MLB Player News

Wynns' chances of making the roster improved this week after injuries to Tyler Stephenson (oblique) and Jose Trevino (hand), Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

In the span of three days, Wynns went from the outside looking in to appearing to have a spot on the Opening Day roster. Trevino's injury is less severe than Stephenson, who is facing a multiple-week absence, so Wynns may be the primary backup. The Reds could also scan the market for veteran catchers.

The Dodgers optioned Feduccia to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Feduccia remains with the club in Japan on the 31-man travel roster but has officially been removed from the major-league roster. The 27-year-old made his big-league debut down the stretch last year and went 4-for-12 in five games, but he isn't likely to see much action in 2025 if Will Smith and Austin Barnes stay healthy.

Rice went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run against the Phillies in a Grapefruit League victory Friday.

Rice's long ball was a 405-foot shot to right-center field in the first inning. It was the 26-year-old's second homer this spring, and he's added four RBI along with a .212/.278/.394 lash line. Rice is competing for an Opening Day roster spot as a backup to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Yankees manager Aaron Boone mentioned last week that Rice could also see time at DH if he makes the roster since Giancarlo Stanton (elbows/calf) isn't going to ready for Opening Day and could miss an extended period.

Escarra went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's Grapefruit League win against the Phillies.

Escarra went deep in the seventh inning, blasting a 386-foot homer to right field. The 30-year-old has stood out this spring, slashing .355/.394/.645 with three homers, seven RBI and only six strikeouts over 33 plate appearances. Escarra thrived with a .930 OPS over 201 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, and he's competing for an Opening Day roster spot as New York's backup catcher behind Austin Wells.

Rodriguez will likely begin the season with Triple-A Indianapolis because the Pirates want him to get everyday at-bats, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Rodriguez is returning from a lost 2024 season caused by an elbow injury. He's performed well enough to secure a roster spot by hitting .381 with three extra-base hits across 21 at-bats in Grapefruit League games, but Joey Bart has earned the top spot on the depth chart after producing well last year. The Pirates have experimented with Rodriguez at different positions in the past, and he may need to regain that versatility or have Henry Davis struggle in order to find his way to the majors early in the campaign.

Trevino was removed from Friday's Cactus League game against Arizona with an apparent hand injury, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Trevino suffered the injury in the fifth inning when a foul tip off the bat of Corbin Carroll struck him in the hand. The severity of the backstop's injury remains unclear, though the Reds can ill afford to be without Trevino with Tyler Stephenson (oblique) slated to begin the regular season on the injured list.

Bailey went 1-for 2 with a double and two RBI in Wednesday's 7-3 Cactus League loss to the Rangers. He is now batting .261 (6-for-23) with one home run and three RBI this spring.

Bailey has registered a .261/.292/.435 slash line in nine appearances this spring, not particularly impressive numbers by Cactus League standards. The 25-year-old is set to serve as the club's everyday catcher after winning his first Gold Glove during the 2024 campaign, which was his second season in the majors. Over two seasons with the Giants, Bailey has recorded a middling .234/.292/.348 slash line.

Stephenson will open the season on the 10-day injured list after being diagnosed with a low-grade oblique strain, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Stephenson underwent tests for what had been described as a back injury, but an MRI revealed a strain to his oblique. That the strain is considered minor gives Stephenson a chance to keep his IL stint brief, but oblique issues can linger. With Stephenson out, Jose Trevino will open the season as the Reds' top catcher. Cincinnati has just two catchers on its 40-man roster, which leaves non-roster invitee Austin Wynns as a good bet to be the No. 2 backstop when camp breaks.

Tromp will likely back up rookie Drake Baldwin at catcher on Atlanta's Opening Day roster, Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Sean Murphy (ribs) will begin the season on the IL, opening the door for Baldwin to make his big-league debut. Had Murphy not been injured, Tromp likely would have been the No. 2 backstop anyway, as he's out of minor-league options, but if Baldwin shows he's ready for the majors over the first weeks of the year, Tromp could be squeezed off the roster when Murphy returns.

Herrera is 6-for-12 with one home run and a 0:3 K:BB over his last five Grapefruit League contests.

The nice stretch at the plate came after he went hitless in his first six games of the spring. There isn't much question about Herrera's offense. Where he needs to improve is on the defensive side, and more specifically, with his throwing arm. Herrera trained this offseason at Driveline's facility in Tampa, where he was put on a program to build arm strength and alter his throwing motion, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The 24-year-old Herrera is competing with Pedro Pages for reps at catcher for the Cardinals, and the consensus is that Herrera will, at minimum, split the duties, and perhaps receive the lion's share of work.