MLB Player News

Realmuto (back) will not be ready for Opening Day and could begin the season on the disabled list, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports.

According to manager Don Mattingly, it's "highly likely" that he will land on the DL, while J.T. Riddle (shoulder) is in the exact same position. There should be a more definitive answer to his timetable in the coming days, but either way, expect Tomas Telis to start the season as Miami's catcher.

Stassi, who was informed Friday he made the team, will be the primary backup to starter Brian McCann, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Stassi would catch more games than Evan Gattis, who will be the third catcher and the primary designated hitter. McCann is entering his age-34 season and last year played in his fewest games since he was a rookie, suggesting that Stassi's role has potential to lead to significant plate appearances.

Hernandez was suspended 50 games for a second positive test for a drug of abuse, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Hernandez is currently on the Triple-A roster after signing a minor-league deal with the Red Sox in January. The 24-year-old will be able to return to action in late May, but is unlikely to make an impact in the big leagues at any point in the 2018 season.

Stassi was told that he made the Astros' roster, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

He will be the team's third catcher, but with backup Evan Gattis spending a lot of time as a designated hitter, Stassi will have plenty of opportunities to play. As a righty, he could start often against southpaws over the left-handed Brian McCann. Stassi has received brief call-ups in each of the last five seasons, compiling a .253/.318/.405 line in 89 plate appearances. He hit .266/.383/.473 with 12 homers in 73 games for Triple-A Fresno last season. His presence in a loaded Houston lineup could pad his counting stats, but he's unlikely to play often enough or well enough to be much of a factor in most fantasy leagues.

Stewart is still in the running for the final spot on the Braves' Opening Day roster, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

With Johan Camargo (back) headed for the DL, the Braves are deciding between an additional utility player like Danny Santana, or a third catcher in Stewart, which would allow the team to use Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki as late-game pinch hitters. For his part, Stewart has had a decent spring in his limited opportunities, going 4-for-12, but the 36-year-old is highly unlikely to see enough playing time to have any real fantasy value even if he does win the job.

Nido was optioned to minor-league camp Friday, Matt Ehalt of The Bergen Record reports.

This comes as no surprise, as Travis d'Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki are firmly entrenched as the Mets' top two catchers and Nido has yet to play above Double-A. He will likely head to Triple-A Las Vegas for the minor-league season and then join the big-league club when rosters expand in September, if injuries don't create a spot for him back in New York sooner than that.

Manager Andy Green said that Hedges will be okay after being hit by a pitch on the left calf Thursday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic San Diego reports.

The HBP forced Hedges from Thursday's contest, but it doesn't appear to be anything that'll affect him moving forward. The Padres could opt to hold Hedges out of their next spring training game Friday against the Rangers as a precaution but beyond that, Hedges should be back behind the plate in the near future.

Hedges was removed from Thursday's game after being struck by a pitch.

Nate Easley replaced Hedges as a pinch runner in the top of the sixth inning. Consider Hedges day-to-day with more information to follow on his status in the coming hours.

Casali agreed to a minor-league deal with the Rays on Wednesday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.

Casali is expected to join the team's camp Thursday. The catcher was recently released by the Rangers, the third different organization to release the 29-year-old this offseason, including Tampa Bay in November. Casali appeared in just nine big-league games for the team in 2017, and will be utilized in a similar capacity this season with Wilson Ramos and Jesus Sucre on the big-league roster.

Casali was released by the Rangers on Wednesday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic Dallas reports.

Casali has now been released by three teams this offseason, first by the Rays in November, then the Angels in January and now the Rangers. The 29-year-old owns a career .199/.285/.385 slash line over parts of four major-league seasons. He's probably good enough to latch on somewhere on another minor-league deal and could see another brief stint in the majors, though he's unlikely to be much of a fantasy asset even if he stumbles into unexpected playing time.