MLB Player News

Perez is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals, according to Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Perez started the last three games behind the plate, but he will be held out Wednesday with the Indians playing a day game following a night game. Chris Gimenez will serve as the Indians' catcher in Perez's place.

Perez went 4-for-5 with a double, a solo homer and three runs Tuesday at the Royals.

Perez launched his fifth homer of 2016 in the sixth inning to give the Angels a 4-0 lead in a road victory. He now has a modest three-game hitting streak, and he slashing .221/.249/.357 on the year.

Leon will start behind the plate Tuesday against the Tigers after Ryan Hanigan was scratched due to illness, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

Leon will bat eighth while catching knuckleballer Steven Wright during Tuesday's contest. Wright has normally been caught by Hanigan throughout the season, but Leon will slide back into the lineup after going 2-for-4 with an RBI on Monday.

McCann is not in the Tigers lineup Tuesday.

This is a normal day off for the catcher, who has been struggling over his last 16 games, slashing .176/.236/.196 in that span. Jarrod Saltalamacchia will replace him behind the dish despite having his own struggles at bat this year.

Leon is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tigers.

The Red Sox will deploy Ryan Hanigan behind the dish Tuesday to catch knuckleballer Steven Wright. With that, Leon will get the night off Tuesday, marking his second absence from the lineup in the last three days. He figures to rejoin the lineup Wednesday to catch for lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

Perez hit a two-run home run in a 1-for-4 game in a loss Monday against the Angels.

Perez was just 3-for-24 with eight strikeouts and no extra-base hits over his last seven games, so he badly needed something to get him out of that slump. Sunday marked his first day off since the All-Star break, and the rest might have been exactly what he needed.

Leon went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Monday against the Tigers.

The veteran backstop is now hitting an even .400 for the season through 80 at-bats. Leon's 10 RBI this month are two more than he had in his entire MLB career prior to 2016. The Red Sox may still be in the market for a catcher before the trade deadline, but for now, Leon will remain in the lineup more often than not.

McCann will start at catcher Sunday against the White Sox and bat eighth in the lineup.

Though McCann is behind the plate for Sunday's game, he had sat out the previous three contests in favor of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. McCann has followed up a promising rookie year with a dud of season in 2016, slashing just .197/.245/.303 across 205 plate appearances. Until he turns a corner offensively, he may have to settle for a timeshare at catcher with Saltalamacchia.

Perez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Radio reports.

It's a well-earned day off for Perez, who has been in the lineup for every game since July 4. Drew Butera will fill in for him behind the plate. The time to rest and recover could prove helpful with Perez stuck in a 2-for-23 slump over his last six contests.

Leon is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Leon had gone 0-for-7 while starting the first two games of the series, but with his batting line still sitting at a magnificent .395/.439/.658 for the season, he'll be secure in his role as the Red Sox's primary catcher until more significant regression occurs. He'll just be getting Sunday off for rest, with Ryan Hanigan spelling him behind the plate in the series finale.