MLB Player News

Stassi is out of Monday's lineup against the A's.

He is hitting .194/.306/.355 with two home runs in 21 games (62 at-bats) since the start of June. Tim Federowicz will start behind the dish and hit ninth.

Vazquez (finger) will have surgery and is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

It was initially announced that Vazquez would only miss 2-to-3 weeks, so this comes as an unfortunate surprise. Manager Alex Cora said he is fine going forward with Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart as his two catchers while Vazquez is out, but it's certainly possible the Red Sox will target a catcher at the trade deadline.

Sanchez (groin) may be able to begin a rehab assignment at some point over the weekend, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

He is scheduled to take on-field batting practice in Baltimore on Tuesday and will continue to ramp things up before potentially getting sent to the minors for game action. Sanchez may not require a very long rehab assignment if he steers clear of any setbacks with the groin, as he has only been on the shelf for two weeks. That means he could return from the 10-day disabled list shortly after the All-Star break.

Vazquez (finger) said Sunday that he expects to be sidelined for 2-to-3 weeks, Jordan Wolf of MLB.com reports.

The Red Sox didn't provide a concrete timetable for the backstop's absence after placing him on the 10-day disabled list Sunday, but Vazquez seems optimistic that he'll avoid a long-term stay on the shelf. He's scheduled to visit a hand specialist Monday have his fractured right pinkie finger examined, which should provide a better indication if Vazquez's estimation is accurate. Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart will pick up the slack behind the plate while Vazquez is sidelined, with the former expected to handle the larger share of starts.

Garver went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored Sunday against the Orioles.

Garver began the Twins' rout of the Orioles by blasting his fourth home run of the season off Alex Cobb in the fifth inning. He now has two home runs in his last four games, prior to which he had not hit a home run since April 28. His ability to draw walks gives him some value in on-base percentage leagues, and his role makes him an option for two-catcher formats, but otherwise, there's not much fantasy appeal for Garver.

Mejia was removed from his game Sunday with Triple-A Columbus after being struck on the right forearm by a pitch, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports. He was diagnosed with a contusion and is considered day-to-day.

It sounds like Mejia's departure was precautionary more than anything, but any residual soreness he might experience could be enough to keep him on the bench for the next couple of days. A permanent promotion to the big leagues doesn't seem imminent for the catching prospect, who hasn't shown the desired defensive polish behind the plate nor elsewhere for the Indians to justify opening up a regular lineup spot for him.

Leon will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Royals, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

It's expected that Leon will serve as the Red Sox's primary option behind the plate for at least the next 2-to-3 weeks following No. 1 catcher Christian Vazquez's placement on the disabled list Sunday with a fractured finger, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Blake Swihart is also likely to see increased action at catcher behind Leon, who is hitting a palatable .260/.303/.407 across 133 plate appearances on the campaign.

Perez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox, Maria Torres of The Kansas City Star reports.

Perez has started 11 consecutive games and hurt his hand in one of his appearances a little over a week ago, so he's probably well overdue for a day off. Drew Butera will step in behind the plate and bat ninth in the series finale.

Gomes is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes will take a seat after starting the first two games of the series, giving way to Roberto Perez behind the plate. The 30-year-old Gomes has enjoyed a resurgent season with a .754 OPS, his best mark in the category since 2014. In a weak American League catcher class, his performance thus far could be good enough to earn him a trip to the All-Star Game.

Vazquez (finger) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Vazquez fractured his right pinkie finger while sliding into second base during Saturday's game against the Royals and could be sidelined for several weeks, given that the injury affects his throwing hand. The backstop is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, at which point the Red Sox should have a better idea regarding how long Vazquez will be sidelined. While he's on the disabled list, Sandy Leon is slated to take over as Boston's primary catcher, with Blake Swihart likely settling in as the No. 2 option behind the plate.