MLB Player News

Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain and catcher Salvador Perez were held out of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game at Cleveland. Drew Butera started for Perez and Jarrod Dyson started in Cain's absence.

Perez is hitless in his last four games (13 at-bats) and is batting .169 through 20 July games. Cain has had a much better month offensively, posting a .366/.422/.683/1.105 slash line through 21 July games.

Rays catcher Curt Casali went 3 for 4 with two home runs in Tuesday's win over Detroit. 

Casali became the second rookie catcher in MLB history to have back-to-back games with multiple home runs. Casali also went deep twice on Monday. 

The Mariners' Kenji Johjima also had back-to-back multi homer games in 2006. 

Rays catcher Curt Casali smacked two home runs to help send the Rays to a 5-2 win over the Tigers on Monday.

Casali hit his fifth home run of the season off Anibal Sanchez in the third inning and his sixth off Bruce Rondon in the eighth inning. He finished the game 3 for 4 with three RBI.

Prior to Monday's win, Casali was hitting .167 with two home runs and four RBI in his last 11 games.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez gets a break from the field on Sunday. Perez is in the starting lineup at designated hitter for Sunday's game. 

It's Perez's second start at DH this year and first since June 30. 

Replacing Perez at catcher is Drew Butera, who gets his 12th start behind the plate and second in three games. 

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez was able to start his throwing program Thursday with no issues, reports The Boston Globe.

Vazquez is trying to recover from Tommy John surgery and Thursday was his first time throwing since undergoing the surgery in March.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vasquez will begin throwing on Thursday, according to WEEI.com.

It will be the first time throwing for Vasquez since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March.

“I’ll be nervous, excited, everything. I’m happy,” Vazquez said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve thrown a ball. The last time I threw it wasn’t right so I don’t know how it’s going to feel the first time after surgery. I just hope I don’t spike the ball.”

Vasquez is expected to throw the ball 15-20 times from roughly 40 feet.

The Red Sox activated catcher Blake Swihart from the disabled list, manager John Farrell said on Monday, per Comcast.

Swihart hit .241 in previous stints with Boston this year. He was hitting .311 at Pawtucket. 

To make room, the Red Sox designated catcher Sandy Leon for assignment. Leon hit .180 in 33 games with Boston this year. 

Rays catcher Curt Casali is in the starting lineup for Monday's game. It's his third start in the last five games but just his 13th on the year.

He replaces Rene Rivera, who has started 66 games behind the plate for the Rays.  

Indians catcher Yan Gomes went deep on Saturday, giving his team some unnecessary   insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Gomes blasted a three-run homer, his fourth of the year, as the Indians would go on to beat the Reds 9-4. It was Gomes' only hit of the game in five at-bats. 

Rays catcher Curt Casali hit a game-winning home run, Saturday against Toronto. 

Casali's second career homer was a solo shot in the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie. He hit his previous home run on June 17. 

Casali went 1 for 3, getting his first hit since July 5.