MLB Player News

Manager Dave Roberts said in an appearance Thursday on the "Off Air with Joe and Orel" podcast that Barnes will be behind the plate in the Dodgers' Opening Day game against the Giants, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Roberts indicated that he expects Will Smith to start three of the Dodgers' first five games, suggesting that he's still Option 1A in the team's timeshare at catcher. The more defensive-minded Barnes looks like he could settle in as a full-time battery mate for Clayton Kershaw, who will take the hill for his franchise-record ninth Opening Day start.

Manager Dave Roberts said in an appearance Thursday on the "Off Air with Joe and Orel" podcast that Smith will be out of the lineup for the Dodgers' Opening Day game against the Giants, Eric Stephen of TrueBlueLA.com reports.

Fantasy players will want to confirm as much when the Dodgers formally release their lineup later Thursday, but Roberts said that Smith will give way to Austin Barnes in the opener. Roberts mentioned that he expects Smith to catch three of the team's first five games, so the 25-year-old looks to be Option 1A in the timeshare at catcher.

Tromp is day-to-day with hamstring tightness, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Tromp experienced tightness in his hamstring earlier in the week and is expected to miss a few days as a result. He figures to serve as catching depth once healthy.

The Pirates placed Maile (finger) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Maile was ruled out for 10-to-12 weeks after undergoing surgery July 17 to repair a fractured index finger on his throwing hand, so the transaction comes as little surprise. The Pirates will proceed with Jacob Stallings and John Ryan Murphy as their two catchers on the Opening Day roster with Maile sidelined.

The Mariners placed Murphy (foot) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.

The transaction was made official shortly after the news broke that Murphy is dealing with a broken bone in his left foot, which he sustained after fouling a ball off of himself last week. The Mariners haven't provided an official timetable for Murphy's return, but his indefinite absence likely paves the way for Austin Nola to begin the season as the club's primary backstop.

Nola is expected to open the season as the Mariners' starting catcher after Tom Murphy was diagnosed with a broken foot Wednesday, Jen Mueller of ROOT Sports Northwest reports.

The 30-year-old was expected to see about 45 percent of the starts behind the plate alongside Murphy, but he'll now begin the season without any veteran competition. Nola saw his first major-league action in 2019 and had a strong showing with a .269/.342/.454 slash line and 10 homers in 79 games. According to Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle, Joe Hudson will operate as Seattle's backup catcher while Murphy is sidelined.

Murphy has a broken bone in his foot and will begin the season on the injured list, Jen Mueller of ROOT Sports Northwest reports.

The 29-year-old was poised to begin the season as the Mariners' starting catcher, but he fouled a ball off his foot on two separate occasions in summer camp and won't be available for Opening Day. GM Jerry Dipoto said he doesn't believe it will be a significant absence, but Murphy doesn't have an official timeline for his return. Austin Nola is set to take over the starting role in the meantime.

Contreras went 3-for-3 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's scrimmage against the Twins.

Contreras has been on fire in summer camp, Counting intrasquad games as well as scrimmages against other clubs, the catcher now has six home runs. If Contreras can carry this into the regular season, he should be very productive over the 60-game slate.

Diaz will begin the season on the Rockies' 30-man roster, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

Diaz was late in reporting to camp due to COVID-19 protocol, but he was able to return and impressed enough to secure the backup catcher job behind Tony Wolters. Diaz appeared in a career-high 102 games with the Pirates last season, slashing .241/.296/.307 with two home runs and 28 RBI.

Murphy's ankle isn't responding to treatment, which could impact his availability for Opening Day, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Murphy was limited during camp after fouling two balls off his foot, and he could miss time to begin the regular season since his ankle isn't responding to treatment as the team had hoped. If the 29-year-old is unable to suit up for Opening Day, Austin Nola will likely serve as the primary catcher, with Joe Hudson or a current free agent as a potential backup.