MLB Player News

Nola (thumb) is scheduled to catch for starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore on Friday in the Padres' Cactus League opener versus the Mariners, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

The report provides confirmation that Nola is healthy again after he sustained a left thumb strain in late September that required season-ending surgery. Before the thumb injury surfaced, Nola had missed considerable time in the 2021 season with a sprained knee, limiting him to just 56 appearances in total. He enters 2022 as the Padres' nominal No. 1 catcher, but with San Diego expected to carry two other experienced backstops (Jorge Alfaro and Victor Caratini) on its Opening Day roster, Nola could struggle to earn starts in more than 60 percent of the Padres' games.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday that Rutschman has been diagnosed with a right triceps strain, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. Hyde is hopeful that Rutschman will be out for 2-to-3 weeks before returning.

Hyde's 2-to-3-week estimation appears to be an optimistic view of Rutschman's recovery timeline, as the skipper acknowledged the possibility that the catching prospect may not immediately be ready to resume baseball activities once that shutdown period comes to an end. Regardless, the injury effectively ends Rutschman's bid to make the Opening Day roster, and once deemed healthy, he may need to pick up at-bats at Triple-A Norfolk for an extended period before the Orioles consider promoting him to the majors. Since Rutschman is attending camp as a non-roster invitee, the Orioles won't have to place him on their 10-day injured list. With that in mind, fantasy managers may not have the luxury of stashing him in a reserve slot based on their league settings.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said Haase is a "catcher first," though he will play some at first base and in left field, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

The Tigers added Tucker Barnhart in the offseason to play behind the plate, so there was some thought that Haase would primarily play elsewhere with Barnhart taking over as the No. 1 catcher. However, Hinch's comments suggest the two could split duties more evenly. Haase appeared in 98 games last season and popped 22 home runs, and he should maintain decent fantasy value if his playing time looks similar in 2022.

Casali and Joey Bart will split time at catcher to begin the 2022 season, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Casali is no stranger to a timeshare role -- he started approximately once every three games last season to give Buster Posey extra rest. It appears Casali will likely get closer to half of the starts early this season, though the exact distribution of playing time will come down to performance. While Bart has the better bat, Casali is a more reliable defensive catcher who also hit .210/.313/.350 with five home runs and 26 RBI last season.

Bart and Curt Casali will open the 2022 season in a timeshare at catcher, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Bart, the second overall pick from 2018, will get his first extended look in the majors after Buster Posey retired in the offseason. Bart played well with Triple-A Sacramento last season, slashing .298/.362/.476 with 10 home runs, 46 RBI and 37 runs scored in 67 games. Casali will cut into Bart's playing time early in the season, but a strong start to the season could give the latter an edge for the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Rutschman is getting treatment for a sore elbow Tuesday, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The injury doesn't seem to be a significant one, with the Orioles expecting him to be limited for only a couple days. If it lasts longer than expected, however, it could hinder his pursuit of an Opening Day roster spot.

Contreras will likely be one of several players that Chicago manager David Ross rotates into the designated hitter spot this season, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Contreras missed a month last season with a knee injury and still finished seventh in the league in innings behind the plate, so his workload was certainly heavy while he was healthy. The Cubs will likely try to ease up on the 29-year-old a bit in 2022, and the DH spot will allow them to keep him fresher. Ian Happ (elbow), Clint Frazier and Nick Madrigal (hamstring) were also identified as likely DH candidates, and Ross figures to rotate players in and out of the role.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone both said Monday that Rortvedt will compete with Kyle Higashioka for playing time behind the plate during spring training, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Before he was dealt to the Yankees on Sunday as part of the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins, Rortvedt was a relative unknown after batting .169 over 98 plate appearances in 39 games as a part-time catcher for the Twins in 2021. The 24-year-old never posted an OPS better than .750 at any stop of the minors, but he was apparently a coveted piece for the Yankees thanks to his exceptional framing skills behind the plate. In that respect, Rortvedt is a dramatic departure from the bat-first Sanchez, and his inclusion in the deal along with another strong up-the-middle defender in shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa perhaps signals a shift in a Yankees organization that had gone all in on offense for a while. Rortvedt's stellar defense alone may not be enough to earn him the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, however, as he may need to tap into a little more pop to hold off the more experienced Higashioka for starts. At least early on, the lefty-hitting Rortvedt may have to settle for the large side of a platoon with the righty-hitting Higashioka.

Langeliers was traded from Atlanta to Oakland along with Cristian Pache, Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes in exchange for Matt Olson on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Langeliers is a really strong catching prospect across the board, projecting for above-average game power and above-average defense behind the plate. He hit .258/.338/.498 with 22 home runs, a 26.2 K% and a 9.7 BB% in 370 plate appearances at Double-A as a 23-year-old. Langeliers may spend a good chunk of the season at Triple-A, but he could be expedited to the majors if Sean Murphy gets injured or traded.

Jeffers will have added competition at catcher ahead of the 2022 campaign after the Twins acquired Gary Sanchez from the Yankees on Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Jeffers briefly appeared poised to serve as the Twins' top catcher after the team traded Mitch Garver to the Rangers on Saturday, but Sanchez should now be in the mix for playing time as well. Although Sanchez was productive earlier in his career, he's lost out on playing time to Kyle Higashioka in recent seasons. As a result, Nightengale reports that Sanchez will serve as a backup catcher and designated hitter to begin the year, meaning that Jeffers should still have the chance to carve out a significant amount of playing time behind the dish.