-
Luke Maile C | KC
Blue Jays' Luke Maile: Remains weeks away from return
Maile (knee) is still weeks away from returning, and he could be out until early September, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
An MRI of Maile's right knee revealed a meniscus tear that required surgery in early July. More than a month removed from when the injury occurred, the team still has no clear timeline for the catcher's return.
-
Gary Sanchez C | MIL
Yankees' Gary Sanchez: Back behind plate Tuesday
Sanchez will start at catcher and bat cleanup Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
Manager Joe Girardi held Sanchez out of the lineup in the Yankees' previous game Sunday against the Indians, citing the 24-year-old's lack of defensive polish as the reason for his benching. The Yankees won't pull the plug on using Sanchez as their primary catcher, but his MLB-leading 12 passed balls have made him a defensive liability this season, and raise questions about his ability to stick behind the plate long term. If Sanchez fails to show much improvement in blocking balls in subsequent starts, he could end up seeing more usage at designated hitter, where the Yankees have a temporary opening with Matt Holliday (back) on the disabled list.
-
Christian Vazquez C | HOU
Red Sox's Christian Vazquez: Takes seat Tuesday
Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Vazquez will take a seat for the second straight game after starting seven consecutive contests behind the dish while Sandy Leon rested his injured knee. Now that Leon is healthy, the two should resume splitting duties behind the dish, though Vazquez should have the slight upper hand.
-
Salvador Perez DH | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Still not recovered from intercostal injury
Perez (intercostal) said he is unsure of his timetable to return, as he's still experiencing pain, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.
Manager Ned Yost said Perez is feeling better than he did Sunday, according to Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City, but he's apparently still hurting when he swings and misses, so the Royals will wait for that to subside before moving forward with the backstop's rehab. A clearer timetable for his return should become available once Perez is able to take part in baseball activities with no issues.
-
Sandy Leon C | ATL
Red Sox's Sandy Leon: Still hobbled by knee
Leon went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over the White Sox.
Leon returned to the lineup Sunday after missing the team's last seven games. On his double, he could be seen favoring his right knee, slowing Leon down on his way to second base.
-
Martin Maldonado C | SD
Angels' Martin Maldonado: Hits bench Sunday
Maldonado is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Maldonado will receive a routine maintenance day in the series finale, opening up a start behind the plate for Juan Graterol. The backstop hasn't been helping out fantasy owners of late while going 3-for-27 (.111 average) over his last 10 games, but he's at little risk of falling into a timeshare with Graterol.
-
Tuffy Gosewisch C | WAS
Mariners' Tuffy Gosewisch: Given DFA Sunday
The Mariners designated Gosewisch for assignment Sunday.
After acquiring reliever Ryan Garton from the Rays in a trade Sunday, the Mariners didn't have room on the roster for Gosewisch, a 33-year-old catcher who didn't project as a regular option at the position. Gosewisch, a career .190 hitter over parts of four seasons in the big leagues with the Diamondbacks and Mariners, will look to latch on with another organization to serve as catching depth in the upper minors.
-
Christian Vazquez C | HOU
Red Sox's Christian Vazquez: Finally gets day off Sunday
Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.
It's a well-deserved day off for Vazquez, who had been forced to start the previous seven games behind the plate while Sandy Leon rested with an inflamed knee. The increased workload didn't seem to hinder Vazquez offensively, as the backstop went 13-for-27 with five extra-base hits during the string of starts. Manager John Farrell will likely dole out the starts behind the plate more equitably now that he has two healthy catchers on hand, but the timeshare should slightly favor Vazquez due to his superior production this season.
-
Sandy Leon C | ATL
Red Sox's Sandy Leon: Returns behind plate Sunday
Leon (knee) will start at catcher and bat ninth Sunday against the White Sox, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.
Leon hadn't played in any of the Red Sox's previous seven contests while he continued to nurse an inflamed right knee, an injury he first picked up while scoring the game-winning run in a game against the Royals last weekend. While Leon didn't require a trip to the disabled list, his absence prompted the Red Sox to lean on Christian Vazquez heavily behind the plate. Vazquez will get a much-deserved day off Sunday with Leon healthy enough to catch again.
-
James McCann C | ARI
Tigers' James McCann: Takes seat in series finale
McCann is out of the lineup Sunday against the Orioles.
It's a well-deserved day off for McCann, who had logged catching duties for each of the previous seven games, going 10-for-28 (.357 average) with a home run and four RBI in those contests. The backstop has been on fire since the All-Star break and will continue to hold down a full-time role for the Tigers the rest of the way following the trade of Alex Avila to the Cubs, making McCann an attractive pickup in leagues that start two catchers, if not formats shallower than that. John Hicks will spell McCann in the series finale.