MLB Player News

Stassi went 1-for-4 with a double and knocked in a run in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Rangers.

The Astros had chances Friday -- they were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position -- but only Stassi broke through with a man in scoring position. Stassi, who will be the primary backup to the 34-year-old Brian McCann, got the call for the second game of the season. McCann's unlikely to get much more than 100 starts, so Stassi's in line for a significant amount of plate appearances. His framing and game-calling have improved, so there are no qualms about having him on the field. If he maintains any semblance of offense -- manager A.J. Hinch raved about his improvement at the plate during training camp -- Stassi could be a pleasant sleeper at catcher.

Leon will make his first appearance in the starting lineup this season against the Rays on Saturday, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com reports.

Leon didn't make an appearance during the Red Sox's Opening Day loss and wasn't in the lineup for Friday's contest, but manager Alex Cora stated that the 29-year-old will be behind the plate when Rick Porcello takes the mound Saturday. With Christian Vazquez the primary catcher, it seems likely that Leon will only see marginal playing time this season.

Wallach is catching and batting eighth Friday against the Cubs, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Wallach was expected to back up Tomas Telis in the absence of injured starter J.T. Realmuto (back), but Wallach has now been named the starter for the opening two games of the season. Starting the right-handed Wallach over the switch-hitting Tomas Telis in the opener against Jon Lester could have been explained as simply a move to gain a platoon advantage, as Telis has hit poorly against lefties in his career, but Wallach remaining in the lineup against the right-handed Kyle Hendricks suggests it's he who is the interim starter. Regardless of the unexpected playing time, nothing in Wallach's profile suggests he'll be a significant fantasy asset, but in leagues deep enough to roster one of the Marlins' catchers, he appears to be the one to grab.

Wallach went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts in Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Cubs.

Getting the start and hitting eighth, Wallach's Opening Day performance ended up being pretty forgettable. The 26-year-old may not get much of a chance to redeem himself -- the Marlins are carrying three catchers on the roster while they wait for J.T. Realmuto (back) to get healthy, and Tomas Telis and Bryan Holaday could easily see the rest of the starts until Realmuto comes off the disabled list. Wallach's minor-league track record doesn't suggest much fantasy upside even if he does see more action.

Plawecki went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's 9-4 win over the Cardinals.

Hitting seventh in front of the pitcher's slot, Plawecki made a surprising impact on Opening Day. The 27-year-old is expected to split the workload about equally with Travis d'Arnaud behind the plate this season, but if Plawecki keeps getting on base, he could be tough to pull out of the lineup.

Perez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.

With Perez situated on the bench, Yan Gomes will draw the start behind the dish for the Indians' season opener. Perez and Gomes are expected to split time behind the plate in 2018.

The Royals officially placed Perez on the 10-day disabled list Thursday, MLB.com reports.

The transaction comes one day after the Royals revealed that Perez was dealing with a Grade 2 tear of the MCL in his left knee, which he sustained while carrying a suitcase up a flight of stairs. The injury is projected to sideline Perez for 4-to-6 weeks, leaving Drew Butera to act as the team's primary backup. The Royals recalled Cam Gallagher from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move to provide depth behind Butera.

Gallagher was called up by Kansas City on Thursday, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

With Salvador Perez expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks with a torn MCL, Gallagher will serve as the backup catcher to Drew Butera. Over 13 appearances with the club last season, Gallagher slashed .250/.333/.417.

Plawecki will get the Opening Day start for the Mets behind the plate, Mike Puma of The New York Post reports.

He's expected to split the workload fairly evenly with Travis d'Arnaud this season, but Opening Day starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard preferred working with Plawecki last season, which likely played into manager Mickey Callaway's thinking on his initial lineup. The 27-year-old slashed .260/.364/.400 with three home runs through 37 games in the majors last season, and he could be sneakily useful in deep OBP leagues with increased playing time.

Nola was designated for assignment by the Marlins on Thursday, Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reports

Nola was just 1-for-11 at the plate in a brief showing this spring, but even with J.T. Realmuto (back) not ready to begin the year, Nola is a ways away from factoring into the catching mix in Miami. The converted backstop is still expected to work on his catching at the Double-A level in 2018, provided he stays within the organization as opposed to free agency.