MLB Player News

Realmuto (thumb) has been able to catch and hit while wearing his cast, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The Phillies certainly didn't want to see their star catcher start camp with a broken thumb, but there appears to be a real chance he'll be ready by Opening Day. The injury may have happened early enough for him to make a full recovery, especially as it doesn't appear to be significantly holding back his preseason preparation. Whether or not the issue has any lingering effects on his ability to hit up to his usual standards early in the season is a question that probably can't be answered until games begin, however.

Murphy, who missed all of the 2020 season with a broken bone in his foot, is fully recovered but will have his workload closely monitored, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

The veteran backstop was a pleasant surprise for the Mariners back in 2019, putting up career highs in doubles (12), home runs (18), RBI (40), walks (19) and runs (32) while slashing .273/.324/.535 across 281 plate appearances. There were consequently high hopes for Murphy heading into 2020, but a fracture suffered after fouling a ball off his foot multiple times during summer camp led to the lost season. Luis Torrens (back), acquired from the Padres at last year's trade deadline, impressed over his brief time with the Mariners and is also expected to receive a solid amount of playing time behind the dish in the coming campaign.

Stallings enters the 2021 campaign as the Pirates' clear-cut starter behind the plate, DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

The 31-year-old, who slashed .248/.326/.376 in 143 plate appearances last year, led the NL in innings caught (345.1) while finishing second in Gold Glove voting. Stallings' .702 OPS was slightly above the league average (.695) for catchers. He's never caught more than 700 innings in a season, but he's ready for the challenge. "My body really held up well," he said Friday. "I felt good. So I was really encouraged about that. I don't think anything will change." Newly acquired catchers Michael Perez and Tony Wolters are expected to compete for the backup job.

Kirk could serve as the Blue Jays' backup catcher this season, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Kirk jumped straight from High-A to the majors last season and hit an impressive .375/.400/.583, though that came in just 25 trips to the plate. There's a case to be made that he's already Toronto's top offensive backstop, but Danny Jansen is a better defender and is expected to open the season as the starter. The question for Toronto is whether or not Kirk should play on a regular basis in the minors to continue his development or appear more infrequently at the big-league level. The Blue Jays want him to be able to handle a starting workload eventually, and he's never played more than 92 games in a season in the minors, but they also appear to be looking to win now, and Kirk would likely help more than Reese McGuire in that regard.

Thaiss will get work at first base, third base and the corner outfield during spring training, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Thaiss played in only eight games for the Angels last season but saw time at four different defensive positions (first base, second base, third base and left field). He doesn't have a clear path to playing time in 2021, so his ability to garner at-bats will likely be tied to his versatility. Thaiss has posted a .202 average and 60 strikeouts in 189 career plate appearances.

Ruiz has not reported to spring training due to a visa issue, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.

Ruiz made his debut in the big leagues for a brief time in 2020, logging eight plate appearances. He'll face an uphill battle to make the opening day roster for the 2021 season with both Will Smith and Austin Barnes ahead of him on the catching depth chart. There is no timeline for Ruiz's arrival to the team's facility.

Manager Joe Girardi revealed Thursday that Realmuto recently suffered a fractured right thumb, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto's thumb will be immobilized for two weeks, and he'll be re-evaluated after that time. While the catcher will miss several spring games due to the injury, the Phillies are still hopeful that he'll be ready for Opening Day. Andrew Knapp, Rafael Marchan and Jeff Mathis should compete for the backup catcher job while Realmuto is sidelined.

Stassi (hip) is ramping up slowly to begin camp but is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Stassi underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip in October. Once he's fully ready to go, he'll split time in some capacity with Kurt Suzuki. Exactly how the time will be split remains to be seen. Stassi hit an excellent .278/.352/.533 in 105 plate appearances last year, but he came nowhere close to that in 486 trips to the plate prior to 2020, hitting just .204/.285/.326.

Mejia was delayed getting into the country but should be able to join team workouts on Tuesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Similar logistical delays may pop up for a few players around the league given the difficulties of starting the season during a global pandemic. Mejia's teammate Diego Castillo's arrival has been delayed for the same reason. Both players won't be able to join their teammates until completing a mandatory quarantine, but they should have plenty of time to prepare for the start of the regular season, barring further delays.

Campusano has reported to Padres camp and the team is said to "feel good" about his legal situation, Darnay Tripp of NBC San Diego reports.

Campusano was charged with felony marijuana possession in Georgia last October, casting a cloud over his status for the 2021 campaign. However, the catcher's presence in camp suggests that San Diego expects him to be able to compete this season. Nonetheless, his path to an Opening Day roster spot is clouded by the presence of Austin Nola and Victor Caratini ahead of him on the depth chart.