MLB Player News

Vazquez suffered an eye contusion and laceration under his left eye after he was struck by a thrown ball during practice Thursday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez was a late scratch from Thursday's spring lineup due to his eye injury. It's not yet clear whether the issue will force the 30-year-old to miss additional time.

Vazquez has been scratched from Thursday's spring lineup against the Twins for an undisclosed reason, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The Red Sox didn't provide a reason for Vazquez's removal, but he was scratched from the lineup minutes before first pitch Thursday. Jett Bandy served as the backstop in his place, and it's not yet clear whether Vazquez will miss additional time.

Barnhart has just four hits in 33 at-bats this spring, albeit with five walks.

Despite the slow start and a poor 2020 campaign with the bat, Barnhart is expected to be the primary starter behind the plate ahead of teammate Tyler Stephenson thanks to his superior defensive skills.

Rogers was optioned to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.

Rogers was battling Grayson Greiner for the backup job behind Wilson Ramos but will wind up losing the contest. Rogers didn't get into a big-league game last season and produced a .125/.222/.259 slash line in his 35-game debut in 2019.

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.