Free-agent catcher Austin Nola has signed with the Kansas City Royals on a minor-league deal, according to a source. Nola initially signed with the Milwaukee Brewers on a minors deal this offseason, but he was released after Gary Sanchez's deal with the Brewers became official this week. The older brother of Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola, Austin was sent to the minors last year with the San Diego Padres after slashing just .146/.260/.192 with a home run and eight RBI in 52 games played in 2023. In Kansas City this spring, the veteran backstop will likely compete with Freddy Fermin for the backup job behind All-Star Salvador Perez. After Nola's offensive collapse last year, he's well off the fantasy radar and isn't guaranteed a roster spot on Opening Day in KC.
The Milwaukee Brewers signed free-agent catcher Austin Nola to a minor-league deal with an invitation to big-league spring training on Friday. The 34-year-old backstop became a free agent when the San Diego Padres non-tendered him in November. Nola became the Friars' starting catcher in 2022 by hitting .251 (87-for-347) with four home runs and 40 RBI in 110 games, but he fell flat this past season and was sent to the minors after hitting a putrid .146 (19-for-130) with a homer and 31 strikeouts in 52 games played at the big-league level. He's going to need to show better results offensively in 2024 and will likely open the season at Triple-A Nashville, where he'll serve as minor-league catching depth behind William Contreras and Eric Haase at the major-league level.
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola has been diagnosed with a vision-related issue, according to beat writer Jeff Sanders. Nola, due to his struggles this season, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso back in mid-July. He hasn't played with the Chihuahuas since August 2, however, as he's undergone multiple neurological tests that eventually diagnosed his vision issue, which has been impacting his brain's ability to coordinate his eyes, per Sanders. It's unclear what the next steps will be for the veteran backstop but we likely won't see him in the majors again this season while he recovers from his vision impairment. The 33-year-old really struggled in the early going for the Friars, posting a .143/.260/.190 triple-slash line to go along with one home run and eight RBI over 126 at-bats (51 games). Hopefully, he gets right and can bounce back next season for the Padres.
Luis Campusano Activated, Rougned Odor DFA'd, Austin Nola Optioned
The San Diego Padres activated catcher Luis Campusano (thumb) from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday. In corresponding moves, the Padres designated infielder Rougned Odor for assignment and optioned catcher Austin Nola and infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon to Triple-A El Paso. Campusano had surgery to fix a torn ligament in his left thumb on May 12, but he'll now return to split playing time at catcher and designated hitter with Gary Sanchez. The 24-year-old has hit just .198 with three homers in 35 big-league games so far, so he's not an immediate add in two-catcher formats. Odor will likely clear waivers after hitting .210 with four homers and 18 RBI in 59 games for the Friars. Nola will go down to the farm after going just 19-for-130 (.146) in 52 games in 2023 at the major-league level.
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola will start Monday's game on the bench as the Padres open up a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park in San Diego. Brett Sullivan will take over behind the plate and hit ninth in Nola's stead. The 33-year-old hit his first homer of the season Sunday against the San Francisco Giants but it's been a dreadful start to his season at the plate. Nola is hitting just .156 with one homer and a .514 OPS across 21 games to this point while striking out in 26.7% of his plate appearances, a figure well above his 17.5% career mark. Sullivan is just 1-for-10 in limited action this season so expect Nola to get back into the starting lineup on Tuesday.
Austin Nola May Have Broken Nose In Cactus League Game
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola (face) may have suffered a broken nose after being hit in the face during a Cactus League contest Sunday, "I can't imagine it's not broken," said Padres manager Bob Melvin. The 33-year-old was carted off the field in the top of the fourth inning after being hit in the face by a pitch. Nola is considered day-to-day, and it's unclear if the LSU product will be ready by Opening Day. He slashed .251/.321/.329 with four home runs, 40 RBI, and 40 runs over 397 plate appearances in 2022. Luis Campusano would be San Diego's primary catcher if Nola were to miss any games.
The San Diego Padres avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.35 million deal with catcher Austin Nola. The 33-year-old backstop came on strong for the Padres in the postseason, but he wasn't all that great in the regular season with a .251/.321/.329 slash line, .649 OPS, four home runs, 40 RBI, 40 runs scored and two stolen bases in 397 plate appearances and a career-high 110 games played in 2022. Nola should once again see his fair share of playing time in 2023 in one of the best lineups in the league, but hasn't reached double-digit home runs since his rookie year with the Seattle Mariners in 2019 (10), and he could lose substantial playing time to Luis Campusano when it's all said and done.
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola went 2-for-5 in the 8-5 Sunday night loss to the New York Mets and is hitting .370 (10-for-27) during an eight-game hitting streak. The recent hot stretch has raised Nola's season line to .248/.315/.317 with two home runs, 26 RBI, 24 runs scored and two stolen bases in 248 plate appearances over 66 games played for the Friars. He's batting .308 (12-for-39) with three RBI and two runs scored in 12 games in the month of July. Nola doesn't have a ton of over-the-fence pop, but you can do much worse at the catching position in fantasy.
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola is on the bench on Wednesday for a matchup with the San Francisco Giants and right-handed starter Logan Webb. Nola is hitting .263 with a .273 on-base percentage and a home run in 22 plate appearances this season. Instead, it'll be Jorge Alfaro starting behind the plate and batting eighth. So far, Alfaro has registered three hits in eight plate appearances for San Diego this season, including a home run. That being said, with the matchup with Webb, you're probably better off looking elsewhere for streaming options.
San Diego Padres catcher Austin Nola is in the leadoff spot in the first lineup of the season released by new manager Bob Melvin. The 32-year-old backstop crushed left-handed pitching in a small sample size last season as he posted an .821 OPS in 75 plate-appearances versus southpaws. With the Padres set to face left-hander Madison Bumgarner, Nola is a strong option in both season-long fantasy leagues as well as DFS contests on Thursday.
