MLB Player News

D'Arnaud went 2-for-2 in Friday's Grapefruit League opener against the Red Sox.

After retooling his swing in the offseason, this was exactly the kind of start d'Arnaud was looking for this spring. He's locked in as the starting catcher to begin 2017, but will need to stay healthy and continue hitting to keep Rene Rivera and Kevin Plawecki from cutting into his playing time.

Jackson will be given a try at catcher this season, Braves general manager John Coppolella said during a Twitter question and answer session.

Coppolella previously has admitted that catcher is a significant area of need for the future, and Jackson's bat hasn't lived up to an outfielder billing. Still, the Mariners' 2014 first-round pick could find new life at the position that made him a strong high school prospect. He'll restart that trek in 2017, likely with Atlanta's High-A Brevard County, and is worth watching or stashing in fantasy dynasty leagues.

Grandal worked on hitting right-handed in the offseason, having fully recovered from knee and shoulder injuries that have hindered his ability to conquer left-handed pitching in recent years, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports.

The switch-hitter, who also adopted a meatless diet this offseason, said he was struggling to "sit back (on his right leg) and turn on it" when he was in the righty box, and after his 2013 knee injury, he hit just one home run in his next 126 at-bats from that side. According to Plunkett, the 28-year-old's launch angle as a right-handed hitter last year was 7.7 degrees, nearly half of the 14.0 he generated as a lefty, and it produced a 53.6 percent groundball rate. Already one of the most intriguing fantasy hitters among catchers, Grandal, who cranked 27 home runs last year, could soar into elite territory if he can refine that part of his plate work, which could help give him a useful batting average (unlike his career .238 mark). He'll be in high demand during the middle rounds of a mixed draft, especially in OBP variations.

Sanchez fouled a ball off his foot Wednesday, but X-rays were negative, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The Friars' backup catcher likely will rest for a few days before re-entering workouts. He's not set for much fantasy value this year as long as Austin Hedges occupies the starting role.

Narvaez developed a good rapport with several of the White Sox's starters in 2016, something that gives him an edge to claim a roster spot when the team heads north.

Narvaez was decent (.267) in his introduction to the majors, but his presence was felt behind the plate more, a notion reinforced by Carlos Rodon's 3.45 ERA in 12 starts with Narvaez as his battery mate. If the future ace of the staff is comfortable throwing to Narvaez, you can bet he'll have a spot on the 25-man roster. Unfortunately for fantasy players, there's little in Narvaez's minor-league profile to suggest he'll be anything more than a .250-hitter with little pop.

Rupp played through much of last season with an undisclosed arm injury, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The injury didn't seem to impact Rupp at the plate as his .447 slugging percentage put him among the top catchers in baseball. It did hurt his ability to slow down the run game, however, as he threw out just 27 percent of possible base stealers after averaging 38 percent his previous two seasons. The Phillies want to see Rupp improve on his game calling and pitch framing this season after he struggled in both areas last year. Phillies' bullpen coach John McLaren, who also works with the catchers, said Rupp needs to improve his focus during games. It will be important for Rupp to further develop defensively this season with top prospect Jorge Alfaro in Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year. He could start pushing for Rupp's job as soon as midseason if he gets off to a strong start in the minors.

Diaz has recovered from the cellulitis which ended his 2016 campaign early and is taking part in spring training activities.

The 26-year-old missed a golden opportunity to see his first significant action at the big league level in 2016 due to a host of ailments. He enters 2017 with a chance to eventually get that playing time he missed last year, essentially because of the fragile nature of the two catchers ahead of him, Francisco Cervelli and Chris Stewart. Diaz's prospect status dimmed a bit last year but it seems as though he's finally set to show what he can do in the majors.

Stewart (knee) is healthy entering spring training after undergoing knee surgery in September, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

The Pirates are purposely giving Stewart a light workload during camp in an effort to preserve the 34-year-old for the regular season. At this point in his career, he offers little in the way of offense. Stewart slashed .214/.319/.286 in 113 plate appearances in 2016.

Collins will have to prove he can catch at the major-league level, according to scouts, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Collins, the White Sox's fourth-ranked prospect according to RotoWire, says he uses those scouting assessments as fuel to improve as a catcher. The White Sox also have acknowledged the need to develop his defensive skills, having him primarily focus on that area of the game during the Arizona Fall League. There's a lot on a young catcher's plate -- blocking balls, calling pitches, controlling baserunners, framing pitches -- those are the areas Collins needs to develop over the next few seasons ahead of his 2019 ETA.

Stubbs reported to training camp weighing 10 pounds heavier than when he finished playing in the Arizona Fall League last November, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stubbs, the organization's seventh-ranked prospect according to RotoWire, is the catcher closest to the major leagues after reaching Double-A Corpus Christi in 2016. Between High-A Lancaster and his time with the Double-A Hooks, he slashed /304/.391/.469/.860 and was actually better after leaving the hitter-smooching High-A California League. The Astros want to see the slight-framed catcher bulk up to better handle the rigors of catching long term. He'll reach Triple-A this season and is on schedule for MLB in 2018 or 2019.