MLB Player News

Quero (shoulder) will start at designated hitter and bat second in a minor-league game with Double-A Biloxi on Monday.

After he underwent right shoulder surgery last April that limited him to just one game in 2024, Quero was eased into spring training. Quero didn't make any Cactus League appearances before the Brewers optioned him to Triple-A Nashville on March 10, but his ability to serve as a DH on Monday suggests that he'll be ready to go for the start of the minor-league season. It's unclear if Quero will be limited to DH-only duties initially, or if he'll be ready to make starts behind the plate.

The Padres optioned Campusano to Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Elias Diaz will be the Padres' primary catcher, and non-roster invitee Martin Maldonado is in line to serve as his backup. Campusano will head to El Paso, where he will receive regular playing time as he awaits another opportunity in the majors.

The Rays reassigned Barrera to minor-league camp Sunday.

Barrera was attending camp as a non-roster invitee, but he never stood much of a chance to win an Opening Day roster spot so long as both Danny Jansen (ribs) and Ben Rortvedt were ready to go for the start of the season. The 30-year-old will likely head to Triple-A Durham and provide depth behind the plate.

Basallo has elbow inflammation and is expected to serve as a designated hitter for the first few weeks of Triple-A Norfolk's season, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

It appears the 20-year-old will be able to hit in spite of the injury, but he won't be working behind the plate at the start of the campaign. Basallo is the organization's top prospect and could push to make his MLB debut in 2025, assuming the elbow issue doesn't prove to be a significant concern.

The Royals granted Maile's request to be released from his contract Sunday.

Maile inked a minor-league contract in February but won't stick around after missing the Opening Day roster. The 34-year-old played in 55 games for the Reds last season and had a .178/.268/.252 slash line in 154 plate appearances.

Stephenson (oblique) showed improvement after being examined by a team doctor Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

Stephenson, who will open the regular season on the injured list, sustained a left oblique strain during spring training. He's been cleared to begin rotational exercises and is scheduled to undergo another MRI on Wednesday. If the MRI comes back clean, Stephenson can start doing additional exercises, which could include baseball activities. With Stephenson sidelined, Jose Trevino moves into the starting job at catcher with Austin Wynns serving as the backup, assuming the Reds don't add anyone from outside the organization in the coming days.

Rodriguez appears to have won the backup catcher job for the Pirates, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The Pirates optioned Henry Davis to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, setting up Rodriguez to back up Joey Bart to begin the season. Rodriguez missed all of the 2024 season due to a UCL injury, but he's maintained an impressive .321/.486/.571 line across 37 plate appearances in spring training. If he continues to swing the bat well, the Pirates are likely to find a way to get Rodriguez in the lineup more regularly given the lack of quality bats on the roster.

Kirk signed a five-year, $58 million contract with the Blue Jays on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

The deal will buy out Kirk's final year of arbitration in 2026 and then keep him with the team for an additional four years. Kirk has maintained a 109 wRC+ and improved his defense consistently over the course of his big-league career. He is set to be the Blue Jays' primary catcher in 2025.

The Padres designated Sullivan for assignment Saturday.

Sullivan was behind Elias Diaz, Martin Maldonado and Luis Campusano in the pecking order at catcher and wasn't deemed worthy of a 40-man roster spot. Sullivan has accrued 103 plate appearances across the last two seasons in the majors and could continue to serve as organizational depth for the club if he clears waivers.

Davis was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Saturday, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Davis seemed to have the inside track to the backup catcher job for much of spring, and he performed adequately by collecting nine hits across 36 at-bats with four extra-base knocks. However, Endy Rodriguez was even more impressive and has secured a roster spot to begin the season. The Pirates presumably would still like to see Davis make an impact in 2025, so he should make his way to Pittsburgh at some point.