MLB Player News

Herrera isn't starting Sunday's spring game against the Marlins as scheduled due to shoulder pain, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The 23-year-old has just 24 big-league games under his belt but is poised to share catching duties with Willson Contreras in 2024. It's unclear at this point if the injury is expected to affect Herrera's availability for Opening Day.

Diaz is focused on familiarizing himself with the Astros' pitching staff during spring training, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

He is set to take over as Houston's primary catcher after the offseason departure of Martin Maldonado. Diaz played 42 games behind the dish in 2023, but he never caught Framber Valdez or Justin Verlander (shoulder), so being on the same page with the team's top two starters will be vital come the regular season. Diaz seemingly has fewer questions as a hitter, as he delivered an impressive .282/.308/.538 across 377 plate appearances last season.

Perez went 1-for-12 over his first four Cactus League games.

Perez's slow start in spring is of no concern -- per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Perez is still the Royals' starting catcher. It's very possible the continued growth of Freddy Fermin could lead to fewer games behind the dish for Perez in 2024. He appeared in a career-high 52 games somewhere other than catcher last season, including 23 contests at first base, though that position belongs to Vinnie Pasquantino. Perez is unlikely to be an everyday player, but it's not unusual to see him get into 140 games when he stays healthy.

Fermin is projected to be the Royals' backup catcher to begin 2024, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The Royals recently signed Austin Nola, but he's viewed as an experienced depth option. Fermin has gone 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout over two Cactus League games. With Salvador Perez in the latter half of his career, it wouldn't be surprising to see Fermin shoulder more of the workload behind the dish, which could see Perez take more games at first base or designated hitter.

Cartaya has not participated in spring training games due to back soreness, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the team expects Cartaya to be ready for the start of the MiLB season. The prospect catcher is coming off a disappointing 2023 season with Double-A Tulsa in which he slashed .189/.278/.377 with 19 home runs and 57 RBI over 403 plate appearances.

The White Sox won't carry three catchers on the Opening Day roster, which could mean Lee begins the season in the minors, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

The White Sox added both Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado this offseason, neither of whom have minor-league options. While Lee is a more logical fit for the rebuilding roster, he does have one option remaining. Lee has only six plate appearances to this point in the spring, but he has homered once and collected one other hit.

Sanchez (hand) could make his Cactus League debut March 14 against the Mariners, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It's not clear whether the plan is to have him catch or serve as a designated hitter initially, but it will give Sanchez just under two weeks' worth of games to get ready for Opening Day. The 31-year-old has been eased into things this spring after injuring his hand in an offseason workout. Sanchez is projected to serve as Milwaukee's DH and backup catcher.

Dingler (elbow) will come off the bench and work behind the plate in Friday's spring game against the Phillies, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The 25-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow during the offseason, and he's now game ready after being limited with his throwing at the start of camp. Dingler was added to Detroit's 40-man roster in November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2024.

Ruiz (illness) is starting behind the plate and batting third in Friday's spring game against the Astros, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

Ruiz sat out the past couple days due to an illness but will rejoin the lineup for Friday's contest. The 25-year-old is looking to take another step forward in 2024 after he posted a .260/.308/.409 slash line with 18 homers in 136 games last season.

Naylor (back) was cleared to catch a simulated game Thursday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Naylor has been held out since Monday due to back spasms, but getting behind the plate for a sim game is a good sign that the 24-year-old backstop will be able to return to Cactus League play relatively soon. Naylor is in line to serve as Cleveland's everyday catcher this season after slashing .237/.339/.470 across 230 plate appearances in 2023.