MLB Player News

Quero was removed from Triple-A Nashville's game Friday with an apparent shoulder injury, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt and subsequently exited the contest. The specifics of the injury are unclear, but it's a discouraging development for Quero in the first game of the season.

Pinto is out of the lineup for Friday's game versus the Blue Jays.

The 27-year-old started behind the plate Opening Day and went 1-for-3 with a double, a run and a strikeout. Pinto is expected to serve as Tampa Bay's primary backstop this season, but the newly acquired Ben Rortvedt will receive the nod Friday.

Fortes is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Fortes received the nod Opening Day and went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch. Christian Bethancourt is starting behind the plate Friday, and the pair is set to split catching duties this season.

Bethancourt is starting at catcher and batting ninth in Friday's game versus the Pirates, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Nick Fortes started at catcher on Opening Day, but it will be Bethancourt behind the dish Friday with A.J. Puk on the mound. It will likely be a fairly even split in playing time this season between the two, limiting the already low fantasy upside of each.

Rutschman went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's 11-3 win over the Angels.

Rutschman's Opening Day effort was highlighted by a two-run single in the second inning, and the catcher scored each time he got aboard. He hit a reasonable .257 in spring training, but Rutschman has the upside to be the No. 1 catcher in fantasy. At the very least, he should see ample playing time this season after slashing .277/.374/.435 over 154 games (687 plate appearances) in 2023.

The Cubs signed Casali to a minor-league contract Friday.

Casali was released by the Marlins earlier this week after failing to crack their Opening Day roster. The veteran backstop will head to Triple-A Iowa for now, where he will be the third catcher on the organizational depth chart behind Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya.

Kirk went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in Thursday's 8-2 win over the Rays on Opening Day.

The 25-year-old got his campaign off to a quick start with a two-run single in the sixth inning that brought home Bo Bichette and Justin Turner. With Danny Jansen (wrist) on the shelf for at least a couple more weeks, Kirk will be the Blue Jays' starting backstop to begin the season, and after a disappointing 2023 in which he managed only eight homers, 43 RBI and a .692 OPS, he'll attempt to regain his form from 2022 when he slashed .285/.372/.415 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI.

Moreno went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and three RBI against the Rockies in Thursday's 16-1 Opening Day victory.

All of Moreno's production came in Arizona's 14-run third inning, during which the backstop recorded a run-scoring single and a two-run double. The 24-year-old dealt with a back injury in spring training but appears back to full health to begin the regular season. He's locked in as the Diamondback's primary catcher after slashing .284/.339/.408 with seven homers, 50 RBI and six steals during his first full big-league campaign last year.

Fry went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI in Thursday's 8-0 Opening Day win over Oakland.

Fry got the start at DH and batted fifth in the order following a strong spring during which he hit .295 with a pair of homers and eight RBI. The 28-year-old scored Cleveland's first run of the campaign in the second inning Thursday, coming around to score on a Tyler Freeman double following his own one-out two-bagger. In addition to his three hits, Fry added a sacrifice fly in the ninth frame to cap the scoring in the contest. It will take much more than one game for him to gain viability in mixed fantasy leagues, though the fact that Fry holds catcher eligibility and may log occasional time at DH in addition to being able to play the infield and outfield gives him some intrigue, especially in two-catcher formats.

Jeffers started at catcher and went 0-for-5 in Thursday's Opening Day win at Kansas City. He hit No. 2 in the lineup for the second time in his career.

Jeffers didn't do much in the season opener, but his position in the lineup against a left-handed starter shows the team has confidence that his second half showing last season was a sign of things to come. Jeffers surged at the plate in with a career-high .858 OPS and a .928 OPS in the second half. He's expected to split playing time with Christian Vazquez as the Twins like to give their catchers rest. However, Jeffers could get the majority of starts.