MLB Player News

Moore (elbow) was put on the 7-day DL on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old catcher was hitting .268 with five home runs with Triple-A Columbus this season before injuring his elbow. It's currently unknown exactly what his return timetable is, but the earliest he can return would be against Toledo on July 14.

Gomes is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Gomes has made three straight starts behind the plate, but will give way to Chris Gimenez for Wednesday's matinee affair. Since snapping a six-game hitting streak Tuesday, Gomes is just 2-for-24 at the plate to bring his season average down to .175.

Leon will catch at least three out of every five games, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

With Ryan Hanigan rejoining the Red Sox after a stint on the disabled list and Christian Vazquez optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, manager John Farrell sees Leon has the team's primary catcher. With that said, Hanigan will be in the box Wednesday night when knuckleballer and AL All-Star Steven Wright pitches.

Leon went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a run in Monday's 12-5 victory over Texas. In 15 games since he was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket, he's 20-for-40 with nine extra-base hits and nine RBI.

Leon was an emergency addition a month ago after both Ryan Hanigan (neck) and Blake Swihart (ankle) were injured in the same game. One month later, his unprecedented fluency with the bat has earned him a spot on Boston's roster going forward. Out of minor league options, Leon would likely have been claimed if the Red Sox wanted to send him back to Pawtucket, so when Hanigan was activated off the DL on Monday the organization chose to keep Leon and option Christian Vazquez to Triple-A. Be aware that Leon's career MLB average prior to this season was .186, so his surge in 2016 should be viewed with great circumspection. He and Hanigan will share the catching job for the time being.

Vazquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez had been finding some comfort at the plate of late, going 5-for-13 with one RBI in his past five games. No matter, Ryan Hanigan (neck) has been activated from the DL, which will relegate Vazquez to the minors for the time being.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Monday against the Rangers, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Though Vazquez is still the top option on the Red Sox's catching depth chart, it appears his grip on the gig is loosening. While he remains a strong defensive catcher, Vazquez's anemic .583 OPS has made him close to an automatic out this season. Meanwhile, backup Sandy Leon continues to thrive in a smaller sample, as Sunday's 2-for-4 showing boosted his line to .457/.525/.686 over 40 plate appearances. Leon will earn a second straight start for his efforts, and could displace Vazquez as the starter if his hot hitting continues.

Perez (thumb) will start his rehab assignment at the Arizona Rookie League on Sunday.

Perez's fractured thumb has kept him on the shelf for two months, but he'll finally get back into game action Sunday at rookie ball. He'll likely need several games to get re-acclimated to catching a full nine innings, so the Indians may not need to make a decision on him until after the All-Star break. Cleveland's current catching combination of Yan Gomes and Chris Gimenez could be a roadblock to Perez's return to the big league club as well unless they opt to carry three catchers.

Perez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Phillies, Joel Goldberg of FOX Sports Kansas City reports.

Perez's day off might be for mental reasons just as much as physical, as the backstop has gone just 1-for-17 with seven strikeouts while starting each of the last four games behind the plate. With some extra time to recuperate and assess his approach at the plate, perhaps Perez will be able to close out the first half of the season on a high note.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

It's a routine off day for Vazquez, who started the Red Sox's previous four games. He recorded four base hits during those contests, but is still sitting on a sickly .226/.278/.305 slash line for the season. Sandy Leon will fill in for Vazquez at catcher.

Perez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Red Sox.

Perez had his top performance of a disappointing season in Saturday's 21-2 romp over the Red Sox, going 5-for-6 with a homer, two doubles, two runs and a whopping six RBI. While that kind of showing could help Perez cut into Jett Bandy's playing time behind the plate, Perez will pick up some rest Sunday after starting the preceding two games of the series.