MLB Player News

Thaiss came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's spring training loss to the Mariners.

The Angels' first base prospect has hit the ground running this spring, batting .313 (5-for-16) with a pair of homers and four RBI. He has a tough road to breaking camp on the 25-man roster as the club will likely want its backup first baseman to be right-handed in order to platoon with Luis Valbuena. That said, if the 22-year-old can continue to prove that he has developed the power to complement his solid discipline at the plate (77 walks in 606 plate appearances across two levels last season), he could force manager Mike Scioscia to make a tough decision come Opening Day.

Garver (knee) may not return to action until Tuesday, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Garver tweaked his knee in Wednesday's game against the Astros. The injury is reportedly minor and an MRI revealed no structural damage. He had hoped to return to game action this weekend, but that appears likely to be delayed by a few days. Still, he should have plenty of time to get up to speed by Opening Day and should be ready to serve as the Twins' backup catcher.

Hedges went 2-for-3 with his fourth home run in as many games this spring training.

AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reported that Hedges entered camp with a modified swing, and that change is apparently paying off in spades for the Padres' backstop. As with most spring training results, we have to take them in with a grain of salt when you consider some of the inferior competition these proven major leaguers are going up against. That said, those with stock in the 25-year-old can't help but get excited with these early developments, especially after he broke out with 18 home runs in just 387 at-bats last season.

Barnes (elbow) will catch his first game "shortly," according to manager Dave Roberts, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

He has been in the lineup lately as the designated hitter as he recovers from elbow discomfort, but it sounds like he could get the nod behind the dish at some point in the coming days. Yasmani Grandal, who is expected to open the year on the strong side of a platoon, is 0-for-12 at the plate thus far in spring training. Barnes has gone from being overrated in November and December to perhaps being a bit undervalued currently in drafts. He won't carry fantasy rosters in any one category, but is also unlikely to do any damage in batting average, which is a rarity among catchers.

Garver's MRI on his right knee revealed no structural damage and he hopes to return to game action this weekend, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

He tweaked his knee during Wednesday's game and the routine tests did not reveal anything that would keep him sidelined for long. Garver seems to be close to a lock to make the big-league roster as the backup catcher. He slashed .291/.387/.541 with 17 home runs in 88 games at Triple-A last year as a 26-year-old. Much of that production was likely just the product of an older hitter feasting on minor-league pitching, but given how barren the offensive landscape at the catching position is, he's worth a flyer in deeper two-catcher formats. He could hit double-digit home runs with a low batting average.

Sanchez will be sidelined for two weeks with a hamstring injury, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic Bay Area reports.

It's unclear when Sanchez picked up the injury, but an MRI revealed the ailment to be serious enough to require some time off to fully recover. This doesn't affect Sanchez too much, as he's expected to open the season in the minors regardless of his performance in camp with Buster Posey (ankle) and Nick Hundley set to reprise their roles behind the dish in 2018.

Garver tweaked his knee during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against Houston, but is not expected to miss an extended period of time, Mike Berardino of The Pioneer Press reports.

Garver sustained the injury when he was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate. He remained in the game for a couple more innings before eventually leaving in the fifth. He should be considered day-to-day.

Narvaez (elbow) went 1-for-2 in his spring debut Friday against the Dodgers.

Narvaez was hampered with a bout of tennis elbow at the end of 2017, but it seems like that issue is now behind him. The 26-year-old batted .277 in 90 games as a part-time catcher with the White Sox. At this point, Narvaez seems to be competing for backup catching duties now that Welington Castillo is in town.

Caratini has a chance to open the season as Chicago's backup catcher but may also spend more time at Triple-A to develop further, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

This is a tough situation for the Cubs, as the young catcher already proved he can rake at Triple-A. In 292 at-bats with the I-Cubs, he slashed .342/.393/.558 with 10 homers and 61 RBI. That said, some think that it would hurt his development if he only played once or twice per week, as he would if he was in the big leagues backing up Willson Contreras. Caratini held his own in 59 MLB at-bats, hitting .254 with a home run, but with veteran Chris Gimenez in camp as a non-roster invitee, the Cubs can afford to keep Caratini in the minors a bit longer. This situation should become clearer as spring training rolls along, but Caratini certainly has done enough to warrant a spot on the big-league roster.

Barnes is set to DH for the first week of Cactus League games after experiencing elbow discomfort heading into spring camp, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports.

Manager Dave Roberts explained that Barnes is currently on a throwing program, but that he would be able to catch and throw if the season started today. At this point, it appears that the Dodgers are being cautious with the 28-year-old, which makes sense for any sort of ailment sustained in February. Barring any setback, Barnes should be back behind the plate in early March and at full health well before Opening Day.