MLB Player News

Gomes is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners.

Gomes went 0-for-6 in the first two games of the series, putting an end to a recent hot streak during which he'd recorded seven hits in 15 at-bats. Despite his lack of success against the Mariners, Gomes should still be in line for the bulk of the starts behind the plate heading into the new week. Roberto Perez will spell him Sunday, however.

McCann is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

McCann remains in a timeshare with Alex Avila at catcher, but with his batting average sinking to .164 for the season following an 0-for-3 showing Saturday, it may not be long before McCann becomes the clear backup at the position. Avila, meanwhile, is slashing .364/.488/.788 over 41 plate appearances on the season and could make for a decent pickup in AL-only or two-catcher formats until he cools down.

Vazquez started Saturday's game, making it the first time this season he's caught consecutive games, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez, who went 1-for-4 Saturday, is 14-for-31 (.452) in his first nine starts with the Red Sox, winning six of them. He may soon be Boston's primary catcher instead of Sandy Leon, who is 2-for-34 over his last 10 games. He's caught all three starts of Eduardo Rodriguez, who is scheduled to throw Sunday, so we anticipate a third straight start for Vazquez.

Maldonado went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in the Angels' loss to the Rangers on Saturday.

The 30-year-old seized the primary catching duties earlier in the month by getting off to a solid start at the plate, but since the demotion of fellow backstop Carlos Perez, Maldonado is batting just .182 with seven strikeouts in 22 at-bats. Neither Perez nor current backup Juan Graterol have proven to be competent hitters in the major leagues, but Maldonado will need to pick things up if he wants to avoid becoming part of a timeshare with his younger counterparts.

Sanchez (biceps) could return in time for next weekend's series against the Cubs, MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reports.

He threw to the bases Saturday in full catching gear and will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It would be a little risky to deploy him next week in hopes of cashing in on a couple starts in that series at Wrigley Field, but it does sound like he could return against the reigning World Series champs.

Leon is not in the lineup Saturday against the Cubs, Evan Drellich of CSNNE reports.

Leon will sit in back-to-back games for the first time all year, as Christian Vazquez takes over behind the dish. Leon hasn't recorded a hit in his last five games (0-for-16), while Vazquez is riding a three-game hitting streak. With the two catchers trending in opposite directions, it appears Leon may be losing his grasp on the starting role.

Vazquez went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Cubs.

Vazquez has caught all four of Pomeranz's starts and all three of Eduardo Rodriguez's starts this season and could be in line for more work. Sandy Leon, the team's primary catcher, has slumped with just two hits over his last 35 plate appearances while Vazquez has hit safely in seven of his eight starts.

Trevino (hand) is back in action with Double-A Frisco and is hitting .297/.333/.378 with one home run, one steal and a 4:2 K:BB in 37 at-bats.

He left a game on April 14 after getting hit in the hand by a pitch, but returned April 24 and has continued his strong start for the RoughRiders. The 24-year-old backstop doesn't profile as much of a fantasy force, but most evaluators think he has a big-league future, with a realistic floor as a backup catcher.

Nicholas (knee) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Friday and optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.

After undergoing surgery in March for a torn meniscus in his left knee and getting through a success rehab assignment earlier this week, Nicholas is now on the verge of concluding his recovery. He'll look to provide the Rangers with some organizational catching depth.

Maile was promoted to the Blue Jays' big-league roster Friday, John Lott of the Athletic reports.

The 26-year-old will take the place of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who was designated for assignment Friday. So far with Triple-A Buffalo this season, Maile has slashed .195/.214/.195 in 42 plate appearances. He'll likely provide mostly defensive value as a backup catcher for the Blue Jays this season.