MLB Player News

Bart (hamstring) is likely to play Sunday in the Giants' exhibition game against Triple-A Sacramento, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Bart left Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs after tweaking his hamstring, but it appears the catcher shouldn't miss extended time. He's had an impressive spring training and is slashing .407/.514/.444 with five RBI over 35 plate appearances.

Susac, who went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and a three-run shot in a Cactus League win over the Reds on Friday, is likely to begin the season at Double-A Midland but could conceivably get a major-league opportunity soon, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Susac, a first-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, has shown plenty of upside as a hitter during his first two seasons as a professional, and his success at High-A Lansing to begin last season resulted in a promotion to Midland before the end of the campaign. Susac slashed .280/.304/.360 against Double-A arms in a 13-game cameo, and if he's able to pick up where he left off with the RockHounds, he could soon find himself at Triple-A Las Vegas, at minimum. A's director of player development Ed Sprague believes there's still more power to unlock with Susac and also praised the way the 22-year-old's defensive work behind the dish improved as the 2023 campaign unfolded.

The Mets informed Nido on Saturday that he won't be included on the team's Opening Day roster, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Nido struggled in his limited time in the majors last season, posting a .125 batting average across 61 plate appearances. He was moved off the 40-man roster last June and was attending big-league camp as a non-roster invitee, so it's not too surprising that the Mets elected to keep Omar Narvaez as their No. 2 catcher ahead of Nido.

Jackson is in line to begin the regular season as the Rays' backup catcher, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays informed Rob Brantly and Francisco Mejia that they didn't make the Opening Day roster, leaving Jackson as the choice to back up Rene Pinto. Jackson has had a poor spring training, striking out 35.5 percent of the time with only one extra-base hit across 31 plate appearances. Nevertheless, he's in line to get his first taste of the majors since 2022.

The Rays informed Mejia that he did not make the Opening Day roster Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was signed in late February and was competing for the backup catcher job. He made plenty of contact across 16 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, though he didn't make enough of an impression to secure a roster spot.

Brantly was informed Friday that he did not make the big-league roster out of spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Brantly joined the Rays on a minor-league deal in January, and he was in the mix to back up Rene Pinto behind the dish. He hit well across 16 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, and the team has said they hope to keep Brantly in the organization to serve as depth.

Bart left Friday's Cactus League game against the Cubs due to a hamstring injury, Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports reports.

Bart had one at-bat in Friday's game before being lifted for a pinch hitter, and the severity of the hamstring injury isn't yet known. He has slashed .407/.514/.444 with five RBI over 35 plate appearances in spring training.

The Royals optioned Nola to Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

As long as Salvador Perez and Freddy Fermin were healthy, Nola was always destined for Omaha to begin the season. He'll provide veteran catching depth in the minors.

Jansen (wrist) said Thursday he hopes to begin throwing this weekend, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The small fracture Jansen was diagnosed with nearly a week ago was in his right hand, so it would seem to be a good sign that he's nearly ready to throw. A stint on the injured list to begin the season would appear to be a virtual certainty, but the hope is that Jansen won't need to miss much time.

The Astros optioned Salazar to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Salazar was always destined for Sugar Land as long as Yainer Diaz and Victor Caratini were healthy. He'll see regular starts behind the plate with the affiliate.