MLB Player News

Indians manager Terry Francona said catcher Yan Gomes is close to returning to the team, but he needs to catch nine innings in a rehab game before being activated, reports the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

"Well, he's closing in on it," manager Terry Francona said to MLB.com. "I think that's stating the obvious, but in fairness to him, we probably need to get him out there nine [innings]. He probably doesn't feel like he needs to, but as bad as we'd like to have him -- and we do -- doing something a day or two early, that would be a bad mistake."

Gomes is on the disabled list with a sprain in his right MCL. He is scheduled to catch seven innings in a rehab game Wednesday.

"I think when you really boil it down, we need to make sure that this kid has every chance to be not just healthy with his knee … you don't want another part of his body breaking down squatting for nine innings," Francona said. "There's some common sense that [trainer] James [Quinlan] used that I wasn't seeing."

Indians catcher Yan Gomes (knee) started and caught five innings Monday in a Triple-A rehab game, going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

Gomes is scheduled to rest Tuesday and then play seven innings on Wednesday, according to MLB.com.

Gomes went on the disabled list April 12 after spraining his right MCL, and could return to the big club soon.

"A lot of it depends how he feels," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He doesn't have to go back-to-back games. As long as he's healthy, that's the biggest thing."

Indians catcher Yan Gomes and pitcher T.J. House will move to Triple-A Columbus to continue their rehab assignment on Monday, the team announced Sunday. House is expected to start for Columbus on Wednesday. 

Gomes and House have started their rehab assignment with Class A Lake County. Gomes is working his way back from a knee injury that landed him on the 15-day DL while House is battling a shoulder injury. 

Royals catcher Salvador Perez went 2 for 4 in Sunday's win over the Yankees. Perez hit a solo home run in the second inning, to put the Royals on top to stay.

Perez increased his average to .288 and drove in two runs, giving him 21 on the year. He has five home runs. 

Red Sox manager John Farrell has been asking his players, speficially Xander Bogaerts, Blake Swihart and Sandy Leon, to drop down more bunts this season, according to MLB.com.

"We've placed a greater emphasis on it in spring training," said Farrell. "Maybe guys that haven't done it in their Minor League career, guys that dominate the Minor Leagues [but are] going to come up and hit in the bottom third of our order ... you want to allow them to grow as Major League players, but to contribute to a rally by putting down a sacrifice bunt, there's a lot of benefit that goes to the individual."

Boston has already dropped down 10 sacrifices this season in 36 games after only getting 20 down last season. 

"You go back to the game situation," said Farrell. "Did we anticipate an offense that would be more consistent than what we've shown? Yes, and we'll realize that in time. But where we are and what the game is suggesting and presenting to us, we've got to be equipped to handle that, and we've asked guys in those spots to lay a bunt down."

Indians pitcher T.J. House (shoulder) and catcher Yan Gomes (knee) eached played in a Class-A rehab game on Friday.

House was the starting pitcher and threw three innings, allowing one hit while fanning five.

Gomes started behind the plate had had two at-bats, singling twice.

House was placed on the 15-day disabled list May 1 with with inflammation in his left shoulder.

Gomes went on the 15-day DL April 12 due to a right knee sprain.

The Royals are back to full strength on Friday as center fielder Lorenzo Cain and catcher Salvador Perez are back in the starting lineup against the Yankees. Both regulars were rested on Thursday in preparation for the big three-game set. 

Cain is in his usual No. 3 spot in the order, while Perez bats seventh for manager Ned Yost.

Some close to Indians ace Corey Kluber believe his early-season struggles were related to missing Yan Gomes, who is on the shelf with a with a sprained MCL, CBSSports.com Jon Heyman reports.

However, Kluber didn't seem to have any issues on Wednesday when he put together one of the best pitching performances of the season, striking out 18 -- the most in a game since Ben Sheets in 2004 and the most by an American League pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1998. 

Kluber is 1-5 with a 4.27 ERA over 52 2/3 innings pitched.

Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin is out of the starting lineup for Thursday's contest against the Astros. It appears to just be a rest day for Martin, who started the last two games and seven of the last eight behind the plate.

Josh Thole catch Drew Hutchison and hit eighth in the batting order.

Playing in his first game of the season, Tigers catcher Bryan Holaday had quite the afternoon against the Twins on Thursday. Holaday, who was recalled over the weekend when Alex Avila went on the disabled list, recorded a career-high three RBI as he went 3 for 5 on the afternoon.

Holaday hit the second home run of his career, a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, and finished a triple shy of the cycle.

"When I hit it, it was about as good as I could," Holaday said, per MLive.com. "Then I saw (Eduardo) Escobar go back to the wall and I thought he was going to catch it. So I was happy when I saw it go over."

He will likely return to the bench on Friday, as James McCann has been the regular catcher since Avila's injury.