MLB Player News

Manager Ned Yost said Perez (intercostal) is expected to be sidelined for 2-to-3 weeks after being reexamined Tuesday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

This is welcomed news for the Royals' backstop, as Tuesday's evaluations showed his swelling has subsided, shaving a week off his estimated time on the shelf. A clearer return date should become available once he resumes baseball activities, but he's expected back sometime during the second half of August. In the meantime, Drew Butera will continue to see the bulk of starts behind the dish while Perez is sidelined.

McCann is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates.

McCann will receive a routine rest day after he handled catching duties for the first two games of the series. Backup John Hicks will enter the lineup, working in a battery with starting pitcher Justin Verlander.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

After starting seven consecutive games behind the plate while Sandy Leon was nursing a knee injury, Vazquez will surprisingly find himself on the bench for a third straight contest. Manager John Farrell may have just wanted to give Vazquez an extended break in light of the young backstop's heavy workload last week, so it shouldn't be taken as a sign that Leon has emerged as the team's preferred catching option. Both Leon and Vazquez will continue to stick in a timeshare behind the plate, and it remains difficult which of the two will see the brunt of the starts from week to week.

Leon will start at catcher and bat eighth Wednesday against the Rays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Evidently, the knee injury that sidelined Leon for seven consecutive games is no longer an issue, as he'll draw his third straight start Wednesday. Manager John Farrell has been inconsistent with the manner in which he's doled out playing time behind the plate all season, so Leon's run of starts shouldn't be viewed as an indication that he's overtaken Christian Vazquez as the primary catcher.

Maldonado is out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Orioles.

The 30-year-old will cede catching duties to Juan Graterol for the second time in the last four games, indicating the Angels may be moving away from the slumping Maldonado as an everyday option. The veteran backstop has gone just 2-for-23 over his last seven starts after batting .194 in the month of July.

Gomes is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Gomes played the hero in Tuesday's 4-1 victory, going 2-for-4 and connecting on a walk-off, three-run home run to help the Indians snap a two-game slide. With the two sides playing a day game after a night game, Gomes will receive a deserved rest, allowing Roberto Perez to pick up a start behind the dish.

Maile (knee) is still weeks away from returning, and he could be out until early September, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

An MRI of Maile's right knee revealed a meniscus tear that required surgery in early July. More than a month removed from when the injury occurred, the team still has no clear timeline for the catcher's return.

Sanchez will start at catcher and bat cleanup Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

Manager Joe Girardi held Sanchez out of the lineup in the Yankees' previous game Sunday against the Indians, citing the 24-year-old's lack of defensive polish as the reason for his benching. The Yankees won't pull the plug on using Sanchez as their primary catcher, but his MLB-leading 12 passed balls have made him a defensive liability this season, and raise questions about his ability to stick behind the plate long term. If Sanchez fails to show much improvement in blocking balls in subsequent starts, he could end up seeing more usage at designated hitter, where the Yankees have a temporary opening with Matt Holliday (back) on the disabled list.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez will take a seat for the second straight game after starting seven consecutive contests behind the dish while Sandy Leon rested his injured knee. Now that Leon is healthy, the two should resume splitting duties behind the dish, though Vazquez should have the slight upper hand.

Perez (intercostal) said he is unsure of his timetable to return, as he's still experiencing pain, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Manager Ned Yost said Perez is feeling better than he did Sunday, according to Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City, but he's apparently still hurting when he swings and misses, so the Royals will wait for that to subside before moving forward with the backstop's rehab. A clearer timetable for his return should become available once Perez is able to take part in baseball activities with no issues.