MLB Player News

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.

Rortvedt (shoulder) began running last week, but he's not close to being able to swing a bat, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media reports.

Rortvedt underwent surgery on his left shoulder in late February. He was expected to be held out of baseball activities for at least a month, and he'll presumably need considerable time to ramp up once he's able to start swinging again. Rortvedt isn't expected to return to game action until at least May.

Realmuto went 2-for-3 with a double and scored a run Saturday for Team USA in a victory over Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Realmuto has been on a tear in the WBC for Team USA, as the pair of hits raised his average to .625 with an .875 slugging percentage in the tournament. Even with an influx of talent at the position, Realmuto is still being drafted as the top catcher in most fantasy formats, and justifiably so.

Moreno (hand) doesn't believe his injury is serious, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Moreno was hit in the hand by a 95.5 mph pitch during Saturday's Cactus League game, but the backstop said the pitch got him in the knuckles. He also said that he doesn't believe that he will undergo X-rays, but that could change if the hand swells up on him. Moreno should be considered day-to-day for now, and he appears to have avoided a serious injury.

Moreno left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Guardians after being hit by a pitch in the left hand/wrist area, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Moreno was plunked by a 95.5 mph offering and immediately left the contest. The 23-year-old backstop will likely undergo testing, and there should be further updates on his status before Sunday.

Stassi appears set to win the starting catcher job for the Angels despite hitting just .231 with a .615 OPS in 13 at-bats this spring, MLB.com reports.

Stassi looks set to begin the season as the starter with Matt Thaiss and Logan O'Hoppe battling for the backup role, though Stassi could split time or platoon with Thaiss. While Stassi may begin the season as the starter, it seems just a matter of time before O'Hoppe takes over as the starter. O'Hoppe had a breakout season last year by hitting .283 with 26 home runs and a .961 OPS at Double-A which earned him a 14-game late-season call-up with the Angels.