MLB Player News

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.

Tigers catcher James McCann is certainly no speed demon, but he did something Wednesday that many burners on the bases have never done. He hit an inside-the-park home run.

"I've never run that far in a baseball game before," McCann said.

McCann blasted one that got away in deep right-center in Minnesota and he circled the bases to drive in two runs and tie a game his team eventually won. It capped a fine game for McCann, who had already doubled in a run. He later singled.

The 24 year old had not been tearing it up at the plate, but the three-hit game gives him five in his last nine at-bats and raises his average to .258.

Sandy Leon is in the Red Sox starting lineup for Sunday's game at Baltimore, bumping Ryan Hanigan. 

Leon starts for the second time in four games and sixth time this season. 

The Sox are -105 money line favorites over Baltimore. 

Brett Hayes will get his second start of the season at catcher on Saturday. Hayes is batting eighth in the Indians' lineup. 

Hayes' start gives Roberto Perez a rest after starting nine of the last 10 games. 

The Indians are +105 money line underdogs at Detroit. 

Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and catcher Salvador Perez have good track records against White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana, who will be on the mound for Friday's AL Central showdown.

Moustakas is batting .345 (10 for 29) with two doubles, two home runs, three RBI, two walks and seven strikeouts in his career against the left-hander, while Perez is batting .364 (12 for 33) with one triple, two home runs, three doubles, seven RBI, two walks and five strikeouts.

Both players are also doing well against lefties in 2015. Moustakas, who bats left-handed, is batting .355 (11 for 31) with one home run, three doubles and three RBI against lefties, while Perez -- who bats right-handed -- is batting .296 (8 for 27) with one double, one home run and five RBI.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told reporters that knuckleballer R.A. Dickey will not have a designated personal catcher while Dioner Navarro is on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring injury, per the National Post.

Navarro was Dickey's battery mate this season. Toronto called up Josh Thole from Triple-A, who is familiar with Dickey's work. He caught the majority of the knuckleballer's starts during his run with the Mets. Gibbons said he's leaning on having Thole behind the plate catching Dickey on Friday, per Sportsnet.ca.