the Orioles.

With Connor Wong (hamstring) unlikely to be ready by Opening Day, McGuire and Jorge Alfaro are expected to open the regular season as Boston's catchers. McGuire, who is 6-for-26 (.231) over 11 Grapefruit League games, should be the primary backstop.

Huff was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock by the Rangers on Sunday.

Huff comes up short in his bid to be a bench option for the Rangers to open the season. The 24-year-old isn't long removed from being considered one of the better catching prospects in baseball, and he should get regular at-bats with Round Rock with a chance to help Texas before the end of 2023.

D'Arnaud went 0-for-3 in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

The veteran catcher has gone just 3-for-17 (.176) this spring with only one extra-base hit, a double, but his 1:2 BB:K shows there's little cause for concern. The offseason addition of Sean Murphy pushes d'Arnaud into a backup role this year, but he should also see some action at DH after slugging 18 homers and posting a .791 OPS over 107 games in 2022, especially if Marcell Ozuna's struggles continue.

Kirk was scratched from Sunday's Grapefruit League lineup against the Rays due to a non-COVID-19 illness.

Kirk was penciled in to start behind the plate and bat cleanup, but an ailment will prevent him from taking the field. The 24-year-old's status for Opening Day shouldn't be affected by the illness, and he'll likely return to the lineup within the next few days.

Grandal has a .902 OPS across 30 plate appearances during Cactus League action.

Grandal is coming off a disastrous 2022 season, during which he slashed just .202/.301/.269 across 376 plate appearances. While it's difficult to make the case for a 34-year-old catcher to bounce back, Grandal has had a promising spring performance that is highlighted by three doubles and a home run. He should head into the season as Chicago's starting backstop.