MLB Player News

McCann went 1-for-3 and hit his fourth home run of the season in a loss to the Twins on Friday.

McCann is tied for second in home runs among MLB catchers. He's hitting just .162 this season, and as a career .241 hitter, he's probably not going to be a great contributor in batting average, but he did hit 12 home runs in just 344 at-bats last season, so he could make a push for 20 home runs with more regular playing time in 2017.

Leon is not in the lineup Friday against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Leon has cooled off since his scalding start at the plate, as he has only collected one hit over his past seven games. Christian Vazquez will assume catching duties for the evening.

Pentecost caught his first game since 2014 on Tuesday and is hitting .258/.303/.387 with one home run and a 6:2 K:BB in 31 at-bats with High-A Dunedin.

Pentecost's dynasty-league value is tied to him sticking behind the plate, as the bat is unlikely to profile anywhere else, so this is encouraging news. He won't catch every time he starts going forward, but he is slowly being worked back in. At 24, he is way behind in his development due to shoulder injuries, and is simply a player to watch in most formats until he reaches the upper levels and reestablishes himself as an everyday catcher.

Gomes is out of Thursday's lineup against the Twins.

He is hitting .121 on the season and will sit for a second straight game in a day game following Wednesday's rainout. Roberto Perez will start behind the dish and hit ninth.

Perez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and one walk in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Madison Bumgarner and the Giants.

The catcher's fourth multi-hit effort of the year boosted his average to .302. Through 14 games, Perez's 16 hits are second-best on the club, and his five homers are tied for the team lead. Barring injury, Perez should be among the best at his position in 2017.

Perez was optioned Wednesday to Triple-A Salt Lake, MLB.com's Maria I. Guardado reports.

Perez was off to a 1-for-13 start with four strikeouts at the plate and committed two errors behind the dish. The Angels most likely want to see more production out of their backup catcher, and called up Juan Graterol to fill that role.

Sanchez (biceps) threw for the first time Wednesday, Newsday's Erik Boland reports.

In the photo that Boland tweeted, Sanchez looked to be playing catch from roughly 60 feet before the game -- the first time he has thrown in his recovery. Sanchez tweeted Wednesday that his rehab is going well and he hopes to be swinging soon. Manager Joe Girardi said Sanchez has been catching five or six-inning "games" from a pitching machine. It is unclear exactly when he will be able to go on a rehab assignment, but he appears to be progressing well.

Maldonado reached base three times Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in a 5-2 win over Houston.

The Angels' catcher position looked like it was heading for a timeshare between Maldonado and Carlos Perez when both catchers were struggling during spring training. Things have changed since then, with the former getting off to a hot start (.294/.385/.324) and seizing the starting job. Maldonado is still providing nothing in the counting stat categories, but an empty batting average may be good enough for owners to roster in two-catcher formats.

Sanchez (biceps) has begun swinging a bat with his left hand and is set to begin throwing Wednesday, Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN reports.

Sanchez is slowly working his way back from a Grade 1 bicep strain, but he says that he's been feeling good. His ability to resume throwing Wednesday is a positive sign but it's difficult to say exactly when the slugging catcher will be ready to return to the lineup. More information should become available as he progresses through his rehab program.

Gomes is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

After starting behind the dish for the last three games, Gomes will give way to Roberto Perez. He's hitting just .091 on the season through 33 at-bats, so he'll get a breather to clear his head.