MLB Player News

Basallo won't be ready to catch in games until around late April after being diagnosed with a right elbow stress fracture, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The top prospect is able to catch but is not yet allowed to throw. If Basallo gets into any Grapefruit League action this spring, it will be as a designated hitter. The 19-year-old is likely to be assigned to Double-A Bowie once healthy following a breakout 2023 season which saw him slash .313/.402/.551 with 20 home runs across three levels.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Trevino recently suffered a calf strain and won't be ready for the start of spring training games next weekend, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Trevino said in early February he would enter spring training with no limitations from the wrist surgery he underwent in July, but he then suffered the calf injury within the past couple weeks. The new injury is believed to be a minor issue, with Boone also saying the veteran backstop should be ready for Opening Day, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

The Pirates placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.

The transaction is a procedural move to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Yasmani Grandal, whom the Pirates signed to a one-year contract. Grandal is projected to slot in as the primary backup to top catcher Henry Davis while Rodriguez is set to miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing surgery in December to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow.

Dingler is recovering from arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

It's not clear when the procedure was performed, but Dingler has already begun a throwing program and is able to do all other baseball activities. The 25-year-old catcher was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster over the offseason and could debut at some point in 2024.

Casali signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins on Tuesday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.

Casali was the backup catcher in Cincinnati for portions of 2023, though he earned only 96 plate appearances and posted a very poor .490 OPS. On the other hand, he lands in a good spot from an opportunity perspective, as Miami has only Nick Fortes and Christian Bethancourt as options behind the dish.

O'Keefe signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.

O'Keefe saw spot duty with the Mariners each of the previous two seasons, going 3-for-22 at the plate. The 30-year-old will provide the Twins with some catching depth at Triple-A St. Paul.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that the team is "going to lean heavy" on Pinto at catcher this season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The Rays traded Christian Bethancourt this offseason and didn't really replace him, leaving Alex Jackson and Rob Brantly to battle for the backup job. Pinto popped six home runs in 38 games last season and rated very well from an average exit velocity (90.5 mph) and barrel rate (15.9 percent) perspective, but a 34:2 K:BB was worrisome. It sounds like he's going to receive all the playing time he can handle, and he has enough power to be relevant in two-catcher leagues.

Grandal and the Pirates agreed Sunday on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Grandal will make the move back to the National League after spending the past four seasons with the White Sox. The 35-year-old lost playing time down the stretch last season and and finished with a .234/.309/.339 slash line over 405 plate appearances. Though he was once an upper-tier fantasy catcher, Grandal is clearly on the downside of his career, as he's posted a lowly 74 wRC+ over the past two seasons. In Pittsburgh, Grandal projects to see a couple of starts per week behind the plate as young backstop Henry Davis' primary backup. The switch-hitting Grandal has typically performed better against left-handed pitching throughout his career, so he could also be deployed as a short-side platoon option at first base or at designated hitter.

Teel could make an impact at the big-league level in 2023, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

That seems far-fetched considering Teel -- the organization's first-round draft pick in 2023 -- played just 26 games as a professional during his first season, including nine at Double-A Portland. In the past, the Red Sox have been conservative when it comes to promoting talent, and Abraham notes newly minted chief baseball officer Craig Breslow seems to carry a similar approach. The 21-year-old Teel was impressive in his first pro season, batting .363/.483/.495, but he'll likely need to garner much more real experience and prove himself at Triple-A Worcester before reaching Boston.

Wong is expected to be Boston's primary catcher to start the 2024 season, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

Wong appears set to lead what might be considered an assemblage of backup catchers, ahead of Reese McGuire, Tyler Heineman and Roberto Perez. Wong and McGuire handled catching chores in 2023 with the former taking over as the primary backstop when the latter went down with an oblique injury last summer. Over 121 games (105 as a starting catcher), Wong slashed .235/.288/.385 and was strikeout prone (33.3 K%). Much of his real-world value lay in his work gunning down base stealers. Per Baseball Savant, the 27-year-old ranked in the 92nd percentile in caught-stealing above average. It's been a quiet offseason for the Red Sox, who appear to be biding time behind the dish until 2023 first-round draft pick Kyle Teel -- he reached Double-A Portland last year -- is ready for the show.