Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Back in Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Moreno (hand) is starting behind the plate and batting eighth in Sunday's spring game against the Brewers.
The 23-year-old has been dealing with a minor hand injury since he was hit by a pitch March 18, but he'll return to the lineup Sunday with spring training in its final stages. Moreno is poised to open the season as Arizona's primary backstop with Carson Kelly sidelined by a fractured forearm. Jose Herrera currently tracks to fill the backup job, though the club may look to add a more veteran option.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Larger role expected
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Moreno (hand) is expected to take on a larger role after Carson Kelly suffered a fractured forearm, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Moreno, who was the key piece in the Daulton Varsho trade, was expected to share catching duties with Kelly. That situation could serve as a "good runway" -- the words of general manager Mike Hazen -- for Moreno to eventually take on a greater role. Kelly's injury, which will sideline him for months, moves up the timetable for Moreno, whose hand injury is considered a minor one. Jose Herrera could slot in as the backup.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Not dealing with serious injury
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Moreno (hand) is not dealing with a serious injury, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Piecoro notes that Moreno was "doing fine" as of Sunday. The backstop was hit in the hand by a pitch during Saturday's Cactus League game, but he didn't go in for X-rays, and he should be returning to the lineup shortly. The injury takes on more gravity after primary catcher Carson Kelly was plunked on the forearm in Monday's spring game. Pending results of Kelly's examination and diagnosis, Moreno could be a big part of the Arizona lineup in 2023 after being dealt from the Blue Jays in the deal for Daulton Varsho.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Doesn't believe injury is serious
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Moreno (hand) doesn't believe his injury is serious, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Moreno was hit in the hand by a 95.5 mph pitch during Saturday's Cactus League game, but the backstop said the pitch got him in the knuckles. He also said that he doesn't believe that he will undergo X-rays, but that could change if the hand swells up on him. Moreno should be considered day-to-day for now, and he appears to have avoided a serious injury.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Leaves after HBP in wrist area
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Moreno left Saturday's Cactus League game against the Guardians after being hit by a pitch in the left hand/wrist area, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.
Moreno was plunked by a 95.5 mph offering and immediately left the contest. The 23-year-old backstop will likely undergo testing, and there should be further updates on his status before Sunday.
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Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Dealt to Diamondbacks
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Moreno was traded from Toronto to Arizona alongside Lourdes Gurriel (wrist) in exchange for Daulton Varsho on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports
Moreno was able to make his major-league debut with the Jays in 2022, slashing .319/.356/.377 over 73 plate appearances, though most of his season was spent with Triple-A Buffalo. As one of the top catching prospects in baseball, Moreno should receive his fair share of starts behind the dish in Arizona, initially splitting time with Carson Kelly, who posted just a .616 OPS last season.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Tallies first career homer
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Moreno went 4-for-7 with a three-run home run and four runs scored across both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Orioles.
Moreno had a strong showing in both games of the doubleheader, but the highlight came in the sixth inning of the opening contest, when he tallied his first career homer. He's bounced between Triple-A Buffalo and the big-league club this season, though he's rarely been in the lineup since being recalled Sept. 7. Moreno only has 73 plate appearances in the majors, but he has maintained an impressive .319/.356/.377 line in that span while striking out just 11 percent of the time.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Garners start Thursday
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Moreno is in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays.
Moreno has not appeared in a game since being brought back up earlier this month, but he will get a chance to play a full nine innings Thursday. He will line up behind the plate and hit eighth in Toronto's batting order.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Back up with Toronto
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Moreno was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.
Moreno made his major-league debut in mid-June and hit .296 with a double, four RBI and three runs over 18 games with the Blue Jays. The 22-year-old dealt with a thumb issue in early August but has been dominant since returning to the field, slashing .370/.443/.519 with a homer, five doubles, 11 runs, 10 RBI and a steal over his last 13 Triple-A games. While the Blue Jays also have Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk available behind the dish, Moreno remains one of the team's top prospects, and he should have a chance to carve out playing time in the big leagues over the final month of the regular season.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Raking at Triple-A
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Moreno is batting .484 (15-for-31) with four doubles, six RBI and seven runs over seven games for Triple-A Buffalo since returning to the lineup from a thumb injury.
The 22-year-old hasn't homered, but he's otherwise been making a mockery of International League pitching since shaking off a sore right thumb. Moreno held his own in his first crack at the majors earlier this season, but with Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk both healthy at the big-league level, the Blue Jays' top catching prospect will have to wait a little longer before he gets another opportunity. It wouldn't be a surprise if Moreno is one of the team's September call-ups, however.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Back in action Sunday
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Moreno (thumb) returned to the lineup for Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Moreno has been held out due to the thumb injury for over a week, but he rejoined the Bisons' lineup Sunday. The 22-year-old has a .299/.369/.391 slash line with two home runs, 29 RBI and six stolen bases in 206 plate appearances at Triple-A this year.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Dealing with right thumb soreness
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Moreno hasn't played at Triple-A Buffalo since Aug. 5 due to right thumb soreness, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Although Moreno hasn't been able to participate in games over the last week, he's been cleared to resume a hitting progression. The 22-year-old hasn't been placed on the injured list, so he should be considered day-to-day for now.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Optioned to Triple-A
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Moreno was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
With Danny Jansen (finger) being activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Moreno no longer had a spot on the active roster and was optioned back down to Buffalo. In his first 58 career at-bats, the 22-year-old produced a .276 average with a double, four RBI and three runs. Moreno will remain a top candidate to be called up if either Alejandro Kirk or the aforementioned Jansen gets hurt moving forward.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Sitting again Sunday
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Moreno is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
The 22-year-old is hitting .421 with four RBI through his first five big-league games, but he'll take a seat Sunday for the second consecutive contest. Alejandro Kirk will move behind the plate in Moreno's place, while Teoscar Hernandez rests his legs as the designated hitter.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Riding pine Saturday
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Moreno isn't starting Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Moreno started in the last two games and went 4-for-8 with two RBI. Alejandro Kirk is starting behind the dish while Cavan Biggio enters the lineup at first base Saturday.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Three hits in Tuesday's loss
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Moreno went 3-for-4 with two RBI in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the Orioles.
Batting eighth, the rookie catcher displayed his plus hit tool and drove in the first two runs of his big-league career. While Jorge Mateo did steal two bases off Moreno, marring his defensive performance somewhat, the pilfers can mostly be blamed on the slow delivery of Trevor Richards. Moreno has started three of four games since his promotion, going 4-for-11 with a 1:1 BB:K, and the Blue Jays appear intent on giving the 22-year-old every opportunity to lock down the starting job behind the plate, at least until Danny Jansen (finger) gets healthy.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Day off Monday
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Moreno isn't starting Monday against Baltimore.
Moreno was called up by the Blue Jays on Saturday, and he went 1-for-7 with a run, a walk and a strikeout over his first two major-league games. Alejandro Kirk will start behind the dish while Raimel Tapia enters the lineup in left field Monday.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Gets call from Blue Jays
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Moreno was called up by the Blue Jays on Saturday.
It was reported earlier in the week that Moreno would likely make his big-league debut at some point this weekend, and with him now on the active roster he is now in position to do so. It's unclear exactly what role Moreno will fill, but he is one of the top prospects in the league, so he figures to get ample opportunities to show what he can do.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Activation expected Saturday
Rotowire
Moreno is expected to join the Blue Jays' active roster Saturday and will start behind the plate, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Moreno is with the big-league squad Friday but won't join the active roster right away. It looks as though he'll get the chance to carve out a role in the absence of Danny Jansen, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he hits the ground running, as he's widely considered one of the best prospects in the league. He'll still have to contend with Alejandro Kirk even in Jansen's absence, but Kirk is very much a bat-first backstop, so the two can co-exist if Kirk spends much of his time as the designated hitter.
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Blue Jays' Gabriel Moreno: Swats first Triple-A homer
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Moreno (elbow) went 4-for-5 with a walk, a double, a home run and three RBI for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.
The Blue Jays' top fantasy prospect last started Thursday before getting hit by a pitch on his elbow, but Moreno looked 100 percent healthy Saturday and had another huge day at the plate. The long ball was his first in 29 games at Triple-A, including a cup of coffee at the level last year, but he boasts a .347/.407/.459 slash line through 108 plate appearances for Buffalo in 2022. Toronto doesn't have a big need for him behind the plate in the majors with Danny Jansen back in action, but a prolonged hot streak from Moreno could force the team's hand, especially if the front office is looking for someone to spark an offense that hasn't been meeting expectations this season.
