Curt Casali
YEARTEAMGABRHitsRBIDTHRBBSOSBCSEAVGOBPSLUG
2016Mariners3812917252350911490000.1940.2830.442
2019Wowies52166164626150417390210.2770.3480.440
2020Wowies21611317192059150100.2790.3710.557
2021Wowies84289526748602543845300.2320.3600.512
2022Wowies69227193121121525902000.1370.2400.264
2023Wowies00000000000000.0000.0000.000
MLB Player Data
DateNewsComment
Mar 17 2025Atlanta released Casali on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Atlanta had assigned Casali to minor-league camp Sunday, but rather than accepting a likely assignment at Triple-A Gwinnett to open the 2025 season, the veteran backstop was instead given the opportunity to try to find work on the open market. Casali spent the 2024 season in the Cubs and Giants organization, logging 125 plate appearances in the big leagues with the latter club and slashing .194/.293/.250 with one home run and eight RBI.
Mar 16 2025Atlanta assigned Casali to minor-league camp Sunday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali was brought in by Atlanta on a minor-league deal in January after appearing in 41 regular-season games for the Giants in 2024. Even with Sean Murphy rehabbing from a fractured rib on his left side, Casali will start the 2025 campaign in Triple-A, leaving Drake Baldwin, Chadwick Tromp and Sandy Leon to battle for catching duties on Opening Day.
Sep 9 2024Casali went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's win over the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali provided what ended up being a crucial home run after going yard against Alek Jacob in the sixth to put the Giants up 7-1 in a game that finished 7-6. It was the first home run of the season for the 35-year-old backstop and his first hit since Aug. 20. He's made just two starts since Patrick Bailey returned from the injured list at the end of August and is now slashing .178/.282/.233 with six RBI, 11 runs and an 11:19 BB:K in 105 plate appearances this year.
Aug 29 2024Casali is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After making three consecutive starts at catcher, Casali will now hit the bench for the second day in a row. Casali should continue to find himself out of the lineup with more regularity moving forward after the Giants activated No. 1 backstop Patrick Bailey (oblique) from the 10-day injured list Thursday.
Aug 28 2024Casali isn't in the Giants' lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will get a day to regroup after going 0-for-11 over his last four games. Andrew Knapp will start behind the dish instead and bat ninth.
Aug 23 2024Casali isn't in the Giants' lineup for Friday's game against Seattle, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will get a breather Friday after going 3-for-9 with an RBI and three runs scored during San Francisco's last series against the White Sox. While he rests, the newly signed Andrew Knapp will catch for Hayden Birdsong and bat ninth.
Aug 21 2024Casali will start at catcher and bat eighth in Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will start behind the dish for the third game in a row after going 3-for-6 with a walk, three runs and an RBI in the first two contests of the series. With Patrick Bailey (oblique) going on the injured list Tuesday, Casali looks poised to operate as the Giants' clear No. 1 catcher for the time being.
Aug 9 2024The Giants reinstated Casali from the paternity list Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After staying at home during the Giants' three-game road series against the Nationals, Casali has rejoined the team in time for Friday's series opener against the Tigers. Jakson Reetz was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move.
Aug 6 2024The Giants placed Casali on the paternity list Tuesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will likely miss this week's three-game series against the Nationals before rejoining the club when it returns home this weekend. Jakson Reetz was called up from Triple-A Sacramento to serve as the second catcher behind starter Patrick Bailey while Casali is away.
Jul 21 2024Casali is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 0-for-2 with a strikeout while starting behind the plate in Saturday's 4-3 loss, Casali will return to his usual bench role in the series finale. Casali will likely be in store for just one or two starts per week while No. 1 backstop Patrick Bailey is healthy.
Jun 18 2024Casali went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Tuesday's 5-2 loss to the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali had half of the Giants' hits and drove in all of their runs with a two-run double in the fifth inning. This was his second straight multi-hit effort, though Casali's playing time is sparse with Patrick Bailey seeing most of the work behind the dish. For the season, Casali is slashing .243/.349/.297 with two doubles, four RBI and five runs scored over 44 plate appearances.
May 22 2024Casali is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali had started behind the plate in each of the previous three games, but he'll likely see his opportunities dwindle after Patrick Bailey (concussion) was reinstated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday. The journeyman backstop has fared well through the first four starts of his second stint with the Giants, going 4-for-16 with four walks, three runs and two RBI.
May 15 2024Casali signed a one-year contract with the Giants on Wednesday, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has spent all season with the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate, where he slashed .362/.489/.551 with 11 RBI across 88 plate appearances. He'll now return to San Francisco on a big-league contract to give the Giants depth behind the plate while Patrick Bailey (concussion) and Tom Murphy (knee) are sidelined. Blake Sabol will likely remain the primary option to start at catcher, though Casali could get the nod whenever the Giants are matched up against a left-handed starter.
Mar 29 2024The Cubs signed Casali to a minor-league contract Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali was released by the Marlins earlier this week after failing to crack their Opening Day roster. The veteran backstop will head to Triple-A Iowa for now, where he will be the third catcher on the organizational depth chart behind Yan Gomes and Miguel Amaya.
Mar 23 2024Casali will not make the Marlins' Opening Day roster, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali was brought in as a non-roster invitee this spring, but he was unable to beat out Nick Fortes or Christian Bethancourt for a spot on the roster. Casali has the ability to opt out of his contract with the Marlins and enter free agency, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will do so.
Feb 13 2024Casali signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins on Tuesday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: 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.
Nov 4 2023The Reds declined Casali's $2.5 million option for 2024 on Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 34-year-old backstop will receive a $750,000 buyout and enter the free agent market. Casali slashed just .175/.290/.200 with six RBI across 96 plate appearances in 2023 and likely will be limited to a depth role with his new organization.
Aug 24 2023Casali (foot) was removed from his minor-league rehab assignment Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali isn't immediately rejoining the Reds' 26-man active roster, so he might have suffered a setback of some sort. The veteran catcher landed on the 10-day injured list in late July because of a left foot contusion.
Aug 11 2023Casali (foot) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali landed on the injured list July 24 with a bruised left foot and is now set to begin the final stage of his recovery process. The Reds were carrying three catchers prior to Casali getting injured, so it's possible Casali is optioned to Louisville upon being reinstated so Cincinnati can maintain a traditional two-catcher roster.
Jul 24 2023Casali was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a left foot contusion, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's not clear when or how Casali suffered the injury, but he will be on the shelf for a bit. The Reds have been carrying three catchers, so they'll now go to a more traditional two-catcher setup.
May 24 2023Casali remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has now started in just two of the Reds' last 10 games, and he's recorded just one hit in 22 at-bats dating back to April 19. The 34-year-old appears to have slipped to third on the Reds' depth chart at catcher behind Tyler Stephenson and Luke Maile.
Mar 10 2023The Reds are planning to carry three catchers on their Opening Day roster, which means that both Casali and Luke Maile will make the team as backups behind Tyler Stephenson, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Not only that, but with Stephenson getting a lot of his playing time at first base or DH, Casali and Maile will get multiple starts a week each. The current plan is for Stephenson to start four of every 10 games at catcher.
Dec 22 2022Casali signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2024 with the Reds on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali had the best stretch of his career offensively with the Reds from 2018-20 when he posted a .785 OPS with 18 home runs over 485 plate appearances. He'll be aided by Great American Ball Park again but will be behind Tyler Stephenson on the depth chart and will also have to contend with Luke Maile for at-bats.
Oct 5 2022Casali went 2-for-4 with a solo home run during a win over the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali made some noise out of the bottom of the order, slugging his fifth homer of the season off Eduardo Rodriguez in the third inning and mustering his first multi-hit effort since June 24. It remains to be seen if Casali will be included on the Mariners' wild-card roster as a reserve backstop behind Cal Raleigh, and it's conceivable manager Scott Servais could find room for both him and Luis Torrens given either could also fill in at DH.
Oct 3 2022Casali was reinstated from the paternity list Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali was away from the Mariners for their weekend series against the Athletics following the birth of his child, but he'll rejoin the active roster prior to the three-game series against the Tigers to close out the regular season. Brian O'Keefe was sent down to make room for Casali on the active roster.
Sep 30 2022Casali was placed on the paternity list Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali's wife went into labor during Thursday's win over the Rangers, and the catcher will be away from the team for 1-3 days. Brian O'Keefe's contract was selected from Triple-A Tacoma to provide additional depth behind the dish, while Cal Raleigh and Luis Torrens are also available to handle catching duties.
Sep 20 2022Casali went 0-for-2 with two walks and a run in a win over the Angels on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali had been out of the lineup in six of the eight games prior to Monday and played a full game in only one of the two contests he had started in that sample. However, he put in a full nine behind the dish Monday with Cal Raleigh (thumb) sidelined and was reasonably productive by displaying a discerning eye at the plate. Casali has a couple of serviceable offensive seasons on his resume from his days with the Reds, but he's limped to a .111 average and .421 OPS over the 33 plate appearances he's logged across 10 games with the Mariners thus far.
Sep 2 2022Casali went 1-for-4 with a two-run double and a run in a win over the Tigers on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali's fourth-inning two-bagger brought home J.P. Crawford and Sam Haggerty with the fourth and fifth runs of the day for the Mariners. The veteran backstop has only appeared in five games since making his Seattle debut Aug. 14, a sample during which he's hit just .133 (2-for-15).
Aug 15 2022Casali made his Mariners debut in Sunday's loss to the Rangers, drawing a walk in his three plate appearances. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran backstop made his first on-field appearance in a Mariners uniform since being acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline and getting activated from the injured list Thursday due to an oblique issue. Casali is capable of generating some serviceable offense and is a solid veteran presence to complement young Cal Raleigh behind the dish.
Aug 11 2022Casali (oblique) was activated from the injured list Thursday, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali was dealt to the Mariners at the trade deadline but has yet to make his debut with the team. Cal Raleigh is likely to remain the top catcher for Seattle, though Casali will get plate appearances as the backup after Luis Torrens was designated for assignment. Across 126 plate appearances on the season, Casali is hitting .231/325/.370.
Aug 2 2022The Mariners acquired Casali (oblique) and Matthew Boyd (elbow) from the Giants on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Michael Stryffeler, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is on the injured list due to a right oblique strain, but he's already made three minor-league rehab appearances and should be ready to come off the IL by the end of the week. In his new destination, Casali will likely serve as the understudy to Cal Raleigh, who has shown enough strides at the plate over the past two months to hang on to the No. 1 job. In San Francisco, Casali had been occupying a larger side of a timeshare behind the dish with Joey Bart, but the trade should pave the way for Bart to see the lion's share of the starts at catcher for the Giants over the final two months of the season.
Jul 25 2022Casali (oblique) is scheduled to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has been on the 10-day injured list since the beginning of July with a right oblique strain, but he's nearing a return to action. Considering he's spent nearly four walks on the shelf, he'll likely need a least a handful of at-bats in the minors if not more before being activated.
Jul 16 2022Casali (oblique) played catch Friday, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is expected to miss approximately 3-to-4 weeks due to his right oblique issue, and his activity Friday marked the first time that he's participated in baseball activities since sustaining his injury. The catcher is still sore but has been improving recently, and he'll likely attempt to ramp up his workload in the near future.
Jul 5 2022Casali (oblique) was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old suffered right oblique injury Monday, and he's expected to miss 3-to-4 weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain, per Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News. Joey Bart has joined the team on the taxi squad and should soon join the active roster, but for now Yermin Mercedes will serve as the Giants' backup catcher to Austin Wynns.
Jul 4 2022Casali has been diagnosed with a right oblique strain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This is less than ideal news for Casali, who is set to undergo on MRI on Tuesday to determine the next steps in his recovery process. Joey Bart was scratched from the starting lineup at Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, and he figures to be on his way to join the team in Arizona, though the team will likely wait for Casali's test results before making a roster move.
Jul 3 2022Casali is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is on the bench as the Giants conclude their series with the White Sox with a day game after a night game. Austin Wynns will check in behind the dish in place of Casali, who went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts in Saturday's 5-3 loss.
Jul 1 2022Casali will be on the bench for Friday's game against the White Sox, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has started back-to-back games just once in the Giants' last 17 contests. Austin Wynns starts behind the plate Friday.
Jun 28 2022Casali is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against Detroit, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will take a seat Tuesday for the second time in the past three games. Austin Wynns will work behind the plate in his place.
Jun 25 2022Casali isn't starting Saturday's game against the Reds, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will get a breather after he went 3-for-5 with an RBI over the last two games. Austin Wynns is starting behind the dish and batting eighth.
Jun 22 2022Casali is not in the starting lineup Wednesday versus Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will sit for the second consecutive day as Austin Wynns draws the start behind the plate and will bat ninth. He has been dealing with a nagging hamstring issue, which could explain the back-to-back absences from the lineup.
Jun 21 2022Casali will sit Tuesday against Atlanta, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali hasn't started back-to-back games since June 10 and 11 as he deals with a nagging hamstring issue. He started Monday's series opener but will sit in favor of Austin Wynns on Tuesday.
Jun 19 2022Casali is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing the Giants' previous three games due to a hamstring injury, and manager Gabe Kapler isn't yet comfortable letting the backstop play on consecutive days. Austin Wynns will thus pick up a start behind the plate in the series finale after Casali went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run while catching in Saturday's 7-5 win.
Jun 17 2022Casali isn't starting Friday's game against the Pirates, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali returned from a three-game absence Wednesday against the Royals and went 1-for-2 with an RBI. He'll get a breather in Friday's series opener against Pittsburgh while Austin Wynns starts at catcher and bats ninth.
Jun 15 2022Casali (hamstring) is starting Wednesday against Kansas City, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali missed the last three matchups due to a hamstring injury, but he'll start at catcher and bat ninth during Wednesday's series finale against the Royals. Over his six games prior to his absence, he went 3-for-15 with a double, three runs, a walk and seven strikeouts.
Jun 14 2022Casali (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Royals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is playing through a hamstring issue but is out of the lineup Tuesday for the third straight game. Austin Wynns will receive another start behind the plate for the Giants.
Jun 13 2022Casali will sit Monday against the Royals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is playing through a hamstring issue and is expected to continue to do so, though he's now been on the bench for two straight games. Austin Wynns remains the starter behind the plate.
Jun 12 2022Casali will be on the bench Sunday against the Dodgers, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is playing through a hamstring issue and expects to for some time, but he isn't expected to wind up on the injured list. Austin Wynns will take over behind the plate Sunday.
Jun 11 2022Casali is dealing with a hamstring injury, though it hasn't prevented him from playing, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While Casali is banged up, the issue isn't expected to send him to the injured list. It may decrease his short-term fantasy value, however, something that wasn't particularly large to begin with given his uninspiring .227/.296/.398 slash line.
Jun 9 2022Casali isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Colorado, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 33-year-old started in the last three games and went 2-for-8 with a double, two runs, a walk and three strikeouts. While Casali is in line to serve as the primary catcher after Joey Bart was sent down Wednesday, Austin Wynns will start behind the dish and bat eighth Thursday.
Jun 4 2022Casali isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Marlins, Amy Gutierrez of the Giants' official site reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts in Friday's matchup against Miami, and he'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games. Joey Bart will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
Jun 2 2022Casali is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Marlins, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting in four of the previous five games, Casali looks to have leapfrogged Joey Bart on the depth chart at catcher, but the young backstop will get a turn behind the dish in the series opener in Miami. Over 76 plate appearances this season, Casali has produced a .250/.316/.456 slash line.
Jun 1 2022Casali will start at catcher and bat sixth in Wednesday's game against the Phillies, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will start for the third straight contest and the fourth time in five games, with three of those assignments coming behind the plate. He appears to have inched ahead of Joey Bart on the depth chart, a development that doesn't come as a major surprise given the wide chasm in their performances this season. Entering Wednesday, Casali maintains an .817 OPS over 72 plate appearance, while Bart is sitting on a .600 OPS over 102 plate appearances.
May 30 2022Casali went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's 5-4 win over the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali went hitless in his first three at-bats, but he made it count when it mattered most. The catcher launched a two-run home run off Andrew Bellatti in top of the 10th inning, giving the Giants a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the frame. The long ball was his fourth of the season, all of which have come in the month of May. Due to Joey Bart's struggles so far this season, Casali could see himself earning more at-bats moving forward if he can stay hot.
May 28 2022Casali went 1-for-4 in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali missed the minimum seven days on the concussion injured list. He went 7-for-16 (.438) in the six games before he was hurt, and he had started to claw away some playing time from the struggling Joey Bart. Casali has a .263/.338/.456 slash line with three home runs, 10 RBI, seven runs scored and a pair of doubles through 20 contests. He'll likely continue to see a timeshare behind the dish going forward.
May 25 2022Casali (concussion) has made good progress in recent days and could be activated from the 7-day injured list this weekend, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has yet to formally clear MLB's concussion protocol, but he looks like he might be able to do so by the time he's first eligible to return from the IL on Saturday. Prior to sustaining the head injury, Casali appeared to be moving into a timeshare at catcher with the struggling Joey Bart, who is hitting .171 on the season.
May 21 2022Casali was placed on the 7-day concussion injured list Saturday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali was hit by a foul tip on his mask during Friday's loss to the Padres, and he'll be unavailable for at least a week after being diagnosed with a concussion. However, the Giants are hopeful that the 33-year-old will be able to return after missing the minimum of seven days. Michael Papierski's contract was selected by the Giants, and he'll start behind the dish Saturday against San Diego.
May 16 2022Casali went 3-for-4 with two home runs, three total runs and four total RBI in Monday's 7-6 victory versus Colorado. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Batting out of the No. 9 spot in the order, Casali drove in each of the Giants' first four runs with a solo homer in the third inning and a three-run shot in the fifth. This was Casali's third career multi-homer game and his first since 2015. The backup catcher has been red hot over his past four contests, going 7-for-10 with three homers, eight RBI, four runs and three walks.
May 13 2022Casali went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 8-2 win over the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali capped off a five-run eighth inning with his blast off Cardinals reliever T.J. McFarland. This was Casali's first homer of the season, and just his third extra-base hit. The catcher is slashing a solid .256/.333/.372 with five RBI, four runs scored and two doubles through 48 plate appearances. He'll likely continue to split time behind the dish with Joey Bart, though Casali's been the more consistent of the Giants' two backstops in recent games.
May 10 2022Casali went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in Tuesday's 9-2 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Joey Bart received Tuesday off and Casali made the most of his opportunity to start behind the dish. Entering Tuesday, Casali had just seven hits all season before a fantastic performance. He's now slashing .250/.318/.300 with three RBI, three runs scored and a pair of doubles in 44 plate appearances. If he can show some consistency at the plate, Casali could challenge to make the catcher position more of a timeshare, but the Giants will likely be lenient with Bart in his first full major-league campaign.
Apr 25 2022Casali will start at catcher and bat ninth in Monday's game against the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has now picked up five starts behind the plate over the Giants' last 10 games, with nominal No. 1 catcher Joey Bart receiving the same workload. Manager Gabe Kapler hasn't suggested that the two backstops will be deployed in a timeshare all season, but Casali at least looks as though he'll play more frequently than the typical No. 2 catcher. Casali has yet to offer much from a fantasy perspective this season, as he enters Monday's game with a .158/.200/.211 slash line and 45 percent strikeout rate across 20 plate appearances.
Apr 13 2022Casali will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Padres, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With top catcher Joey Bart moving over to designated hitter for the series finale, Casali will pick up his second start of the season. He'll likely continue to play once or twice a week while Bart is healthy and effective at the dish.
Mar 15 2022Casali and Joey Bart will split time at catcher to begin the 2022 season, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is no stranger to a timeshare role -- he started approximately once every three games last season to give Buster Posey extra rest. It appears Casali will likely get closer to half of the starts early this season, though the exact distribution of playing time will come down to performance. While Bart has the better bat, Casali is a more reliable defensive catcher who also hit .210/.313/.350 with five home runs and 26 RBI last season.
Sep 18 2021Casali went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI in Saturday's 2-0 win over Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 32-year-old provided the only scoring play of the game, plating LaMonte Wade and Brandon Crawford with a four-inning single. Casali has posted a .214/.314/.359 slash line with five home runs, 26 RBI, 20 runs scored and 11 doubles in 221 plate appearances. He'll continue to play roughly twice a week as backup to Buster Posey.
Sep 8 2021Casali will start at catcher and bat eighth Wednesday against the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali should make for an appealing streaming option in season-long leagues with daily lineup moves, given that he'll have the benefit of hitting at high altitude in Colorado. Beyond Wednesday, however, Casali won't provide much fantasy value, given that he typically starts only once or twice per week while No. 1 catcher Buster Posey is healthy. Posey is merely getting some routine maintenance Wednesday with the Giants playing a day game after a night game.
Aug 27 2021Casali (head) passed concussion tests and will be available off the bench Friday against Atlanta, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali left Thursday's game against the Mets after a foul ball off the mask led to him experiencing dizziness. The backstop appears to feel better Friday, and with him clearing all concussion tests, he'll be an option off the bench. Starting catcher Buster Posey (knee) is set to return to the lineup after missing the previous two games.
Aug 26 2021Casali was removed from Thursday's game against the Mets after experiencing dizziness while running the bases, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali took a foul ball off his mask and then later reported feeling dizzy after running from first to third on a single. There has been no official diagnosis to this point, though Casali will continue to be evaluated over the next few days.
Aug 4 2021Casali went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher accounted for San Francisco's lone run when he went deep in the fifth inning. Casali has gone 3-for-6 with a homer and a double in his last two games. The 32-year-old has five long balls, 21 RBI, 15 runs scored and a .221/.329/.404 slash line in 158 plate appearances. He's likely to start every third game or so as Buster Posey's backup.
Jul 25 2021Casali will start at catcher and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will be checking back into the starting nine for the first time since Wednesday after Buster Posey's recent return from the injured list bumped Casali back to the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Expect Casali to pick up about one or two starts per week the rest of the season while Posey is healthy.
Jul 18 2021Casali is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will cede catching duties to Chadwick Tromp in the series finale after he was behind the dish Friday and Saturday. With Buster Posey (thumb) considered day-to-day and likely to return from the injured list during the upcoming week, Casali's time as San Francisco's No. 1 catcher will soon come to an end.
Jul 11 2021Casali went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run, two walks and a strikeout in a 3-1 win against the Nationals on Sunday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali accounted for all three San Francisco runs with his second-inning shot to center off Nationals' starter Erick Fedde and later walked in both the third and sixth innings. The backstop has been performing admirably in the absence of Buster Posey and concludes the first half with a .220/.336/.404 slash line in 42 games and his 11.6 BB% would be among the league leaders if Casali had enough at-bats to qualify.
Jul 10 2021Casali went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double in a 5-3 victory over Washington on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Giants decided to put Buster Posey (thumb) on the 10-day injured list earlier in the day, giving Casali another chance to start. He came through with a big performance, finishing with his third three-hit game of the season. Casali should function as San Francisco's primary starter until Posey returns, especially since he is on a roll at the plate. Over his past five games, Casali has gone 7-for-14 with four doubles, two walks and two RBI.
Jun 25 2021Casali went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 2-0 win over Oakland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: There was little offense in the battle between Bay Area teams, so Casali's seventh-inning solo homer loomed large in a game the Giants ultimately won 2-0. The long ball was just his second this season, though both have come in his past four games. Casali struggled to a .100 average through his first 70 at-bats, but he has stepped things up considerably of late, batting .500 (8-for-16) with a pair of homers and six RBI over his past six contests.
Jun 17 2021Casali went 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple, four RBI and two runs scored Thursday against Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali finished just a double shy of the cycle to record his third multi-RBI game of the season. The highlight of his performance came in the second inning when he took Zac Gallen deep for his first home run of the season. He drove in a run on each of his other two hits and now has 10 RBI on the campaign. Casali has yet to get on track with the bat across 93 plate appearances, as he's hitting just .165/.290/.241.
Jun 15 2021Casali went 3-for-4 in Monday's 5-2 win over Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: All three of Casali's hits were singles, and this was his first multi-hit effort of the season. The 32-year-old has seen roughly one-third of the playing time when healthy as the backup to Buster Posey. Casali is slashing just .135/.264/.149 with a double, six RBI and six runs scored across 87 plate appearances.
Jun 12 2021Casali (wrist) was activated off the injured list Saturday and is expected to start the nightcap of the doubleheader against the Nationals, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali wound up missing slightly more than the minimum 10 days with a left wrist strain. He'll resume his role as Buster Posey's backup, with Chadwick Tromp heading to Triple-A.
Jun 10 2021Casali (wrist) could be reinstated from the 10-day injured list as early as Saturday or Sunday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali has been sidelined since June 1 due to a left wrist strain, but the issue wasn't considered particularly serious. Manager Gabe Kapler is hopeful that the catcher will be able to return to the active roster after spending just over the minimum amount of time on the injured list.
Jun 1 2021Casali was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left wrist strain, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher isn't expected to miss much time, if any beyond the minimum 10 days. Though a solid defensive asset, Casali has struggled considerably at the plate with a .104 average this season and may benefit from some time off. Chadwick Tromp was recalled to fill Casali's roster spot for the time being.
May 23 2021Casali will start at catcher and bat seventh Sunday against the Dodgers, Kerry Crowley of The San Jose Mercury News reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali will get his third turn behind the plate in less than a week with Buster Posey getting Sunday off for maintenance purposes. For the season, Casali is slashing .107/.265/.125 across 68 plate appearances, so he likely won't be in store for an uptick in playing time while Posey remains healthy.
Apr 23 2021Casali went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Thursday's win over the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali made the most of his lone knock of the contest, plating Evan Longoria and Darin Ruf to make it a 3-0 game for the Giants in the first inning. He went silent the rest of the way, but he made his presence felt in this one. That said, Casali has recorded just three hits in 24 at-bats this season, and he can't be counted on to produce offensively on a steady basis.
Apr 7 2021Casali will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Padres, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll pick up his second start of the season while top catcher Buster Posey rests for the day game after a night game. Casali will likely be in store for around two starts per week throughout the season so long as Posey is healthy.
Mar 4 2021Casali (hand) is expected to start Friday's spring game against the Padres, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali underwent hamate surgery in December, but he played catch and hit without pain to begin spring training. He'll make his Cactus League debut Friday, batting third while playing catcher. Barring any setbacks, the veteran backstop should have plenty of time to prepare for Opening Day.
Feb 20 2021Casali revealed Saturday that he underwent hamate surgery in December, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali signed a major-league contract with the Giants in January, but the catcher revealed Saturday that he had surgery during the offseason. However, the 32-year-old has been playing catch and hitting without pain to begin spring training. While he could face some limitations during camp, Casali was optimistic that he'll be ready for Opening Day.
Jan 4 2021Casali signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Giants on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While the Giants aren't paying Casali all that much, the major-league contract implies that they see him as part of the active roster in 2021. He deserves at least a backup spot given his respectable .230/.316/.413 slash line in parts of seven seasons at the highest level. That leaves the Giants' catcher depth chart rather full, however, as Buster Posey will be returning to action after opting out of the 2020 season and the highly-rated Joey Bart has already arrived, appearing in 33 games in Posey's absence last season. The signing of Casali potentially indicates that the Giants intend to give bart more seasoning in the minors to start the year.
Dec 2 2020Casali was non-tendered by the Reds on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali logged a respectable .866 OPS in 93 plate appearances last year, working primarily as a backup. He should be able to catch on elsewhere in a similar capacity, but he may need to settle for a pay cut.
Oct 1 2020Casali is battling a sore wrist but is available off the bench Thursday for Game 2 of the Wild Card Round against Atlanta, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali played the first six innings in Game 1 on Wednesday, which proved to be slightly less than half of the 13-inning contest. Tucker Barnhart starts behind the plate in Game 2.
Sep 21 2020Casali went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 6-3 win over Milwaukee. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali extended Cincinnati's lead to 3-1 with his long ball off Drew Rasmussen in the eighth. The backstop has hit .224/.373/.522 to go along with six homers and eight RBI while backing up Tucker Barnhart this season.
Sep 16 2020Casali will start at catcher and will bat ninth Wednesday against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll be behind the dish for the second time in the series while top backstop Tucker Barnhart rests. Barnhart's greater familiarity with the Cincinnati pitching staff and his ability to control the run game may be enough to maintain his spot atop the depth chart, but if the 24-26 Reds fade from the playoff race during the final week of the season, manager David Bell could hand more starts to Casali or Tyler Stephenson.
Aug 29 2020Casali went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a walk in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali sat out the first game of the twin bill but started behind the plate and hit ninth in Game 2. He put the Reds ahead with a solo shot to left field in the third inning. Casali is slashing .205/.352/.568 with five homers but only six RBI this season.
Aug 24 2020Casali went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali got the Reds on the board with his homer off Brett Anderson in the sixth. The backstop is hitting .179/.319/.513 while handling the short side of a catching platoon with Tucker Barnhart.
Aug 19 2020Casali went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a hit-by-pitch in a 5-0 win over the Royals in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali went deep in the sixth inning off Royals reliever Gabe Speier to produce the Reds' final run of the contest. The long ball was Casali's third of the year to go with three RBI and five runs scored across 40 plate appearances. Expect the 31-year-old to see little playing time as Tucker Barnhart makes most of the starts at catcher.
Aug 2 2020Casali is out of the lineup for the first game of Sunday's doubleheader with the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After starting behind the dish in each of the Reds' first five games, Casali has predictably taken a back seat since Tucker Barnhart was activated from the paternity list Tuesday. Though Casali will be on the bench for a third straight contest, he'll likely catch in the second game of the doubleheader later in the day.
Jul 28 2020Casali went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali homered in the eighth inning off Casey Sadler, his second home run of the campaign. He's gotten consistent playing time early this season, but Tucker Barnhart was activated from the paternity list Tuesday. As a result, Casali will likely see his playing time decrease significantly.
Jul 27 2020Casali will start at catcher and bat ninth Monday against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali is picking up his fourth start behind the dish in as many days while top backstop Tucker Barnhart (personal) remains on the paternity list. He's slugged a home run and reached base at a .417 clip through the Reds' first three games, but Casali will lose nearly all of his fantasy value once Barnhart is back in the fold.
Jul 24 2020Casali will get the start behind the plate for Friday's season opener against the Tigers, batting ninth. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali started 57 games as the Reds' catcher last season, compared to 87 for Tucker Barnhart. It's possible that his Opening Day start is a sign that Casali will be the personal catcher for his college teammate Sonny Gray this season, though it's also possible that the backstops' workloads will be more equal this year. Casali did outhit Barnhart in 2019, posting a .251/.331/.411 slash line compared to Barhnart's .231/.328/.380 mark.
Mar 22 2020Despite struggling this spring, slashing .118/.318/.118 in 22 plate appearances, Casali's roster spot for Opening Day was secured when the Reds optioned Tyler Stephenson to Triple-A Louisville. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was never really a job battle, at least to start. But Casali could be at risk later in the season should Stephenson thrive at Louisville. There are some rumors, however, that MLB will expand rosters to account for an accelerated return to action, which would then allow the Reds to carry three catchers and possibly promote Stephenson to the big-league squad.
Jan 10 2020Casali and the Reds avoided arbitration with a one-year, $1,462,500 deal Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casali hit well enough for a catcher in 84 games last season, posting a .251/.331/.411 line with eight homers. He looks set to split time with Tucker Barnhart again this season.
Aug 24 2019Casali (hamstring) was activated from the injured list Saturday.
Aug 18 2019Casali (hamstring) will report back to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday to resume his rehab assignment, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Aug 17 2019Casali (knee) suffered a left hamstring strain last weekend on his minor-league rehab assignment, but he's making good progress in recovering from that setback,
Aug 8 2019Casali (knee) is expected to begin a rehab assignment for Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Jul 28 2019Manager David Bell said Sunday that Casali (knee) is "getting close" to resuming baseball activities, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Jul 25 2019Casali (knee) isn't expected to return from the 10-day injured list before the end of July, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 18 2019Casali (knee) was placed<\/a> on the 10-day injured list Thursday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 17 2019Casali (knee) is not in the lineup<\/a> Wednesday against the Cubs.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 17 2019Casali (knee) is expected to land on the 10-day injured list, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 16 2019Casali (knee) isn't starting<\/a> Tuesday's game against the Cubs.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 15 2019Casali left Monday's game against the Cubs due to right knee soreness, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 14 2019Casali is not in the lineup for Sunday's game at Colorado, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 14 2019Casali went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Saturday's 17-9 win over the Rockies.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 7 2019Casali is out of the lineup<\/a> for Sunday's game against the Indians.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 2 2019Casali is not in the lineup<\/a> Tuesday against Milwaukee.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 30 2019Casali will start at catcher and bat ninth Sunday against the Cubs, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 26 2019Casali is not in the lineup<\/a> Wednesday against the Angels.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 26 2019Casali is starting at catcher Wednesday against the Angels, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 21 2019Casual started again Friday night, his seventh start in the last 11 games, going 0-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. Before the game Reds manager David Bell confirmed that the catching position is closer to a timeshare between Casali and Tucker Barnhart, rather than Casali backing up Barnhart, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports<\/a>. \"I've talked to both guys,\" Bell said. \"The way I see it, I don't know how the split is going to turn out. It may still be Tucker ends up getting 60-40, 70-30 or maybe at times it is closer to 50-50.\"Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 16 2019Casali is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 31 2019Casali went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run, a double, four RBI and two runs scored Friday against the Nationals.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 19 2019Casali will catch and bat eighth<\/a> in Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 21 2018Casali went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Pirates.In 19 games since joining the Reds. Casali is slashing .304/.385/.500 with two homers. His career production doesn't suggest he'll be able to keep up this pace for long, but GMs in deep NL-only formats can probably find a use for any catcher while he's hot at the plate.
Jun 27 2018Casali went 2-for-4 in Wednesday's win over the Braves, raising his production with the Reds to .407/.448/.630 in 30 plate appearances.The former Tampa Bay Rays catcher has been used sparingly as Tucker Barnhart's caddy, having sat the previous four games. But he's done more than an adequate job in replacing Devin Mesoarco as the backup.
Jun 2 2018Casali went 2-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Padres.Acquired via trade with the Rays on Thursday, Casali was making his first start in a Reds uniform. He homered in his first at-bat with his new club and later added a single. The 29-year-old did flash some pop during his days in Tampa Bay, but he will likely be limited to two or three starts per week behind Tucker Barnhart in Cincinnati, limiting him to NL-only consideration.
May 31 2018Casali was traded from the Rays to the Reds on Thursday.The 29-year-old backstop figures to head to the big leagues after Cincinnati demoted Tony Cruz to Triple-A Louisville. Casali put together a .274/.327/.453 slash line with four homers and 20 RBI over 28 games at Triple-A Durham this season.
Mar 25 2018The Rays reassigned Casali to their minor-league camp Sunday.Casali joined the Rays just days earlier on a minor-league deal after being released by the Rangers. Though he won't open the season in the big leagues, Casali will likely be first in line for a promotion to the Rays if one of the team's top two catchers, Wilson Ramos and Jesus Sucre, succumbs to an injury at any point.
Mar 21 2018Casali agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Rays on Wednesday, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.Casali is expected to join the team's camp Thursday. The catcher was recently released by the Rangers on Wednesday, marking the third different organization to release the 29-year-old this offseason, including Tampa Bay in November. Casali appeared in just nine big-league games for the team in 2017, and will be utilized in a similar capacity this season with Wilson Ramos and Jesus Sucre on the big-league roster.
Mar 21 2018Casali was released by the Rangers on Wednesday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic Dallas reports.Casali has now been released by three teams this offseason, first by the Rays in November, then the Angels in January and now the Rangers. The 29-year-old owns a career .199/.285/.385 slash line over parts of four major-league seasons. He's probably good enough to latch on somewhere on another minor-league deal and could see another brief stint in the majors, though he's unlikely to be much of a fantasy asset even if he stumbles into unexpected playing time.
Jan 18 2018Casali agreed to a minor-league contract with the Rangers on Thursday which includes an invitation to spring training.Casali was recently released by the Angels on Tuesday after agreeing to an NRI deal with the club just a couple months prior. The 29-year-old only appeared in nine games with the Rays last season, and will likely only serve as added organizational depth for the Rangers moving forward, with Robinson Chirinos, Juan Centeno and Brett Nicholas all ahead of him on the pecking order.
Jan 16 2018Casali has been released by the Angels and is now a free agent, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation reports.Casali originally signed a minor-league deal with the Angels earlier in the winter, but the 29-year-old was granted his release after the team signed Rene Rivera, all but ending his chances of making the Opening Day roster. He'll now look to catch on elsewhere, though given his paltry .199/.285/.385 slash-line with the Rays over the past four seasons, it will likely be another minor-league deal.
Nov 28 2017Casali signed a minor-league deal with the Angels that includes an invite to spring training, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.He elected free agency after the Rays removed him from the 40-man roster this offseason. Casali has a career .199/.285/.385 slash line with 19 home runs and a 30.5 percent strikeout rate in 466 MLB plate appearances, although his defense behind the dish grades out well. Martin Maldonado is the clear starter in Anaheim, but Casali will be able to compete with Juan Graterol and Carlos Perez for a shot to be the backup this spring.
Nov 6 2017Casali was outrighted off the Rays' 40-man roster and elected to become a free agent, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.The 28-year-old backstop failed to break camp with the Rays and appeared in just nine major-league games last season. Casali has compiled an unremarkable .199/.285/.385 line in 161 games with the Rays over the last four years, so he'll likely be forced to settle for a minor-league deal in the offseason.
Oct 1 2017Casali went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two RBI in Sunday's 6-0 win over Baltimore.Casali's first home run of the season in the fifth inning was the only run allowed by either starting pitcher as Baltimore's Kevin Gausman and Tampa Bay's Blake Snell both turned in gems. The little-used catcher forced in a second RBI with a bases-loaded walk during a five-run explosion against Baltimore's bullpen in the eighth.
Sep 29 2017Casali is in the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.Casali has been limited to four pinch-hit at-bats since being called up Sept. 1, but he will get a chance to start Friday. He will be the Rays' starting catcher and will hit seventh against Orioles starter Wade Miley.
Mar 29 2017Casali was optioned to minor league camp Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.With both Casali and Luke Maile optioned and Mike McKenry reassigned Wednesday, non-roster invitee Jesus Sucre is now locked in as the backup to Derek Norris to begin the season. Casali went 6-for-31 (.186 average) during spring training after batting .186/.273/.336 over 256 plate appearances last season.
Mar 1 2017Casali went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs overall in Tuesday's 19-0 Grapefruit League victory over the Twins.The Rays' backstop opened what would be a 19-run barrage by blasting a two-run homer to left with Rickie Weeks, Jr. aboard in the first. Casali is battling Luke Maile and non-roster invitee Jesus Sucre for a backup catcher spot, and given that prize offseason signing Wilson Ramos isn't expected back from knee surgery until at least May and may be limited to designated hitter duties for some time thereafter, he would appear to have a solid chance of securing a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 28-year-old's unsightly .186/.273/.336 line last season belied some solid pop in his bat, as Casali collected 18 extra-base hits, including 10 round-trippers, over 256 plate appearances.
Dec 8 2016Casali is expected to platoon with Luke Maile at catcher until the newly acquired Wilson Ramos (knee) is healthy.Despite slashing .186/.273/.336 over 256 plate appearances last season at the big league level, Casali displayed a knack for making it count when he did make contact, rapping out 18 extra-base hits (10 homers) and tallying 25 RBI. His bloated 32 percent strikeout rate certainly needs improvement, but Casali's solid work behind the plate and occasional pop is likely to keep him involved even after Ramos is healthy enough to play, which is likely to be in late May or early June. In the interim, he figures to platoon with Luke Maile to begin the 2017 campaign.
Oct 3 2016Casali went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, a run-scoring double and two walks in Sunday's season-ending 6-4 victory over the Rangers.The backstop, filling the DH role Sunday, opened the scoring with a single that plated Richie Shaffer in the second and then closed things out with an insurance run in the 10th off a two-bagger that drove home Alexei Ramirez. After a mostly miserable campaign at the plate in terms of batting average, Casali closed out 2016 by hitting safely in six of his last eight games, with four multi-hit efforts, three doubles and five RBI over that span.
Sep 27 2016Casali homered, in a 2-for-4 game with two runs scored Tuesday against the White Sox.Casali has an atrocious .175/.257/.327 batting line but has shown real power this season. He has eight home runs in 81 games after mashing 10 homers in just 38 games last season for the Rays. He strikes out too much to ever hit for average, but a catcher with his pop is likely to find work for quite a while.
Sep 23 2016Casali went 1-for-3 with a double in Thursday's 2-0 victory over the Yankees.It was only the 27-year-old's second hit of September in 17 at-bats, bringing his slash line for the month to a paltry .118/.167/.176. Casali has found playing time hard to come by while in a platoon with Bobby Wilson and Luke Maile, who have both performed appreciably better overall at the plate. Although Casali's bat has provided some modest pop again in 2016 with eight two-baggers and seven homers, his average has seen a precipitous 75-point drop from last season's .238 figure.
Sep 1 2016Casali was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Thursday.One of three callups Thursday, Casali will rejoin the Rays just under a month after being optioned on August 4. Casali has appeared in 71 games for the Rays on the season, but he's hitting just .168 in 185 at-bats.
Jul 31 2016Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.With only three starts under his belt since the All-Star break, it appears Casali has officially been passed up by Luke Maile on the catching depth chart. Maile is only sitting on a .194/.242/.258 batting line over 34 plate appearances, but the Rays appear inclined to give him an extended trial at the starting role after Casali failed to provide noticeably better production in a much larger sample of at-bats earlier this season.
Jul 9 2016Casali (head) is back in the lineup for Saturday's game against Boston, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.Casali is back in the lineup after suffering a bruise during Wednesday's game against the Angels. He ended up missing two games as Hank Conger got the starts at catcher the past two days, but will return behind the plate for Saturday's matchup.
Jul 8 2016Casali (head) is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Red Sox, The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin reports.Casali appeared to have suffered a bruise after getting hit with a back swing in the head during Wednesday's matchup with the Angels. He is not in the lineup for Friday's game, but the Rays have been going back and forth with him and Hank Conger. Casali could be back in the lineup this weekend, but the Rays could choose to have him sit out until after the All-Star break as a precaution.
Jul 7 2016Casali (head) appears to have suffered no more than a bruise after getting hit with a back swing in Wednesday's loss to the Angels, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.The 27-year-old's medical evaluation seemed to go reasonably well, with manager Kevin Cash reporting that "[Casali} seems to be okay, he's a little beat up." Casali sat in favor of Hank Conger for Thursday's series finale against the Angels, and remains day-to-day.
Jul 6 2016Casali left Wednesday's game early after getting hit by a back swing, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Time reports.Casali was hit by a back swing behind the plate earlier in the game, and was eventually forced to leave. He was 0-for-2 before being replaced by Hank Conger. The severity of the injury is currently unknown, but consider him day-to-day until more information is released.
Jun 21 2016Casali is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Indians, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.Casali is in the midst of an 0-for-14 slump over his last five games, as he's collected just two hits since June 6. Even still, he appears to remain the preferred option behind the plate most days, but he'll head to the bench in favor of Hank Conger Tuesday.
Jun 15 2016Casali is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Mariners.Casali collected a pair of hits in Tuesday's contest, but his average on the season still sits at a lowly .187, so he'll head to the bench for a day off Wednesday. Hank Conger will take over behind the plate in his place and bat eighth.
Jun 5 2016Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali has found himself on the bench for the last three games, with the hot-hitting Hank Conger forcing his way into the lineup. Conger is only holding down a .260 on-base percentage for the season and struggles to throw out runners, so there's still reason to hold out hope for Casali eventually getting his spot back.
Jun 3 2016Casali is out of the lineup Friday, the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin reports.He has caught three straight games, and notched four hits, including two of the extra-base variety, over that span while also walking three times and striking out just once. Hank Conger will get the start behind the dish and hit ninth.
Jun 2 2016Casali went 2-for-3 with a double, a solo homer and a walk against the Royals on Wednesday.The backstop had one more hit Wednesday than he'd collected in his prior nine appearances combined, as he's struggled mightily this year. He does have six homers in 106 at-bats, which isn't bad, but that .170 average is a major drain. That said, some BABIP normalization should at least bring him over the Mendoza Line in time.
May 27 2016Casali is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali will earn the day off after starting five of the last six games for the Rays behind the plate. Hank Conger will take his place and bat ninth against Masahiro Tanaka. During the past ten games, Casali is just 3-for-29 from the dish, and is batting .165/.221/.361 on the season with 41 strikeouts in just 34 games. Even though Casali is struggling at the plate, Conger isn't fairing much better and his defensive shortcomings allow Casali to remain the Rays' starter.
May 16 2016Casali hit his fifth home run as part of a 2-for-5 game with three RBI and two runs scored in Monday's win over the Blue Jays.Casalli's batting average climbed closer to the Mendoza line, now up to .197, but he struck out two more times Monday and now has 35 strikeouts in just 27 games and 83 plate appearances. The power is there, as with Monday's home run and double Casali now has a .447 slugging percentage and nine extra-base hits in his limited action. But he's stretching the limit of how often a player can strike out and remain in a major league lineup, and if he can't cut his strikeout rate down to at least his career mark of 32.7 percent, his power will be overshadowed by his inability to get on base (.256 OBP in 2016).
May 15 2016Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, freelance Tampa Bay writer Roger Mooney reports.Casali has fallen into a 0-for-6 skid over his last three appearances to drop his average below .200 on the season, so he'll give way to Hank Conger behind the plate for the second straight day. Conger has yet to make much of an impact with the bat this season, and his defensive shortcomings will likely result in Casali claiming the bulk of the starts at catcher over the upcoming week.
May 9 2016Casali hit a solo homer and doubled in his four at-bats in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Angels.Casali's batting average sits at a paltry .203 for the season, but he's at least packed a punch when he has been able to reach base. Seven of his 13 hits have gone for extra bases, including four home runs.
May 6 2016Casali has notched an extra-base hit 62 percent of the time that he's hit safely since last June, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.The young backstop is only tallying a .202 average over 228 career at-bats over parts of three seasons, but has made solid contact on an overwhelming majority of the hits he's managed since a June 2015 call-up. Casali has managed to hit for extra bases on 21 of the 34 instances in which he's avoided an out since that point, a span that includes as many homers (13) as singles. However, consistency in getting on base remains an area with plenty of room for improvement, as the 27-year-old readily admits. "Believe me, I'd like to be more consistent at the plate, maybe throw in a single instead of a strikeout or a pop fly," Casali said. "I want to be more consistent.
May 4 2016Casali went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and two runs scored in Tuesday's 10-5 loss to the Dodgers.The third-year catcher continues to alternate starts with offseason acquisition Hank Conger, although both backstops are currently hitting below the Mendoza line. The gopher ball Tuesday was Casali's second of the season, and only his fourth extra-base hit overall in 51 at-bats.
May 1 2016Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune reports.Casali started the first two games of the series, so he'll unsurprisingly be rested for Sunday's matinee. Hank Conger will fill in behind the plate in Casali's stead.
Apr 29 2016Casali is in the starting lineup and batting eighth for Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune reports.Casali is just 1-for-13 over the past five games and has brought very little offensive production over the course of the season, making his fantasy value slim-to-none.
Apr 27 2016Casali is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Hank Conger's defensive woes have given Casali every chance to win the starting catcher job outright, but Casali has both not thrown out anyone this season (0-for-4) and is hitting just .146 on the season while striking out 21 times in 41 at-bats. Casali will be replaced by Conger in the lineup Wednesday.
Apr 26 2016Casali went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI in Monday's 2-0 victory over the Orioles.The 27-year-old provided ace Chris Archer with all the run support he'd need to secure his first victory of 2016. Casali plated Steven Souza with a fifth-inning, two-out double to left, and then drove in Corey Dickerson by virtue of getting plunked by reliever Vince Worley with the bases jammed in the sixth. The performance snapped a three-game hitless streak for the backstop, who's still slashing.158/.200/.289 over 38 at-bats this season, with only one multi-hit game to his credit.
Apr 20 2016Casali is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.While Hank Conger's inability to throw runners out has kept Casali in the lineup, Casali has hardly grabbed the job by the horns. Casali is 0-for-13 in his last four games, striking out 10 times over that span. His batting average is down to .125 while striking out in more than half of his at-bats. Conger will replace him in the lineup, but neither has done enough to get or keep the job thus far.
Apr 17 2016Casali will get the start at catcher and bat seventh in the order Sunday against the White Sox, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.On at least a temporarily basis, Casali seems to have usurped Hank Conger for regular duties behind the plate, as this marks his third straight start. Casali is slashing just .176/.222/.235 on the season and bats in the bottom third of the Rays' order, so he doesn't seem to have a particularly high ceiling for meaningful fantasy production.
Apr 14 2016Casali is out of the lineup Thursday against the Indians, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.Casali continues to switch off with Hank Conger on a game-by-game basis, as it will be Conger tasked with catching Chris Archer on Thursday.
Apr 13 2016Casali is back in the lineup Wednesday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.Casali ceded the start to Hank Conger on Tuesday, but he'll reclaim the starting spot Wednesday after Conger went hitless once again. Casali appears to be getting a small edge in the playing time department over his switch-hitting counterpart, although Casali will have to continue hitting better than Conger in order to keep it that way.
Apr 13 2016Casali doubled in a run during Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Indians.The 27-year-old is battling Hank Conger for playing time, and has fared better so far this season. Wednesday's performance could help him keep his slight lead as Tampa's starting catcher. Casali showed great power last season, blasting 10 home runs in just 38 games. Fantasy owners are still waiting for him to break out his first dinger of this season.
Apr 12 2016Casali is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Indians, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali and Hank Conger have essentially split time behind the plate through the opening week of the season, and that trend will continue as Casali will take a seat Tuesday after starting the team's previous two games. Conger will do the catching and bat ninth in his stead.
Apr 10 2016Casali will be behind the plate for Sunday's matchup with the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.It's Casali's second start in a row and fourth in the Rays' six games, as he seems to have established himself as manager Kevin Cash's preferred option at catcher ahead of Hank Conger. As is tradition for the Rays, both catchers are more defensive-oriented than assets with the bat, so Casali shouldn't be expected to make waves in the fantasy realm even if retains the regular starting job throughout the campaign.
Apr 4 2016Casali is in the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali will get the start against R.A. Dickey after Hank Conger started the Opening Day game. It seems that the catching duo will split time throughout the course of the season.
Apr 1 2016Casali will not be the starting catcher on Opening Day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.The 27-year-old easily outplayed veteran Hank Conger, but manager Kevin Cash decided to start Conger based on the matchup against Marcus Stroman. That being said, if Casali can keep up his .273 average beyond spring training, he could garner more starts as the season goes along.
Mar 28 2016Casali has hit .316 and tallied four RBI over 19 exhibtion at-bats during 2016 spring training.The third-year pro displayed some considerable pop at the plate last season, blasting 10 homers in just 101 at-bats. Casali has had a productive enough spring, but fellow backstop Rene Rivera has also been solid (.321 average over 28 at-bats). Veteran offseason acquisition Hank Conger has considerably struggled at the plate (.154 average) to date, and manager Kevin Cash has mused about the possibility of keeping three catchers on the major league roster in the season's early going, brightening Casali's prospects for the time being.
Oct 2 2015Casali (hamstring) will be out for the remainder of the season, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.Casali has been out since Aug. 25 with a strained left hamstring, and it appears he just ran out of time to return this season. His 2015 campaign will end with a surprisingly productive year in the power department, hitting 10 homers in just 38 games and boasting a .594 slugging percentage.
Sep 27 2015Casali (hamstring) worked out on the field prior to Sunday's game, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali did some running and a few other general exercises, but it's not clear if the Rays plan on having him back in the final week of the regular season. The team has been splitting the playing time at catcher fairly equitably of late between J.P. Arencibia and Luke Maile.
Sep 21 2015Casali (hamstring) has not progressed enough to set a return date yet, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali did add that he hopes to play again in 2015 and that he's been able to hit and catch, but this is still discouraging news. There are only two weeks left in the season, you'd think the Rays would be able to determine a timetable if he was less than a week from returning. If he doesn't come back, he'll be ending a season in which he slugged a surprising .594, albeit in just 113 plate appearances.
Sep 18 2015Casali (hamstring) hit in simulated games Thursday and could hit in live batting practice soon, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.There are less than two weeks remaining in the season, so it's unlikely Casali returns in time for him to get significant at-bats. A week of action might be a reasonable expectation for the remainder of the 26-year-old's season.
Sep 11 2015Casali (hamstring) could return later next week, Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune reports.Casali's target return date is vague, but manager Kevin Cash said he could return later in the Rays' homestand, which begins this weekend and extends through the following Sunday. Rene Rivera and J.P. Arencibia will continue seeing most of the action behind the plate until Casali is ready to return.
Aug 26 2015Casali (hamstring) was placed on the DL on Wednesday, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.Casali strained his left hamstring during Tuesday's game, and it's apparently an issue that the Rays don't believe will resolve itself within the next couple of days. As a result, they'll place Casali on the DL and recall J.P. Arencibia from Triple-A Durham. Arencibia will share time behind the plate with Rene Rivera in Casali's absence.
Aug 25 2015Casali suffered a strained left hamstring in Tuesday's game, the Tampa Bay Times' Rodney Page reports.He hit his 10th home run of the season Tuesday against the Twins before suffering the injury and being replaced by Rene Rivera. If Casali has to miss extended time the Rays will likely need to recall a catcher from Triple-A to share time with Rivera going forward.
Aug 23 2015Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.Casali started the first two games of the series, so he'll receive the afternoon off for the finale. Rene Rivera will check in behind the plate for Sunday's contest.
Aug 11 2015Casali (head) is in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Braves, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali was held out of Sunday's game after an early exit from Saturday's contest, but he will return to action Tuesday night. Casali will catch Erasmo Ramirez and hit ninth in the Rays' batting order.
Aug 9 2015Casali (head) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mets, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.Casali was pulled out of Saturday's game after he was struck on the side of his helmet by a swing, but concussion tests fortunately came back negative. The Rays stated that Casali will be available off the bench Sunday, but the start behind the plate will be given to Rene Rivera. Casali could be ready to rejoin the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Braves.
Aug 8 2015Casali (head) indicated he felt much better following the game, and will be available Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali went through concussion testing following Saturday's contest, but everything seems to have checked out okay. It appears he should be okay moving forward, but it's quite possible he won't be in the lineup Sunday regardless of his health.
Aug 8 2015Rivera exited Saturday's game due to a head contusion and is considered day-to-day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.As indicated earlier, the injury was indeed related to a Travis d'Arnaud backswing that hit the Ray's backstop in the head. As a result, he'll skip at least the remainder of Saturday's contest. There's no indication of a concussion at this point, however, so the issue could just continue in the day-to-day manner unless something changes.
Aug 8 2015Casali was removed from Saturday's game in the second inning, Steve Carney of 620 WDAE reports.While the official reason for Casali's removal hasn't been revealed yet, it could be related to Mets' backstop Travis d'Arnaud's backswing that reportedly caught him in the mask. He initially remained in the game, but it's quite possible some sort of head issue is impacting him. As a result, Rene Rivera will take over behind the plate for he remainder of Saturday's contest, and Casali's status should be updated by the team at some point in the near future.
Aug 4 2015Casali is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the White Sox.Since his second straight two-homer game back on July 28, Casali has gone 0-for-15 with nine strikeouts. The 26-year-old is now striking out at a 35.2 percent clip, with an inflated .369 ISO that's bound for significant regression.
Aug 2 2015Casali is out of the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali will get the day off after going 0-for-10 at the dish in his last three games. Rene Rivera will take over behind the plate.
Aug 1 2015Casali is starting again for the Rays, MLB.com's Bill Chastain reports.This is Casali's fifth start in six games at catcher, all likely thanks to the ridiculous hot streak that has his slugging percentage at .696 in 56 at-bats. The catcher position has been a disaster for Tampa Bay offensively due to the bats of Rene Rivera and Bobby Wilson, so Casali should figure to be a regular starter until his bat noticeably cools off.
Jul 28 2015Casali had another incredible day at the plate Tuesday, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI.That marks consecutive games with the same exact line for Casali, who the Tigers can't seem to figure out. The catcher has five home runs in his last four games to bring his total to seven in just 50 at-bats this season.
Jul 27 2015Casali homered twice in Monday's win over Detroit, part of a 3-for-4 night with three RBI.Casali has a comical .261/.314/.652 line behind his five home runs in just 19 games. Casali slugged a meager .348 with four home runs in 32 games for Triple-A Durham, so don't get used to this kind of explosion.
Jul 27 2015Casali will make his third start in a row behind the plate Monday against the Tigers.Casali hit his third homer of the season in Saturday's game, but don't expect it to lead to an influx of offense. The Rays prioritize defense from their catchers first and foremost, and both Casali and Rene Rivera are on the 25-man roster for their prowess in that area. However, with Casali owning the moderately "hotter" bat of the two for now, he'll get the starting nod.
Jun 13 2015Casali will make his 2015 debut Saturday, starting at catcher and batting ninth, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.Casali figures to be Rene Rivera's backup for the foreseeable future and could see more time than a standard backup if he shows he can reliably perform better than Rivera and his .156 batting average. However, the Rays invested a decent amount of trade value when acquiring Rivera, so it will take a lot. Casali hit .167/.268/.208 in 84 plate appearances during 2014.
Jun 12 2015Casali was recalled from Triple-A Durham following Friday's win over the White Sox, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.The Rays elected to pull the plug on backup catcher Bobby Wilson on Thursday night, designating him for assignment to make way for Casali. After batting an ugly .167 over 70 at-bats last season for the Rays and hitting only .205 so far this season at Durham, Casali doesn't figure to amount to much of an upgrade offensively over Wilson, but he'll give the team a solid pitch framer behind the dish.
Apr 3 2015Casali was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Friday, Steve Carney of 620 AM WDAE reports.Casali lost out on the backup catching duties to a non-roster invitee in Bobby Wilson. He'll return to Triple-A to receive some more seasoning, but likely remains the top candidate for a recall should one of the major league options suffer an injury.
Feb 20 2015Casali appears over the concussion he suffered last season, as there have been no reports regarding the injury during his first two weeks at spring training.Casali suffered the concussion in late September and did not return for the rest of the 2014 season. Last year, he batted .167 with 10 runs on 12 hits and three RBI in 29 games. With John Jaso expected to spend most of his time playing DH, Casali is the favorite to backup Rene Rivera.
Sep 24 2014Casali left Wednesday's game with a concussion and will miss the rest of the 2014 season.He was struck in the mask on a foul ball and will continue to be monitored in the coming days. But a concussion at this point in the year means the end of his season.
Sep 1 2014Casali was recalled from High-A Port Charlotte on Monday.Port Charlotte's season ended Sunday, making Casali eligible to return to the big club less than a week after being optioned. He'll join the club's expended September roster, providing depth behind Ryan Hanigan and Jose Molina, after batting just .169/.246/.203 in 23 games earlier this season.
Aug 26 2014Casali was optioned to High-A Port Charlotte on Tuesday, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.The move was made to clear space on the active roster for Ryan Hanigan's return from the disabled list. Casali will likely return to the Rays when rosters expand in September.
Aug 20 2014Casali will make his fourth start in five games Wednesday against the Tigers, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.What was once a timeshare at catcher with Jose Molina has seemed to tilt in Casali's favor, though neither player offers much for fantasy players to get excited about. In his 18 games with the Rays entering Wednesday, Casali has gone a measly 8-for-45 (.178) with no home runs. He'll see his playing time disintegrate once Ryan Hanigan returns from the DL.
Aug 10 2014Casali went 2-for-5 with a double and one run scored in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Cubs.Sunday's performance at the plate was the best of Casali's young MLB career, as the rookie backstop came into the contest hitting just .120 (3-for-25) over his first 10 games at the highest level. With Ryan Hanigan (oblique) likely out for at least another week, Casali could see at least a couple more opportunities behind the plate for the Rays.
Jul 17 2014The Rays purchased Casali's contract from Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune reports.Casali is set to act as the Rays' No. 2 catcher coming out of the All-Star break with Ryan Hanigan (oblique) on the disabled list. A career .278 hitter with 26 homers over 278 games in the minors, Casali doesn't offer much fantasy intrigue, especially since he'll be seeing few starts behind Jose Molina while he remains with the Rays.