MLB Player News

Vazquez is not in the starting nine Saturday against Baltimore, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Vazquez heads back to the bench after going 0-for-3 with a walk during Friday's victory to start the series against the Orioles. In his place, Sandy Leon will catch and bat seventh.

Manager Ned Yost said that Perez (knee) is currently experiencing no pain and could begin a rehab assignment as soon as this weekend, Rustin Dodd of The Athletic reports.

Perez has been out since the beginning of the regular season after suffering a Grade 2 MCL tear on the eve of Opening Day. At the time of his injury an initial timetable put him about 4-to-6 weeks away from returning to the big leagues, though it appears that he could be back in action a little sooner, especially if he's able to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. In his absence, Drew Butera and Cameron Gallagher continue to split time behind the plate.

Leon went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Yankees.

This was Leon's third start in 12 games, all with Rick Porcello on the bump. Seeing that Porcello is 3-0 with just one walk and zero home runs allowed over 19.2 innings, it's a good bet Leon will continue as his batterymate. That doesn't mean you can count on Leon to deliver at the plate. His surprise 2016 season, when he posted an .845 OPS, is an outlier in a career of mediocre hitting.

Sanchez went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI Thursday against the Red Sox.

Sanchez is now 4-of-9 with seven RBI over his past two games after going just 1-for-31 during his prior eight games. His strikeout rate has been well down to start the season and his low average was largely the result of a .063 BABIP entering Thursday's game. Although his hard hit rate has dipped in the early going, there's no reason to panic over Sanchez's slow start and he already seems to be working out of it.

Vazquez is not in the lineup against the Yankees on Thursday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez will occupy a seat on the bench after setting up behind the plate the past three games. In his absence, Sandy Leon will catch Rick Porcello and bat eighth in the order. Expect to see Vazquez back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against Baltimore.

McCann is not in the lineup against the Indians on Thursday.

Following three straight starts behind the plate, McCann will retreat to the bench in favor of John Hicks for the series finale. Over the course of nine games this season, McCann has hit just .147/.237/.176 with five RBI in 38 plate appearances.

Gomes is out of the lineup against Detroit on Thursday.

Gomes will receive a night off after going 1-for-4 with one run and a pair of strikeouts during Wednesday's victory. Roberto Perez is set to fill in behind the dish while batting seventh in the order.

Sanchez went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored and four RBI in Wednesday's 10-7 win over the Red Sox.

The catcher came into the game hitting .056 (2-for-36) with just one homer and three RBI, so Wednesday's offensive explosion was a welcome sight for anyone with fantasy shares in Sanchez. Don't be surprised if the 25-year-old goes on a tear now that the pressure of his early-season slump seems to be off his shoulders.

Maldonado is out of the lineup against Texas on Wednesday, TR Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

Maldonado will receive a standard day off following three straight starts, including a 3-for-5 night with two RBI during Tuesday's victory. In his place, Rene Rivera will catch Jaime Barria and bat ninth in the order.

Perez hit a game-winning solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Tigers. He finished the day 2-for-2 with a run, an RBI and a walk.

Getting the start for Yan Gomes, Perez answered the bell and clubbed his first home run of the season to give the Indians a lead they would not surrender. For as good as Tuesday was for Perez, it's important to note that it was just his fourth game of the season while Gomes has gotten seven starts. Neither catcher has performed well offensively; in fact, Perez's hits Tuesday were his first of the season.