MLB Player News

Thole has been assigned to the Yankees' alternate training site.

Given Thole's place at the bottom of New York's catching depth chart, it comes as no surprise that he won't be part of the big-league roster to begin the season. He'll instead provide a veteran presence as part of the Yankees' satellite camp.

Haase could potentially lose his spot on the 40-man roster as the Tigers add players before the start of the season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Haase was thought to have the inside track on being the backup catcher during spring training, but Woodbery notes that Grayson Greiner will fill that role. That could put Haase's 40-man spot in jeopardy as the Tigers might need spots for the likes of Jordy Mercer, Jorge Bonifacio and a handful of pitchers. If Haase does get squeezed out of a regular roster spot, he could still end up on the team's three-player taxi squad for road trips as MLB rules stipulate that at least one taxi squad player is a catcher.

Caratini is an option to see regular time at first base early in the season with Anthony Rizzo (back) uncertain for the start of the year, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Caratini has primarily worked as a catcher for the Cubs, though he did appear in 23 games at first last year. The 26-year-old has been tabbed as the personal catcher for Yu Darvish, so he'll still get time behind the plate, but the team may need to use him more at first if Rizzo can't go in the early going. Caratini has looked pretty good at the plate when he's been able to play regularly, so fantasy managers should take note if the playing time is there.

Maile underwent surgery to address his fractured right index finger Friday and will be sidelined 10-12 weeks.

Maile was poised to operate as Pittsburgh's primary backup catcher this season, but the lengthy recovery timeline means he's unlikely to see the field during the shortened season. John Ryan Murphy should step into the backup job behind starter Jacob Stallings.

While Garver may get a higher percentage of starts behind the plate due to the shorter 60-game season, manager Rocco Baldelli told Aaron Gleeman of TheAthletic.com that he still plans to give him rest. "I would anticipate getting Mitch out there as much as we can, but Mitch is also going to get his days off. Alex [Avila] is going to get a fair amount of time as well. We're going to get into a rotation," Baldelli said.

Garver said his goal is to play 40-45 games during the 60-game season, but the coaching staff may limit him more to keep him fresh. The Twins made a concerted effort to keep their catchers well rested last season and didn't alter the plan even with Garver's breakout performance at the plate, so that trend could continue even in a shortened season.

Knizner has made a strong case to serve as a bat off the bench and potential third catcher during the regular season, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

As part of MLB's unique 2020 format, teams will be allowed to take a three-man taxi squad on road trips, and one of those players must be a catcher. That opens up an opportunity for Knizner, who Rogers points out could also be available for home games in a pinch-hit capacity or in-game replacement and as a bullpen catcher to warm up relievers. Additionally, the advanced age of Yadier Molina and Matt Wieters, the two backstops ahead of him on the depth chart, could also help lead to the occasional spot start for Knizner, who slashed .226/.293/.377 during his first taste of big-league action last season but also put together an impressive body of work as a hitter during his six minor-league stops.

Ruiz (undisclosed) reported to Dodgers camp Friday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Ruiz wasn't present for the first part of camp and was added to the 10-day injured list Thursday for an undisclosed reason, but he joined the team Friday. The 21-year-old prospect is expected to serve as organizational depth at catcher this year.

Thaiss told reporters Thursday that his late arrival to summer camp was due to a positive test for the coronavirus in June, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Thaiss noted that he was asymptomatic during the length of his self-quarantine, but it took nearly 30 days for him to register negative tests at least 24 hours apart. That kept him from reporting to summer camp until July 12, and the reserve infielder has been attempting to make up for lost time since. While Thaiss indicated that he was very limited in terms of baseball activity while isolated in his apartment, he also expressed optimism about his ability to be ready to play by Opening Day. The 25-year-old is expected to serve primarily as a backup to Albert Pujols at first base this season.

Raleigh is likely to frequently be designated the third catcher on the team's three-man taxi squad this season and could see some regular-season playing time, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "He's still learning all the pitchers and their nuances, certainly some of the older guys, but this is a good opportunity for him," manager Scott Servais said. "He's a guy that's going to show up here at some point and play a big role for us behind the plate, there's no question about that."

The 23-year-old backstop has Tom Murphy and Austin Nola ahead of him on the depth chart, but Johns makes a case for Raleigh getting his first taste of regular-season big-league action at some point in 2020. If Murphy, who's expected to serve as the primary backstop, misses some time during the 60-game campaign, Nola, who only has four games of experience behind the dish, will likely need some help manning the position. Raleigh has yet to play above the Double-A level and struggled to a .228 average and .296 on-base percentage in 39 games there last season, but he's worked closely with Mariners Hall of Fame catcher Dan Wilson during summer camp and has caught the eye of his boss. "Cal's having a good camp," Servais said. "He swings the bat really well and certainly has power from both sides of the plate. The catching side has really impressed me with his arm strength in this camp and some of the drills."

Murphy (foot) went 1-for-2 with a walk while serving as the designated hitter for Thursday's intrasquad game, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

As expected, Murphy was able to make a quick return after fouling a ball off his foot Tuesday, although manager Scott Servais opted to keep him limited to an offensive role Thursday. Murphy is still likely to draw a slight majority of the starts behind the dish this coming season, but Servais previously stated Austin Nola will get a fair share of playing time and the duo could also be complemented with prospects Cal Raleigh and Brian O'Keefe.