MLB Player News

Stassi (hip) is participating in full workouts and could get into a Cactus League game soon, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Stassi is still recovering from the hip surgery he underwent following the 2020 season, but he appears close to ready to returning to game action. As long as his debut isn't delayed much longer, the 29-year-old should have adequate time to gear up for Opening Day. Stassi is expected to serve as the Angels' primary catcher in 2021.

Mejia, who went 1-for-2 with a double in Tuesday's Grapefruit League loss to the Red Sox, has pleased the Rays coaching staff with his progress early in spring training, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "We're excited, thrilled with where he's at," manager Kevin Cash said. "We've got to make sure that we can continue getting him around the pitchers, having conversations and learning the little things that are so important that [pitching coach Kyle Snyder and bullpen coach Stan Boroski] value as far as the simple messages."

Mejia is one of the more intriguing prospects to watch in spring camp, considering he was once considered on the fast track to stardom with the Padres organization. The 25-year-old is experiencing a reset of sorts in Tampa Bay after arriving in the Blake Snell trade, and the Rays are intent on grooming him as the switch-hitting complement to starting catcher Mike Zunino, who's only under contract through the end of the 2021 season. Cash notes Mejia has been kept busy getting familiarized with the pitching staff by catching plenty of bullpen and live batting practice sessions, and the Rays skipper adds he plans to single out certain pitchers and frequent 2021 opponents in deciding when to get Mejia game action during the balance of the Grapefruit League schedule.

Realmuto (thumb) will undergo an X-ray at the end of the week to determine whether he can remove his cast, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Realmuto has been dealing with a fractured right thumb since the start of spring training but has still been able to catch and hit while wearing his cast. He appears to be progressing well in his recovery so far, but more clarity on his status should be known once the results of his X-ray are revealed.

Murphy (chest) has resumed hitting and catching, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Murphy has been slowed to begin spring training following a pair of offseason surgeries to address a collapsed lung. While manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Murphy still isn't ready for game action, the catcher has been progressing well in his recovery so far. The 26-year-old has said that he expects to be ready to play in time for Opening Day.

Barnes' role with the Dodgers this season is expected to lean more toward a timeshare than a traditional backup situation, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Manager Dave Roberts suggested that both Barnes and Will Smith will play important roles behind the plate for the club this season, though he wasn't precise about how their playing time will shake out. "If you look at timeshare, I guess [Barnes is] a backup, but I don't see it as such," Roberts said. "I think it's a 1 and 1A. They're both very valuable, and I think that we've done a good job of using both of them and exploiting strengths and things to help us win baseball games." While Smith is clearly the more talented offensive performer, Barnes' ability to handle the pitching staff has allowed him to carve out a fair amount of playing time. The Dodgers often deployed Barnes behind the dish while slotting Smith at DH during the playoffs last season, but with the designated hitter out of the National League for 2021, that scenario is no longer an option. Smith is still expected to get the majority of the starts for Los Angeles, but he may not handle as large of a workload behind the plate as most everyday catchers.

Smith is expected to pair with Austin Barnes in a timeshare at catcher for the Dodgers this season, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Though Smith is considerably more explosive offensively than Barnes -- the former slashed .289/.401/.579 with eight homers last season, while the latter put up a .244/.353/.314 line with only one long ball -- the Dodgers value Barnes' defense to such a degree that they played him over Smith behind the dish frequently during their postseason run in 2020. In that scenario, Smith was able to shift over to designated hitter, but with the DH not expected to be utilized in the National League this season, he's not going to see as many at-bats as your typical starting catcher. "If you look at timeshare, I guess [Barnes is] a backup, but I don't see it as such," manager Dave Roberts said Sunday. "I think it's a 1 and 1A. They're both very valuable, and I think that we've done a good job of using both of them and exploiting strengths and things to help us win baseball games." That doesn't make it clear exactly how playing time will be divided between the two, and Smith is productive enough to be a valuable fantasy contributor even if he's out of the lineup a few days per week, but the situation bears watching early in the campaign to get a sense of how things will shake out.

Jeffers started at catcher and went 1-for-3 in Monday's spring training win over Tampa Bay. It was his first game since minor offseason surgery on his throwing elbow.

Jeffers underwent a procedure to remove "loose bodies" from his throwing elbow and hasn't been limited early in spring training. Nevertheless, it's reassuring to see him behind the plate and healthy ahead of Opening Day. Jeffers had a strong rookie year and should be part of the mix at catcher for the Twins after hitting .273 with a .791 OPS. His outlook for playing time is uncertain since both he and Mitch Garver are right-handed. However, the Twins have made it a point to give catchers adequate rest, so the duo may split playing time even if not in a traditional platoon.

Narvaez went 2-for-3 with a double and a run in Sunday's spring opener.

Narvaez struggled at the plate in 2020, so the two hits in his first appearance of the exhibition season were surely a welcome sight. While Narvaez posted just a .563 OPS last season, he did grade out well defensively, and he figures to form some sort of timeshare behind the plate with Manny Pina.

Grandal (knee) ramped up his hitting and throwing Sunday and is expected to return soon, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Grandal recently twisted his right knee during drills and will miss at least the first two spring games due to inflammation, but he appears to be nearing a return. Barring any setbacks, the 32-year-old catcher should still have plenty of time to prepare for Opening Day.

Haase went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.

Haase is on the outside looking in right now, as he was removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to Triple-A Toledo last month. The Tigers brought in Wilson Ramos to serve as the primary catcher, and Grayson Greiner and Jake Rogers are vying for the backup role. That leaves Haase with very little fantasy appeal heading into 2021, though he could get a look in the majors if Ramos misses any time due to injury.