MLB Player News

Murphy went 1-for-3 with a walk in Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

The 28-year-old hasn't made much of an impact at the plate this spring, going 4-for-17 in seven games with only one extra-base hit, a double, but Murphy is locked into the starting role at catcher for Atlanta. He slugged a career-high 18 home runs and 66 RBI in 148 games last season for the A's, and while he may not see quite that workload in 2023 with a capable backup in Travis d'Arnaud behind him, the better lineup context could still lead Murphy to top last year's production.

Heim went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Friday's spring game against Milwaukee.

The homer was Heim's second Cactus League blast. Heim, who started at catcher Friday, is expected to share the job with Mitch Garver in 2023. Garver is coming back from forearm surgery and is expected to serve as the primary designated hitter, which means Heim could approach or surpass the career-high 450 plate appearances he had in 2022. Whether he can sustain production over the course of a long season remains an issue. Heim batted .181/.279/.311 following the All-Star break after a productive first half.

Rogers is expected to be fine after being lifted from Friday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Yankees due to getting hit by a pitch on his left elbow, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Rogers is sporting a bruise following the hit by pitch, but he was removed as a precaution and should be available to play as soon as Saturday. He's slated to back up Eric Haase at catcher for the Tigers this season.

Bart has gone 5-for-16 (.308) with three extra-base hits, two RBI and two runs scored over seven Cactus League games.

Blake Sabol has earned a lot of attention for his strong hitting and Roberto Perez has been praised for his defensive play behind the plate, so there's still no guarantee Bart breaks camp with the Giants. Since Sabol also has experience in the outfield and is a Rule 5 pick, it's possible the Giants could carry three catchers if Bart makes the team. For his part, Bart has hit well when in the lineup this spring, so it's up to him to finish the exhibition slate strong and force a difficult decision.

Rogers was removed from Friday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Yankees after getting hit by a pitch on his left elbow, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Rogers was having a very solid spring before leaving Friday's game, slashing .333/.364/.857 with three home runs over 22 plate appearances. Getting plunked on the elbow likely means swelling, and at least a couple missed days, but the Tigers should provide an update shortly.

Adams is set to begin the season as the Nationals' backup catcher behind Keibert Ruiz, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

The 24-year-old Ruiz is a switch hitter and is expected to handle a big workload, so Adams could be limited to only one or two starts a week. He's had an erratic spring at the plate, going 4-for-20 with three extra-base hits (two homers and a double) but a 0:11 BB:K, and he likely offers little but occasional power as a bargain DFS play or end-game option in deep two-catcher formats from a fantasy perspective.

Raleigh is hitting .313 (5-for-16) with three doubles, one triple, two RBI and two runs across six Cactus League games.

The 26-year-old has made plenty of hard contact as that batting line corroborates, carrying over a favorable pattern that's been evident during Raleigh's first two big-league stints. The slugging backstop has impressively laced 62 of his 103 career big-league knocks to date for extra bases, and if he can pare down 2022's bloated 29.4 percent strikeout rate, he could certainly give himself a good chance of boosting last season's unsightly .211 average and .284 on-base percentage.

McCann has gone just 4-for-24 through eight Grapefruit League games.

McCann has two doubles, one RBI and a run in spring games so far. Despite the lackluster batting, the veteran catcher is a lock for the Orioles' Opening Day roster as Adley Rutschman's backup, though the veteran could also see some action at first base. McCann may struggle to match the 61 games he played last year, which also saw him post a career-worst .195/.257/.282 slash line, but his veteran presence should be a stabilizing force in the clubhouse for a team that's ready to introduce a large number of prospects to the majors.

Herrera was optioned to Triple-A Memphis by the Cardinals on Thursday.

The backup catcher role behind Willson Contreras will likely come down to Andrew Knizner and Tres Barrera. Herrera, 22, went 2-for-18 (.111) in his first taste of MLB action last year.

Manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday that Fortes will begin the season splitting catching duties with Jacob Stallings, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

It's not entirely clear how the workload will be divided, however. Stallings has the better defensive reputation -- something he bolstered in 2022 when he was behind the plate for every one of Sandy Alcantara's starts as the right-hander won the NL Cy Young Award -- but Fortes offers more upside at the plate, posting a .696 OPS to Stallings' .584 last season, Fortes has had a decent camp so far, and while he's still looking for his first extra-base hit of the spring, he's gone 4-for-16 with five walks against only one strikeout.