MLB Player News

Vazquez will start at second base and will hit ninth Monday against the Orioles, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Vazquez had initially been listed as the Red Sox's starting backstop, but manager Alex Cora must have had second thoughts about using the 28-year-old behind the dish for a fourth straight day in a game set to begin at 11:05 a.m. EDT. Rather than getting a rest day in the series finale, Vazquez will surprisingly be used as the starter at the keystone, even with utility infielder Eduardo Nunez available for the contest. Vazquez logged two innings at third base in 2017 and 2018 but otherwise hasn't seen any action in the infield during his time in the majors. His last appearance at second base in affiliated ball came in 2010, when he was playing at Low-A.

Maldonado is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Indians.

Maldonado will head to the bench after producing just one hit in 19 at-bats over his last seven games. Though he's sitting on a measly .532 OPS for the season, Maldonado isn't in danger of losing his spot atop the depth chart, thanks to his elite defense.

Garver will start at catcher and bat seventh Sunday against the Tigers, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.

While Jason Castro's status as the Twins' top defender behind the plate allowed him to enter the season atop the depth chart, Garver's impressive performance at the dish has made it hard for manager Rocco Baldelli to justify keeping Garver on the bench. Garver will draw his third start in four games Sunday after going a combined 6-for-9 with three home runs, three RBI and five runs over his previous two outings.

Jansen will start at catcher and bat ninth Sunday against the Rays.

Jansen was excluded from the lineup for the past two days in favor of Luke Maile, who went 3-for-6 with a home run and two RBI in those contests. The Blue Jays still appear to favor Jansen as their primary catcher, but the youngster hasn't provided the sort of impact at the dish the team was likely counting on heading into the season. Entering the series finale, Jansen has managed only five hits in 35 at-bats while striking out 25.6 percent of the time.

Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI in Saturday's 9-5 loss to Baltimore.

In a rare display of power, Vazquez nearly accounted for all of Boston's offense. The nine-hole hitter is not known for this type of production and is hitting just .229 after the eruption.

Perez is not starting Saturday against the Royals, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Perez has just four hits in 27 at-bats this season. Kevin Plawecki gets the call behind the plate.

Jansen remains on the bench Saturday against the Rays.

Jansen started nine of the Blue Jays' first 13 games but has now sat for two straight. It's not out of the question that his playing time could take a hit, as he's hit just .143/.231/.171 on the season. Luke Maile gets the call for the second straight time behind the plate.

McCann went 1-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and two runs scored in Friday's 9-6 win over the Yankees.

McCann extended a hitting streak to five games with his first home run of the season. The 28-year-old backstop is hitting .318 over six games. He and Welington Castillo are splitting playing time at catcher, with McCann serving as the battery mate for starters Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito.

Maile went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Friday against Tampa Bay.

Maile left the yard in the seventh inning with a runner on base, cutting Toronto's deficit to two runs. He'd missed the last few contests while battling neck stiffness, but the 28-year-old backstop turned in a solid performance in his first game back. He's now 4-for-14 at the plate through five matchups in 2019.

Murphy will bat eighth and is catching Friday night against the Astros, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Murphy went 0-for-3 in Thursday's matchup against the Royals, but he'll get another shot to start Friday evening. He'll catch Wade LeBlanc in the series opener.