MLB Player News

Jackson was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Jackson made three Grapefruit League appearances this spring and went 0-for-5 with a walk and a strikeout. Since Jackson and Nick Fortes were both sent down Saturday, it appears as though Payton Henry will begin the year as the primary backup at catcher.

Fortes was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.

Fortes appeared in three Grapefruit League games this spring and went 1-for-6 with a run. He should see regular playing time in Jacksonville to begin the year and will be an option to serve as depth behind the dish for the major-league club at some point.

Rortvedt (oblique) took dry swings Friday and has been throwing at 120 feet, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.

Rortvedt was diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain last weekend, but it's encouraging to see him taking swings once again. The 24-year-old is expected to return to game action at some point before the end of spring training, but it's still possible that he'll require a stint on the injured list to begin the year with a week and a half remaining until Opening Day. Regardless of his status to begin the regular season, Rortvedt has certainly made encouraging progress in his recovery so far.

McCann (back) is expected to return to game action Tuesday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

A Tuesday return would see McCann miss one week with back tightness. He'll still have over a week to get up to speed before Opening Day if he makes it back at that point.

Rutschman (triceps) has been able to do some receiving work behind the plate but has yet to test his arm with any throwing or hitting, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

Rutschman still hasn't been ruled out for Opening Day, but he has a lot to do in his recovery from a triceps strain if he's to be ready to make his big-league debut right away. He's 10 days into his two-to-three week shutdown period and remains on that schedule, as he's expected to get back to throwing and hitting in about a week. He'll at least be sharp defensively by Opening Day, as he's been able to continue his work behind the plate, but he won't have the chance to get in many Grapefruit League at-bats.

Alvarez went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

The Mets' top prospect didn't start the game and his long ball came in the eighth inning against career minor-leaguer Aneurys Zabala, but it was still an impressive display from Alvarez. The catcher slugged 22 homers with an .889 OPS in 84 games for High-A Brooklyn last season as a teenager, and how he performs against much older pitchers in the high minors this year will go a long way toward determining his big-league ETA.

Rortvedt (oblique) has thrown at distances up to 90 feet and is expected to see game action before the end of camp, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Rortvedt has been dealing with the injury for some time, as the Yankees were reportedly aware of the issue prior to trading for him March 13. However, the backstop appears to be improving, and manager Aaron Boone said that he should begin swinging a bat soon. Rortvedt could still open the season on the injured list, but if he makes it into some spring contests and doesn't suffer any setbacks, it's certainly possible that he could be healthy enough to play by Opening Day.

Langeliers was reassigned to minor-league camp Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Langeliers was acquired from Atlanta by Oakland as part of the return for Matt Olson mid-March. He closed the 2021 season at Triple-A, though it's not particularly surprising that he will start the new campaign in the minors as Sean Murphy will retain the starting role behind the dish, and the Athletics also recently signed Stephen Vogt. Despite some depth at the position, Langeliers could still be in line for his big-league debut at some point in 2022.

Stassi signed a three-year, $17.5 million extension with the Angels on Thursday.

Stassi and the Angels avoided arbitration after agreeing to terms on a one-year deal worth $3 million Tuesday. He was set to become a free agent at the close of the 2022 campaign, though he's now in line for significant playing time behind the dish for the next several seasons. Stassi has posted 136 and 107 wRC+ marks in the last two seasons, respectively, so he has some offensive punch relative to the position.

Bemboom was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit Lineup against the Red Sox due to an illness, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports.

The Orioles didn't initially provide a reason for Bemboom's removal from the lineup, but it's unlikely that his illness will lead to a significant absence. Assuming the illness isn't related to COVID-19, the catcher should be considered day-to-day.