MLB Player News

Smith (ankle) might be ready to make his Cactus League debut by Thursday or Friday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Smith has been slowed early on in camp by an ankle injury, but it hasn't kept him from catching bullpen sessions or taking live batting practice and he's almost ready to play in a game. The Dodgers open their season on March 18 in the first of two games against the Cubs in Tokyo and Smith is expected to be ready to roll by then.

Murphy has been diagnosed with a mid-back disk herniation and is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Murphy was given an epidural injection and will be re-evaluated in a few weeks. The 33-year-old entered camp as the favorite to be the Giants' backup catcher behind Patrick Bailey, but now Sam Huff and Max Stassi will compete for that gig. The Giants have also promoted Adrian Sugastey from the minor-league side of camp to supplement their catching depth.

Wong (shoulder) is not in Monday's lineup against the Yankees, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

It was reported Sunday that Wong had a sore shoulder and would likely return to action Monday, but he's absent from the lineup in favor of Omar Narvaez. Wong should be considered day-to-day.

Hernandez signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins in November.

Hernandez is starting in left field and batting ninth in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros. He was once a top prospect with the Rays but he slid down the defensive spectrum and hit .187 in 44 games at Triple-A last year.

Wong is dealing with shoulder soreness but is expected to be in the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

It's unclear when exactly Wong sustained the injury, but it's not expected to keep him sidelined for long. The 28-year-old is poised to operate as Boston's No. 1 catcher this season after he posted a .280/.333/.425 slash line with 13 homers and eight steals in 126 games in 2024.

Jansen went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox.

Jansen has spent most of his time working with the pitching staff to begin spring training, though he homered in his first at-bat of the exhibition season. He was signed by the Rays this offseason in the hopes of bolstering the offense, and he should have the chance to top his career high of 324 plate appearances if he can remain healthy.

Huff could make the Opening Day roster as the backup catcher with Tom Murphy sidelined with an oblique injury, The Athletic reports. Huff went 1-for-2 with a walk and home run Saturday in his spring debut.

Huff will compete with Max Stassi for the backup role to Patrick Bailey if Murphy begins the season on the injured list. Huff's performance in the spring training opener can only help his chances.

Mitchell has a broken right hamate bone and will need 4-to-6 weeks to recover, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Mitchell was the eighth overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft and spent most of last year at the Single-A level, slashing .240/.375/.443 with 18 home runs, 50 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 31 attempts while posting a 30.4 percent strikeout rate and 17.0 percent walk rate over 461 plate appearances. He finished the campaign with five games in High-A ball and was expected to begin 2025 at that level, though it's unclear when he'll be ready to play given the wrist injury.

Moreno started at catcher and went hitless in his lone plate appearance in Friday's spring opener against Colorado.

Moreno, who will be the primary catcher during the regular season, worked with Arizona's big-ticket offseason addition, Corbin Burnes, who praised the backstop's work in their first turn together. Burnes struck out the side and later told Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that he left the pitch calling/sequencing up to Moreno. The catcher was also 2-for-2 on pitch challenges, as MLB experiments with the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) this spring.

Del Castillo will be limited to designated hitter duty initially in Cactus League play due to right arm fatigue, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The injury does not appear to be a long-term concern, as the Diamondbacks expect Del Castillo to be ready to catch in games by early March. The 25-year-old is competing with Jose Herrera for the backup catcher job behind Gabriel Moreno.