MLB Player News

The Marlins trimmed down their roster on Wednesday, optioning Justin Bour, Derek Dietrich, Jacob Realmuto, Andre Rienzo, Miguel Rojas Triple-A New Orleans. Miami also reassigned Chris Narveson down to minor-league camp, per MLB.com.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez has been sidelined for four days with a sore throwing elbow, according to the Boston Herald.

He threw on the side on Monday and will get a few at-bats in minor-league games the next few days before he is cleared for big-league games. He's targeting a return on Friday, according to the Boston Globe. 

Vazquez has three hits in his first 14 spring at-bats.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday that catcher Chris Stewart is dealing with a hamstring "tweak," the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

The team hopes that the catcher will be able to return to action Tuesday. Stewart is just 1 for 5 in three appearances this spring.

Mets manager Terry Collins said that catcher Travis d'Arnaud experienced dizziness Sunday, ESPNNewYork.com reports.

The issue is likely the result of dehydration, according to the manager. The catcher is 4 for 22 this spring after picking up one hit in two at-bats Sunday.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco (concussion) and center fielder Billy Hamilton (shoulder) are back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Mesoraco suffered his concussion last weekend after getting hit in the mask by a foul ball but was able to progress through the week.

"To be honest, I don't think I need a lot of at-bats," said Mesoraco. "My swing is good, and I feel like my swing is pretty close to where it should be. I don't think I need any extra, but I'm more than happy to go out there and play as much as Bryan wants me in there."

Hamilton injured his shoulder nine days ago while running into an outfield wall.

Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt came out of Thursday's game after taking a batted ball to the knee but said after the game that the team was just being cautious, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

"It’s just a hit," Bethancourt said. "It’s just spring training. You don’t want anything to get worse. I’m OK. I didn’t want to come out after I got hit. They took me out for protection. It does hurt. It’s part of the game. I’m a catcher. I’m used to getting hit all the time."

Manager Fredi Gonzalez hadn't planned to play the catcher Friday even before he took a ball to the knee, but it sounds like Bethancourt will be back in action this weekend.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco said he is feeling much better since leaving Saturday's spring game due to a concussion, per the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"I did some baseball stuff [Wednesday] and didn't experience any problems, so it shouldn't be too much longer," Mesoraco said Thursday, per MLB.com. "I hit on the field, stretched with everybody, did basically [what] I would do if I wasn't playing. No problem."

The Reds do not have a date for Mesoraco to return to the lineup.

"It's a day-by-day thing," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He'll have to graduate to catching in the bullpen and make sure everything is fine in that regard, pass all the testing protocols the trainers put him through and Dr. [Tim] Kremchek. Then we'll get him back in there."

Royals manager Ned Yost was considering having Erik Kratz as a personal catcher for one of the pitchers in the team's rotation as a way of having built-in days off for starting catcher Salvador Perez. However, Yost is no longer going to use that plan.

"Just not going to happen," Yost said Wednesday, per MLB.com."I talked to my staff and decided that's not what we want to do. We'll pick spots and give Sal a day off. We'll look for days -- a Saturday off or a Sunday. We just decided to go that way."

Yost added it will be up to the coaching staff to make sure Perez, who appeared in a career-high 150 games in 2014, gets time off in 2015.

"You got so many off-days early in the season," Yost said. "[The rest] comes into play about June, July and August. But then in September, that's it [for days off] unless we have a big lead."

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco (concussion) is ready to increase his baseball activity and progress to throwing, MLB.com reports.

"Devin will increase our baseball activity as well," manager Bryan Price said Wednesday morning. "He's already in the cage hitting. He'll go out there and throw."

Mesoraco suffered a concussion after getting hit in the mask with a foul ball Saturday.

Diamondbacks catcher Oscar Hernandez has fractured hamate bone in his hand. The Rule 5 pick is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday, according to MLB.com. His timetable will be established once he undergoes the procedure. If he is not on the Diamondbacks' active roster to start the season, he'll be returned to the Rays.