MLB Player News

Heim will make the Rangers' Opening Day roster, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Heim, who was acquired during the offseason from Oakland in the Elvis Andrus deal, will thus be the backup catcher behind Jose Trevino. There isn't much fantasy appeal here, as Heim is batting .105 (2-for-19) with two RBI this spring, though he did manage to hit .310/.385/.477 across two minor-league stops in 2019.

Bemboom was optioned by the Angels on Wednesday.

Bemboom was not expected to break camp with the club and struggled at the plate this spring, slashing .150/.190/.150. He'll open the campaign in the minors with Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki locked into the top two spots on the team's catching depth chart.

Nola (finger) has been taking swings off a tee and could take part in full batting practice this weekend, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

The 31-year-old also began working as a full participant in catcher drills Tuesday, so he appears to be progressing well in his recovery from a fractured finger. Nola isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day, but he could be cleared to play after a short stint on the injured list to open the season.

Narvaez went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, three runs and a walk over his last two spring games.

Narvaez started the spring hot, and he is ending it in the same fashion. He really struggled with the bat last season, but he made serious strides behind the plate, and the Brewers decided to keep him around for another year. That looks to have been the right move thus far, as he has posted a stellar 1.276 OPS this spring.

Realmuto (thumb) will catch and bat second Tuesday against Toronto, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Time is getting tight for Realmuto to get up to speed by the start of the regular season as he works his way back from the fractured thumb he suffered right before camp began. He was originally scheduled to make his spring debut Sunday against the Tigers but wound up delayed an additional two days due to general soreness. There still seems to be optimism that he'll be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, but he might need to be managed carefully early in the season due to his very abbreviated buildup.

Nola (finger) appeared to be a full participant in all catcher drills during a workout Tuesday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Though he's still nursing a fractured middle finger on his (left) catching hand, Nola doesn't appear to be experiencing any pain when he's behind the plate. Instead, Nola will need to prove that the finger doesn't affect him when he swings the bat before the Padres consider using him in games. Nola doesn't look as though he'll have enough time to fully heal from the injury before Opening Day, but he may require only a brief stint on the injured list to begin the season.

Amaya went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Monday's Cactus League game against the Angels.

It was the first home run and third hit overall this spring for the 22-year-old catcher. He has plenty of upside, but he's yet to appear in a game above the High-A level, so he'll likely start the season at Double-A or Triple-A.

Sanchez will be behind the plate to catch Gerrit Cole on Opening Day, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Cole was exclusively paired with backup catcher Kyle Higashioka during the latter part of the 2020 season, but the Yankees will give Sanchez another chance to receive for the team's ace April 1. The decision to sit the slugger during Cole's pitching days last season wasn't entirely for defensive reasons -- Sanchez struggled so much offensively that the team shied away from him in the playoffs as well. Sanchez is faring somewhat better at the plate this spring, slashing .194/.265/.484 in comparison to last season's .147/.253/.365 line.

Stubbs left Monday's game against the Mets after a pitch hit his head, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stubbs was thankfully able to walk to the dugout under his own power. The severity of his injury is not yet clear.

Realmuto (thumb) is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Realmuto was expected to make his spring debut Sunday against the Tigers but wound up getting scratched due to general soreness. As it turns out, he'll be debuting at least two days later than originally scheduled. Per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer, he could be in the lineup Tuesday against Toronto. Time is getting quite tight for him to get up to speed by the start of the regular season, so he may need more days off than he's used to even if he avoids a trip to the injured list.