MLB Player News

Collins went 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run home run in Sunday's spring game against the Royals.

Collins started at catcher and cranked his second Cactus League home run. He's 5-for-16 with three extra-base hits, five RBI and eight walks over 11 spring games. Collins is an offense-first catcher that continues to plug away at his defensive skills, but he's unlikely to break camp with the White Sox unless the team feels the need to carry a third catcher as its 26th man. Yasmani Grandal and James McCann (on a one-year deal) are ahead of him on the organizational depth chart.

Manager Aaron Boone said he hopes Sanchez (back) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old isn't listed on the travel roster for Monday's matchup with the Phillies, but he was able to participate in catching drills Sunday. Sanchez reported some soreness in his lower back Saturday after catching back-to-back days, but the issue doesn't appear to be a serious concern. Barring any continuing problems, there shouldn't be a question regarding his availability for Opening Day.

Sanchez (back) isn't included on the Yankees' travel roster for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies and appears unlikely to play in that contest, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.

Sanchez indicated that his lower back was sore Saturday after catching the previous two days, but at this stage, the Yankees don't seem overly concerned about the injury. Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Sanchez doesn't plan to take part in his scheduled batting practice session Sunday, but he isn't scheduled to undergo an MRI and thinks he could play Monday if necessary. Sanchez looks like he'll be good to go by the time Opening Day arrives March 26, but the Yankees will slow play his return this week, and he may not return to game action until Friday, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News.

Maldonado (thumb) is in the lineup for Saturday's spring game against the Cardinals, according to MLB.com.

Maldonado missed a few days after taking a foul ball off his left thumb, but he will be back behind the plate Saturday and will hit seventh in the Astros' batting order.

Sanchez has a sore back but is expected to return to game action Monday, George A. King III of the New York Post reports.

He played Thursday and Friday and wasn't scheduled to catch Saturday, but it's still noteworthy that he is dealing with some soreness. This doesn't sound like a reason to downgrade him in fantasy drafts, but if he is unable to get back into game action next week, that could change.

Realmuto is a candidate to lead off this season, at least until Andrew McCutchen (knee) returns from the injured list, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Realmuto batted everywhere from second to fifth last season. A catcher leading off would certainly be unusual, but Realmuto has good speed for the position, stealing at least eight bases in four of the last five seasons. His .328 on-base percentage from last season is hardly an elite mark for a leadoff man, but he's been as high as .343 in that category in the past. If he does move up to the leadoff spot, expect a few extra runs, offset by a slight drop in RBI. Scott Kingery, Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn were also mentioned by manager Joe Girardi as options for the role.

Deglan was sent to minor-league camp Thursday.

The move comes as no surprise as Deglan is not on the 40-man roster and has logged only 19 at-bats at the Triple-A level. The 27-year-old played in five Grapefruit League games, collecting three hits in five plate appearances, including one double.

Mejia is trying out a new stance behind the plate in an effort to improve defensively, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

In the adjusted stance, Mejia kneels rather than squats. The Padres hope the change will enable Mejia to better frame and block pitches as he ranked among the worst backstops in baseball in multiple defensive metrics last season. In spite of his offensive potential, the team has not committed to making Mejia their unchallenged starter at catcher thanks largely to his poor glovework and the exceptional defense of fellow backstop Austin Hedges. The pair figure to fall into some sort of timeshare this season, but if Mejia can show adequate progress behind the plate, he could lock up the lion's share of playing time before long.

Rutschman was assigned to minor-league camp by the Orioles on Friday.

The 2019 first overall pick spent the first couple weeks of spring training in major-league camp, but there was never a realistic chance of him sticking with the big club. Rutschman progressed quickly through rookie ball and finished his first professional season at Low-A Delmarva, though he struggled with a .594 OPS in 46 plate appearances.

Narvaez went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a walk in Thursday's spring game against the Reds.

Narvaez has seen steady playing time this spring and has reached base five times in 15 plate appearances over six games. He is set to open the season as the Brewers' primary catcher, but he will cede at least some starts and at-bats to Manny Pina when the Brewers face left-handed starters and/or manager Craig Counsell wants Pina's superior defense behind the plate.