MLB Player News

Vazquez will be on the bench Saturday against Seattle.

Vazquez started the first two games of the season, going 2-for-7 with a homer. Blake Swihart will take over behind the plate Saturday.

Narvaez is not starting Saturday against Boston, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Narvaez will sit for the second time in three games. Tom Murphy gets his first start of the season in his absence.

Hedges will sit Saturday against San Francisco.

Hedges so far seems to be firmly ahead of Francisco Mejia in the battle for playing time behind the plate in San Diego, as he got the call in the team's first two games. Mejia will enter the lineup in his place Saturday, batting eighth.

Realmuto will start at catcher and hit fifth in Saturday's game against the Braves.

Realmuto turned in a quiet Phillies debut in the season opener Thursday, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. The muted performance won't change Realmuto's outlook as a clear top-tier fantasy catcher, especially if manager Gabe Kapler commits to him as the club's No. 5 hitter. If health prevails, Realmuto should be able to cruise past last year's career-best total of 74 RBI while slotting behind a quartet of star hitters (Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura, Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins) in the batting order.

Garver will start at catcher and hit eighth Saturday against the Indians, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Garver's .268/.335/.414 slash line over 335 plate appearances last season made him an above-average offensive catcher, but he graded out less favorably behind the plate. With the Twins making defense a greater priority among their backstops, pitch-framing stalwart Jason Castro is expected to maintain a spot ahead of Garver in the pecking order. Garver should still be in store for at least a couple starts per week.

Plawecki is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Twins, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki wasn't behind the plate Thursday for the Tribe's Opening Day loss either, a firm indication he's viewed as the team's No. 2 backstop. Top option Roberto Perez hasn't shown much aptitude as a hitter over parts of six seasons in the big leagues, but the trust he's established with Cleveland's pitching staff should be enough to keep him ahead of Plawecki on the depth chart.

Narvaez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs overall in a loss to the Red Sox on Friday.

Narvaez had taken a seat in Thursday's home opener with lefty Chris Sale on the mound, but he introduced himself to the Mariners home crowd Friday with a 333-foot solo shot in the second inning off Nathan Eovaldi. The 27-year-old snapped a season-opening 0-for-9 slump with Friday's multi-hit effort.

Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-6 win over Seattle.

Vazquez has a pair of hits, both for extra bases, in seven at-bats, a surprising start to the season for the catcher who slugged a meager .283 in 2018. He's started the first two games but will cede the position to Blake Swihart on Saturday. Vazquez is expected to get the greater share of starts based on his defense.

Gomes is out of the lineup Saturday against the Mets.

Gomes sits atop the depth chart at catcher and started Opening Day, but it's likely the Nationals will deploy something close to a 50/50 timeshare behind the plate with Gomes and Kurt Suzuki, who gets the nod Saturday. The arrangement hurts the overall fantasy viability of the two backstops, though both should warrant ownership in leagues that start two catchers each week.

Stassi started at catcher and went 0-for-3 in Friday's 4-2 loss to the Rays.

Stassi got the start on the second day of the season, catching Gerrit Cole on a night when an infield error led to three unearned runs. Stassi is the clear backup to Robinson Chirinos but should make a couple of starts per week. He was a member of the team last year when Houston led in catcher ERA, so manager AJ Hinch recognizes his defensive contribution and will keep him fresh.