Diamondbacks' James McCann: Guides another struggling starter
Rotowire
McCann went 1-for-2 with two walks, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over San Diego.
McCann's been a welcome addition to the offense, going 7-for-20 (.350) with six walks, four extra-base hits, four RBI and six runs scored over his first seven contests. However, his biggest contribution may be as a manager of pitchers. After backstopping Zac Gallen through two consecutive strong outings, McCann guided Brandon Pfaadt through eight innings, the starter's longest outing of the season. Prior to McCann's arrival, Pfaadt had failed to pitch six innings in seven straight starts (8.48 ERA), but he's thrown six and now eight innings (12 strikeouts, 3.86) in his two starts with McCann as a batterymate.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' James McCann: Guides Gallen through gem
Rotowire
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said prior to Monday's 6-3 win over the Padres that he would continue to have McCann catch for right-hander Zac Gallen if the battery continues to achieve positive results, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.
Given that Gallen allowed one unearned run on five hits and one walk while striking out nine over six innings Monday, McCann looks like a good bet to remain in the lineup in Gallen's next turn through the rotation. Prior to the Diamondbacks signing McCann on June 23, Gallen endured a nine-start stretch during which he posted a 6.97 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with 21 walks through 51.2 innings. In the two subsequent outings with McCann behind the dish, the right-hander has gone 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, 19 strikeouts and one walk over 13 innings. The catcher has also produced at the plate, going 6-for-18 with two doubles, one home run, three RBI and five runs over six starts behind the dish.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' James McCann: Homers in win
Rotowire
McCann went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, two walks and two total runs scored in Tuesday's 8-2 win over the Giants.
McCann's first homer of the year was the Diamondbacks' last run in this contest. The catcher is 4-for-8 with two extra-base hits, two RBI, three walks and four runs scored over three contests since signing a major-league deal with Arizona on June 23. He's seen a little less time than Jose Herrera behind the dish, but both have been steady at the plate, so the playing time is unlikely to change much.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' James McCann: Two hits in Saturday's loss
Rotowire
McCann went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-7 loss to Miami.
McCann made his second start behind the plate since the Diamondbacks signed him Monday. The veteran backstop was drilled by a pitch on the hand Saturday but was able to stay in the game. He's expected to split work behind the dish with Jose Herrera until Gabriel Moreno (finger) returns from the injured list.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' James McCann: Gets MLB deal from Arizona
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks signed McCann to a one-year contract Monday.
The veteran backstop will share catching duties with Jose Herrera while Gabriel Moreno (hand) is on the injured list. Before Atlanta released him over the weekend, McCann had played exclusively in the minors in 2025, slashing .305/.345/.510 over 165 plate appearances. The 35-year-old owns a .673 OPS over parts of 11 seasons in the big leagues but probably offers more value as a game caller and a defender than as a hitter at this stage of his career.
... See More... See Less
James McCann: Expected to sign with Arizona
Rotowire
McCann is expected to sign a major-league contract with the Diamondbacks on Monday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
McCann had a rolling opt-out clause in his minor-league deal with Atlanta, meaning that if another team offered him a major-league job, Atlanta needed to either promote him or allow him to leave. Since Atlanta was set at catcher at the big-league level with Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy, the organization will allow McCann to move on to Arizona. With the Diamondbacks, McCann will add some much-needed depth behind the dish after top backstop Gabriel Moreno (finger) was placed on the injured list Thursday. McCann will likely operate in a timeshare with Jose Herrera at catcher until Moreno returns from the IL.
... See More... See Less
James McCann: Cut by Atlanta
Rotowire
Atlanta released McCann on Sunday.
After signing a minor-league deal with Atlanta, McCann never received a call to the majors despite producing a .297 average with six home runs, 31 RBI and 19 runs scored over 148 at-bats in 41 games with Triple-A Gwinnett. The veteran backstop appeared in 66 contests with the Orioles in 2024, batting .234 with eight long balls. He shouldn't have much trouble securing a contract with a new organization.
... See More... See Less
Braves' James McCann: Inks minor-league deal with Atlanta
Rotowire
McCann agreed to a minor-league contract with Atlanta on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
McCann will catch on with Atlanta after he spent 2024 in Baltimore, batting .234 with eight home runs, 31 RBI, 27 runs scored and one stolen base over 233 plate appearances during the regular season. Drake Baldwin and Chadwick Tromp had been expected to open the season as Atlanta's catching tandem while Sean Murphy recovers from a fractured rib, but McCann could get one of the two spots if Atlanta prefers to have a backstop on the roster with more MLB experience.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Starting at catcher in Game 1
Rotowire
McCann will start at catcher and bat ninth Tuesday in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Royals, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
With left-hander Cole Ragans toeing the slab for the Royals, the Orioles are going with McCann behind the plate and Adley Rutschman at designated hitter in Game 1. McCann closed out the regular season on a high note with a 1.087 OPS and four home runs in September.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Blasts three-run homer
Rotowire
McCann went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Sunday against the Twins.
McCann's three-run shot provided the winning runs for the Orioles and gave him eight home runs on the year. Over his final 14 games spanning 49 at-bats, McCann contributed a .265 batting average with five homers and 15 RBI. He'll continue to play a key role off the bench for the Orioles as they begin their postseason push Tuesday at home against the Royals.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Goes deep twice
Rotowire
McCann went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI in Friday's win against the Tigers.
McCann knocked a two-run shot in the fourth inning and then capped off Baltimore's seven-run night with a solo shot in the sixth. He's hit four home runs over his last 11 appearances dating back to Aug. 20. The veteran catcher owns a .645 OPS with 16 extra-base hits through 221 plate appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Goes deep in win
Rotowire
McCann went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Sunday's win against the Rockies.
McCann accounted for Baltimore's only two extra-base hits during the 6-1 victory. He ripped a two-run homer in the fourth inning followed by a double in the ninth. It was his fifth home run of the year and second in his last five appearances. McCann is slashing .223/.270/.348 with 13 extra-base hits and 22 RBI through 200 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Smacks fourth home run
Rotowire
McCann went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and three total RBI in Tuesday's 9-5 win over the Mets.
McCann made his presence felt against his former team, extending Baltimore's lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second inning before blasting a two-run homer off Jose Quintana in the fourth. The 34-year-old McCann has been solid at the plate recently, going 10-for-33 (.303) over his last 11 games. Overall, he's slashing .226/.277/.339 through 184 plate appearances this year with four homers, 19 RBI and 23 runs scored while backing up Adley Rutschman behind the plate.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Undergoes nasal surgery
Rotowire
McCann underwent a nasal reduction realignment procedure Monday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
McCann took a fastball off the nose July 29 versus the Blue Jays, suffering multiple nose fractures. The catcher has remained a part of the active roster and is with the team on their road trip in Toronto.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Catching in Wednesday's game
Rotowire
McCann (nose) will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Despite suffering multiple nasal fractures when he was hit in the face by a fastball while he was batting in the first inning of Game 1 of Monday's doubeheader with Toronto, McCann was able to stay in the game. After re-evaluating McCann on Tuesday, the Orioles made him available off the bench for their eventual 6-2 win, and he'll now draw back into the lineup for the series finale while top backstop Adley Rutschman gets a day off. According to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, McCann took batting practice Wednesday while wearing a protective mask, but it doesn't sound like it'll be anything that inhibits his vision at the plate or while catching.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Cleared to play despite fractures
Rotowire
McCann has been diagnosed with multiple nose fractures but has been cleared to play, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
McCann remarkably stayed in Monday's game against the Blue Jays after being struck in the face by a Yariel Rodriguez pitch. He is undoubtedly very sore and the Orioles would probably prefer to avoid using him, if possible, but he'll be available off the bench Tuesday against Toronto.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Likely has broken nose
Rotowire
Manager Brandon Hyde said that McCann likely sustained a broken nose in the Orioles' 11-5 win over the Blue Jays in the first game of Monday's doubleheader, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
McCann was hit in the face by a fastball from Yariel Rodriguez in the bottom of the first inning. Despite bleeding profusely, McCann took his base and stayed in for the duration of the game, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and one run scored. He will go for a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis, and the 34-year-old backstop could end landing on the injured list if he did in fact suffer a fracture.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Filling in for resting Rutschman
Rotowire
McCann will start at catcher and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Marlins.
McCann will get the nod behind the plate for the series finale in Miami while top backstop Adley Rutschman receives a breather for the day game after a night game. Over 142 plate appearances on the season, McCann has provided a .211/.254/.323 slash line with three home runs, 17 runs, 13 RBI and one stolen base. Even if Rutschman were to miss extended time with an injury, McCann would likely be a low-end fantasy option at catcher while occupying a spot at the bottom of the order.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Smacks homer in loss
Rotowire
McCann went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's 10-8 loss to the Guardians.
McCann was able to generate a run in three of his four at-bats. He had an RBI single in the second inning, a solo shot in the fourth and an RBI groundout in the seventh. The veteran catcher is 7-for-33 (.212) over 10 games in June, and he continues to see sparse playing time as the backup to Adley Rutschman. For the year, McCann has a .202/.227/.325 slash line with three homers, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored, one stolen base and five doubles over 119 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Orioles' James McCann: Absent from lineup Sunday
Rotowire
McCann is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against Houston.
McCann will sit for a second straight game Sunday after going 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts in Friday's 14-11 loss. Adley Rutschman will serve behind home plate Sunday and bat in the leadoff spot against Astros southpaw Framber Valdez.
