MLB Player News

Stubbs was added to Houston's 40-man roster Tuesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stubbs will be shielded from the Rule 5 draft following the Astros' latest move. He's advanced to Triple-A Fresno in each of the last two seasons and appears to be closing in on his big-league debut after slashing .310/.382/.455 with four homers and 38 RBI over 84 games with the Grizzlies in 2018.

Zavala's contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte on Tuesday.

Zavala was added to the White Sox's 40-man roster for protection ahead of the Rule 5 draft. He split time between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham in 2018, hitting a combined .258/.317/.418 with 13 homers across 104 games. The 25-year-old backstop will likely head back to Triple-A to begin the 2019 season after struggling during his first stint with the Knights (.243/.267/.359 across 48 games).

Nola agreed to a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Friday, Mariners Minors reports.

Nola appeared in 69 games for Triple-A New Orleans last year, piecing together a .279/.370/.376 slash line with two homers and 32 RBI. He figures to begin the 2019 campaign with Triple-A Tacoma.

Sanchez underwent successful left shoulder surgery Thursday.

The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and went as expected. Seeing as the procedure typically carries a three-month recovery timeline, Sanchez should be fully healed by the time spring training rolls around. The backstop will look to bounce back in 2019 after he struggled to a .186/.291/.406 line across 89 games during an injury-plagued 2018 campaign.

Sanchez will undergo left shoulder surgery this offseason and is expected to be ready by Opening Day, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The issue has apparently been bothering Sanchez since 2017, and it was recently decided that the backstop would benefit from a debridement. The procedure typically carries a three-month timeline, giving Sanchez plenty of time to get back to full speed before the start of the 2019 campaign. A healthy Sanchez will look to bounce back after struggling through an injury-riddled 2018 season that saw him hit just .186/.291/.406 with 18 homers across 89 games.

Perez was outrighted from the Rangers' 40-man roster Friday and is expected to elect free agency instead of accepting a minor-league assignment.

Perez spent a majority of the 2018 campaign with Texas after being designated for assignment by Atlanta in late April. In total, he played in 28 games, slashing just .143/.178/.214 with three RBI in 75 plate appearances. The 28-year-old will likely be on the look for a new home this winter.

Moore was removed from the Rays' 40-man roster Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Moore and fellow catcher Jesus Sucre were cast off the team's 40-man roster in order to clear space for younger prospects in need of protection from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. The veteran backstop appeared in just eight games for Tampa Bay in 2018, hitting .222/.263/.444 with one homer.

Vazquez will sit for Game 1 of the World Series against the Dodgers on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Sandy Leon will get the start, catching Chris Sale. Leon is 0-for-7 thus far in the postseason, while Vazquez has gone 5-for-22, good for a .227 average.

Leon is out of the starting lineup for Game 4 of the ALCS against the Astros on Wednesday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Christian Vazquez will catch Rick Porcello and bat eighth in the order in Leon's absence. This marks the third straight game that manager Alex Cora has elected to start Vazquez behind the plate.

Leon is not in the lineup for Game 3 of the ALCS against the Astros on Tuesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Leon will hit the bench after going hitless in his only at-bat during the first two games of the series. Christian Vazquez is starting behind the dish and hitting eighth in his place.