MLB Player News

The Angels have recalled catcher Carlos Perez from Triple-A Salt Lake and designated Drew Butera for assignment, the team announced Monday.

Perez appeared in 17 games for Salt Lake with a .361 average and 12 RBI in 72 at-bats. Butera is hitting .190 in 21 at-bats this season. 

Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin received the day off Monday against the Yankees after catching the last four games. Martin has been a nice addition for Toronto, both offensively and defensively. He has five home runs and 15 RBI through his first 23 games of the season.

Josh Thole replaced Martin behind the dish on Monday, as he typically does when knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is on the mound. Expect Martin to return to action on Tuesday. 

Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart is out of the starting lineup, with Sandy Leon slotted behind the plate, according to the Boston Herald.

Swihart started the last two games after being called up when Ryan Hanigan went down with an injury. Christian Vazquez didn't think Swihart would get the call Monday to catch Clay Buchholz because of his independence on the mound, according to the report.

"I think he's the tough one to get on the same page with because he runs his game," Vazquez said. "He likes to run his game. But we talk a lot about that and get on the same page to not shake too much last year. It got better."

Leon will make his seventh start and is hitting .200 with two RBI in 20 at-bats. The Red Sox are currently the favorites (-134) against Tampa Bay.

Red Sox rookie catcher Blake Swihart is being thrown right into the fire after his recent call-up, as he was in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees with plans to keep the youngster behind the plate for the foreseeable future, per the Providence Journal. 

Manager John Farrell said that Swihart will get the bulk of the starts, with Sandy Leon taking over the backup role. 

"We want to get to Blake in the flow of things as quickly as we can and yet recognizing and being a little bit sensitive when there may be a need for a breather," Farrell said. 

Indians starter Corey Kluber hasn't looked like the pitcher that won last season's Cy Young Award. Part of the reason may be the other half of the battery.

Catcher Yan Gomes has been on the disabled list with a knee injury, and Kluber is still adjusting to work with Roberto Perez. 

"There's obviously a difference," Kluber said, per MLB.com. "Whether it be myself with Yan, or somebody that gets traded, for example, there's always a period where you've got to work to know what each other wants to do. I think that's normal for any player to go through. It's not just Roberto and myself."

"There's no secret how comfortable Klubes and Gomer were," manager Terry Francona said. "That was a pretty special relationship that you want. ... When a guy like Gomes goes down, you don't have a Gomes sitting on the bench. I think we're pretty fortunate where we are, but they're not going to have that same sync. It's impossible." 

The Indians left catcher Roberto Perez out of Sunday's starting lineup. In his place, Brett Hayes will make his fifth start fo the season.

Hayes is starting his second game of the last three, and batting eighth in the lineup. 

The knee sprain plaguing Indians catcher Yan Gomes was supposed to sideline him 6-8 weeks, but Terry Francona is encouraged by his progress.

"He's going so fast through this that the trainers are like, 'It shouldn't be this fast," Francona told the Northeast Ohio Media Group. "But he has been kind of an animal, which I don't think is shocking. I don't know if you can ever make someone heal quicker, but if hard work and intensity mean anything, he's going to be better."

Gomes did some jogging and throwing Friday and will travel with the team to Kansas City next week. He is scheduled to be out about another month.

"It's a good feeling when you have a guy that's that good that cares that much about coming back," Francona said, via MLB.com. "He wants to travel, because he wants to be with his teammates. Those are things that maybe help me feel better when you need a little bit of help."

Catcher Brett Hayes will start and bat eighth for the Indians in Friday's game against the Blue Jays. 

Hayes is replacing usual starter Roberto Perez in the lineup. This will be Hayes' third start of the season. He's only recorded one hit in 11 at-bats. 

The rest of the Indians lineup is unchanged from Thursday's game against Toronto. 

The Royals are hoping to be able to keep left fielder Alex Gordon with the team long-term, according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman. Gordon currently has a player option for 2016, valued at $13.25 million, though expecations are he will decline the option and look to secure a bigger contract.

Gordon, a Nebraska-native, is currently batting .303 with three home runs and 13 RBI in his first 19 games of the 2015 season. 

The Royals are also considering a contract extension for catcher Salvador Perez, who is currently signed through 2016 (with club options for 17-19). Though as Heyman notes, they will likely wait until the offseason to begin theoe discussions.

Indians catcher Roberto Perez came a triple short of a cycle Wednesday, going 3 for 3 with a walk, a double, a home run and two RBI in his team's 7-5 win over the Royals.

Perez tied the game with his RBI double in the sixth inning and scored the go-ahead run on a subsequent double by the next batter. He then extended the lead on a solo home run in the eighth. The home run was his third of the season but the double was the first for Perez, who has hit .225/.319/.475 with six RBI in 40 at-bats.