MLB Player News

Stassi will sit Friday against the Astros, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Stassi started behind the plate Opening Day but will hit the bench for the second game of the season. That could signal that Stassi will be used less frequently than other starting catchers this year, or it could simply be a way to ease him into a heavier regular-season workload. Kurt Suzuki will catch Reid Detmers in his absence.

Nola is not in the lineup Friday against the Diamondbacks.

Nola started behind the plate Opening Day and went 1-for-4 with an RBI during the 4-2 loss in Arizona. Jorge Alfaro will start Friday's contest and form a battery with left-hander Sean Manaea.

McCann is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Nationals.

McCann started Opening Day for the Mets and went 0-for-2 with an RBI, and he was also hit by a pitch twice. Tomas Nido will take over behind the plate Friday to partner with Max Scherzer.

Raleigh will catch and bat ninth in Friday's game against the Twins.

The Mariners will carry three catchers to start the year, but it's Raleigh who will get the nod in Seattle's first game over Tom Murphy and Luis Torrens. Raleigh is a fairly interesting prospect but struggled to a .180/.223/.309 line in his 47-game MLB debut last year after posting a far superior .324/.377/.608 line in 44 games for Triple-A Tacoma. His underlying numbers in the majors suggest he deserved that poor performance, as he combined a 35.1 percent strikeout rate with a 4.7 percent walk rate, but the Mariners clearly believe he'll do better going forward.

Nola went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's loss to Arizona.

Nola was the leadoff hitter Opening Day and while he may not hold that role on a regular basis, he at least made a contribution Thursday when he scored Ha-Seong Kim with an RBI single in the top of the fourth. Nola hit .272 with a .716 OPS over 56 games last season.

Ruiz went 2-for-4 with a double in Thursday's loss to the Mets.

It was a great start to the season for the young backstop, although Ruiz wasn't able to turn the knocks into production as the Nationals only managed six hits and one run on the day. Ruiz could be in line for a big first full campaign in the majors after slashing .310/.377/.616 with 21 homers and a 30:33 BB:K in 72 games at Triple-A in 2021.

Nola will start at catcher and bat leadoff in Thursday's season opener versus the Diamondbacks.

The Opening Day leadoff assignment is a nice surprise for Nola's fantasy managers, but it bears mentioning that Arizona is bringing a lefty (Madison Bumgarner) to the hill. The lefty-hitting Trent Grisham -- who is batting ninth Thursday -- typically slotted atop the lineup versus right-handed pitchers during Cactus League play, so expect that trend to carry over into the regular season. Nola will likely move to the bottom half of the San Diego lineup versus righties.

Collins was recalled by the Blue Jays on Thursday.

Collins was optioned by the White Sox prior to being traded to Toronto on Sunday, but he'll win a roster spot with his new team. His presence will allow Alejandro Kirk to serve as the designated hitter while still giving the Blue Jays a backup catcher behind Danny Jansen.

Zavala was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

The White Sox acquired Reese McGuire from the Blue Jays on Sunday, and Zavala was unable to secure an Opening Day roster spot as a reserve catcher. The 28-year-old made 37 appearances in the majors last year and hit .183 with five homers, 15 runs and 15 RBI.

Marchan was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and placed on the 60-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Thursday.

Marchan missed out on an Opening Day roster spot this year, and he'll be sidelined for the first two months of the season due to a hamstring strain. His placement on the 60-day IL clears room on the 40-man roster for Bryson Stott, who had his contract selected by the Phillies on Thursday.