MLB Player News

Sanchez is just 1-for-14 so far in spring training.

Following the offseason trade of John Ryan Murphy, Sanchez looked to be in good position to make the Opening Day roster as the club's backup catcher. The 23-year-old has struggled thus far in the spring though -- while his competition for the spot, Austin Romine, is hitting .294 -- so it's hardly a guarantee he'll begin the year in the majors. He's hit well at the upper levels of the minors though, so he should see time in the big leagues in 2016 even if he begins the year back at Triple-A.

Gonzalez was optioned to minor league camp Thursday.

Despite losing Max Stassi (wrist) to injury for the first month of the season, the Astros were never considering Gonzalez -- who lacks experience above Double-A -- to be their No. 2 catcher behind Jason Castro. He'll likely return to Corpus Christi or report to Triple-A Fresno to open 2016.

Besides starter Jason Castro, Gonzalez is the only other healthy catcher on Houston's 40-man roster.

Gonzalez, who is 1-for-5 with a walk through six Grapefruit League appearances, lacks experience above Double-A and is unlikely to be the No. 2 catcher behind Castro on Opening Day. With Max Stassi (wrist) set to miss the first month of the season, Houston will explore the catcher trade market to fill the backup role, or possibly use Evan Gattis (sports hernia) as a short-term solution if healthy.

Stassi had surgery on his left wrist to fix a hook of the hamate fracture and will be out six weeks, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stassi was the favorite to open 2016 as the No. 2 catcher behind starter Jason Castro, but the Astros will be forced to look on the waiver wire or trade market for a replacement. Alfredo Gonzalez is the only other catcher on Houston's 40-man roster, but he has yet to play above Double-A. Evan Gattis (sports hernia) has experience behind the plate, but he's rehabbing from injury and isn't a strong defender.

Stassi will be out until Wednesday as he flies to Houston to have his hand examined, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros will keep their fingers crossed that no significant problems are found, but we should learn more in the next few days. Stassi's numbers in spring training haven't exactly impressed so far, as he's 2-for-16 with four strikeouts.

Vazquez caught four innings in Friday's spring game against the Blue Jays, the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery on his elbow, did not face a stolen-base attempt but nearly nailed a runner at first base after a swing-and-miss. Making those types of throws are important as the Red Sox want to see how the elbow reacts when throwing from different arm angles. The 25-year-old backstop will go five innings in his next start.

Vazquez came out of his first game action in nearly a year fine and is scheduled to catch four innings Friday, the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez caught two innings Tuesday, his first game since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in early 2015. Because Boston was careful with him early in camp, Vazquez is on a delayed schedule and is unlikely to open the season at the major-league level. The concern isn't whether Vazquez can catch a full game, but rather how many consecutive days can he play the position. We expect him to be with Boston at some point during the season, but he may not be a full-timer until 2017. And even then, there's the presence of Blake Swihart, which makes assessing Vazquez's potential playing time cloudy.

Vazquez (elbow) made his spring debut Tuesday, catching two innings and grounding out in his only at-bat.

It has been 361 days since Vazquez last participated in a game. That's when he suffered an elbow injury that eventually led to him undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Red Sox are being overly cautious with Vazquez, whose next activity will be catching a bullpen session Wednesday followed by some innings a game Friday. All signs point to him starting the season at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Pentecost (shoulder) threw a ball back to the pitcher Monday and is optimistic about his progress in recovering from shoulder surgery, Gare Joyce of Sportsnet reports.

Pentecost reportedly feels significantly healthier than in the past, and even took part in soft toss Monday. As far as a timetable goes, the catching prospect is still a ways away from getting back to game action, but he personally believes that he'll be able to do more than just therapeutic throwing by the time the minor league season gets into full swing. There has also been some speculation that the 22-year-old could convert to one of the corner infield positions to save his arm a bit and get him more at-bats during the spring, but Pentecost insists that he wants to stay behind the plate in the long run. Regardless, it's good to hear that he's finally feeling significantly better, although it'll still be a waiting game to see when he'll return to game action.

Vazquez (elbow) will make his spring training debut in a game Tuesday, the Providence Journal reports.

Vazquez cleared a hurdle Saturday throwing with 100 percent intensity while catching David Price in a simulated game. The young catcher had been held back last week after he experienced some soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow, but he said he felt fine Sunday after Saturday's activity. The Red Sox are non-committal when talking about Vazquez's chances of heading north with Boston, but it looks like the organization is in favor of having him begin the season in Triple-A.