MLB Player News

Perez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and one walk in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Madison Bumgarner and the Giants.

The catcher's fourth multi-hit effort of the year boosted his average to .302. Through 14 games, Perez's 16 hits are second-best on the club, and his five homers are tied for the team lead. Barring injury, Perez should be among the best at his position in 2017.

Perez was optioned Wednesday to Triple-A Salt Lake, MLB.com's Maria I. Guardado reports.

Perez was off to a 1-for-13 start with four strikeouts at the plate and committed two errors behind the dish. The Angels most likely want to see more production out of their backup catcher, and called up Juan Graterol to fill that role.

Sanchez (biceps) threw for the first time Wednesday, Newsday's Erik Boland reports.

In the photo that Boland tweeted, Sanchez looked to be playing catch from roughly 60 feet before the game -- the first time he has thrown in his recovery. Sanchez tweeted Wednesday that his rehab is going well and he hopes to be swinging soon. Manager Joe Girardi said Sanchez has been catching five or six-inning "games" from a pitching machine. It is unclear exactly when he will be able to go on a rehab assignment, but he appears to be progressing well.

Maldonado reached base three times Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in a 5-2 win over Houston.

The Angels' catcher position looked like it was heading for a timeshare between Maldonado and Carlos Perez when both catchers were struggling during spring training. Things have changed since then, with the former getting off to a hot start (.294/.385/.324) and seizing the starting job. Maldonado is still providing nothing in the counting stat categories, but an empty batting average may be good enough for owners to roster in two-catcher formats.

Sanchez (biceps) has begun swinging a bat with his left hand and is set to begin throwing Wednesday, Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN reports.

Sanchez is slowly working his way back from a Grade 1 bicep strain, but he says that he's been feeling good. His ability to resume throwing Wednesday is a positive sign but it's difficult to say exactly when the slugging catcher will be ready to return to the lineup. More information should become available as he progresses through his rehab program.

Gomes is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

After starting behind the dish for the last three games, Gomes will give way to Roberto Perez. He's hitting just .091 on the season through 33 at-bats, so he'll get a breather to clear his head.

Leon is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

After going 1-for-4 in the series finale against the Rays, Leon will head to the bench in favor of Christian Vasquez. Leon is 9-for-34 (.265) with one homer and six RBI this season.

McCann is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest with the Rays, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Tuesday's absence marks the second game in a row McCann will head to the bench for a night off. The 26-year-old does have three home runs on the season, but he only has one hit outside of that, ultimately producing a lowly .143 batting average. Alex Avila will fill in for him behind the plate once again.

Stubbs has landed on the 7-day disabled list with Double-A Corpus Christi due to a hamstring injury, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros' top catching prospect, Stubbs hasn't played in more than a week while nursing the injury, and it's unclear when he'll be able to come off the DL. The 23-year-old's athleticism should allow him to stick behind the plate as he rises through the system, but his performance as a hitter is what those who own the backstop in dynasty leagues will want to track. He slashed .325/.401/.517 across 137 plate appearances with Corpus Christi in the second half of last season.

Narvaez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

With the White Sox facing a left-handed starting pitcher for the second straight day, Narvaez will again give way to Kevan Smith behind the plate. Narvaez still figures to assume the larger half of the platoon while Geovany Soto (elbow) is on the disabled list, but he won't carry much value outside of AL-only leagues.