• Opens season on IL
    The Phillies placed Marchan on the 10-day injured list Thursday with lower back pain.

    Advice: The back issue cropped up early in spring training and was initially expected to be a day-to-day concern, but Marchan was never able to show enough improvement to play in any Grapefruit League games. With Marchan opening the season on the injured list, Garrett Stubbs is locked in as the No. 2 backstop behind JT Realmuto. Rotowire.com 7 minutes ago
    PPD vs ATL
     
  • DFA'd by Bucs
    The Pirates designated Sanchez for assignment Thursday.

    Advice: Sanchez signed a one-year deal with the Pirates in the offseason but will fall short of the Opening Day roster after going just 2-for-16 during spring training. The 27-year-old slashed .311/.375/.492 in Triple-A last season, which could draw some attention from other teams on the waiver wire. Rotowire.com 53 minutes ago
     
  • Added to roster
    The Blue Jays selected Serven's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

    Advice: Serven will be the Jays' backup catcher while Danny Jansen (wrist) is sidelined. He's a career .195/.248/.314 hitter. Rotowire.com Today, 9:51 am
  • Giants option Blake Sabol to Triple-A
    Giants optioned C/OF Blake Sabol to Triple-A Sacramento.

    Advice: Sabol was shipped out earlier this week in advance of Opening Day. The 26-year-old offers plenty of defensive versatility, but there simply isn’t space for him in San Francisco at the moment. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:22 pm
    Blake SabolSF - C,OF
    1:10 pm @SD
     
  • Could see time at DH
    Kelly could see some time at DH this year on days when Jake Rogers starts behind the plate, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

    Advice: Kelly was already expected to see a sizable role as the backup catcher, and time at DH would boost his prospects further. Rogers should still play more frequently, though Kelly will be involved it seems, particularly against left-handed pitchers, as he posted an .801 OPS against southpaws last season. His value would increase if Rogers were to deal with an injury at any point. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 5:20 pm
     
  • Could see time at DH
    Rogers could see some time at DH this year on days that Carson Kelly starts behind the plate, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

    Advice: With Detroit only carrying two catchers on the roster, conventional wisdom would suggest that one of Rogers or Kelly would always be on the bench to provide depth if needed. However, manager A.J. Hinch suggested that both backstops could play at the same time, particularly against left-handed pitchers. This would be a boon for Rogers, who is expected to cede a decent amount of playing time to Kelly behind the dish. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 5:15 pm
     
  • Rays land catcher Ben Rortvedt from Yankees in swap
    Rays acquired C Ben Rortvedt from the Yankees as part of a three-team trade.

    Advice: Rortvedt provides the Rays with a quality backup catcher behind relatively unproven starter René Pinto. The 26-year-old backstop only got into 32 contests for the Yankees after being acquired from the Twins just prior to the 2022 season. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:14 pm
     
  • Cards option Pedro Pagés to Triple-A
    Cardinals optioned C Pedro Pagés to Triple-A Memphis.

    Advice: Pagés was officially optioned to the minors earlier this week. The 25-year-old backstop was added to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster last November to shield him from selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Rotoworld Yesterday, 2:47 pm
     
  • Bypassed for Opening Day start
    Wells won't be included in the Yankees' Opening Day lineup, with manager Aaron Boone relaying that Jose Trevino will receive the nod behind the plate in Thursday's game against the Astros, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: The lefty-hitting Wells will hit the bench for the season opener, which doesn't come as a major surprise with the righty-hitting Trevino having the platoon advantage in his favor against Astros southpaw Framber Valdez. Though Wells offers a higher-upside bat than Trevino, concerns about the former's defense behind the plate could prompt Boone to take a timeshare approach to the catcher spot when New York faces right-handed pitchers, at least to begin the season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:13 pm