MLB Player News

Leon is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Mets, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Leon will sit for the second straight game as he is 0-for-25 with one walk in his last 12 games. Blake Swihart will start behind the plate and bat ninth as the Red Sox continue to utilize a heavy rotation at catcher, with Christian Vazquez now back in the mix as well.

Perez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Twins.

Perez took Alan Busenitz deep in the sixth inning to record his 25th home run of the season. He's now hit four home runs in his past 10 games and is on pace to surpass his 27 long balls from the 2017 season. While his batting average (.235) and on-base percentage (.274) are poor, Perez has produced strong counting stats relative to others eligible at catcher.

Nido went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader victory over the Marlins.

Nido's homer was the first of his career in the major leagues, as he sparked the Mets' offense in the fifth inning with the solo shot. He now has at least one hit in five of his last six starts, and he owns a .188 batting average with nine runs and eight RBI over 73 plate appearances in 2018.

Plawecki is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Marlins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Plawecki will take a seat for the second half of Thursday's doubleheader after catching all nine innings in the first game, going 0-for-1 with a pair of walks and a run scored in the 4-3 win. In his absence, Tomas Nido will set up behind the dish and hit eighth.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Mets, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

Realmuto will retreat to the bench for Game 2 of Thursday's twin bill after catching all nine innings during the first game, going 0-for-2 with a pair of walks in the process. Chad Wallach will set up behind the dish and hit eighth in his place.

Garver (head) is not in the lineup against the Royals on Thursday, LaVelle E. Neal of the Star Tribune reports.

Garver will receive a day off after leaving Wednesday's game following a shot to his catching mask in the second inning. Though he appears to have sidestepped any sort of concussion-related symptoms, manager Paul Molitor will refrain from thrusting him back into the lineup Thursday night. In his absence, Chris Gimenez will handle the catching duties and bat ninth.

Grandal is not in the lineup against the Cardinals on Thursday.

Manager Dave Roberts will deploy eight right-handed-hitting position players for Thursday's series opener versus southpaw Austin Gomber. Austin Barnes will handle the catching duties and bat eighth.

Jansen is not in the lineup Thursday against the Red Sox.

Jansen will find a seat on the bench following a pair of consecutive starts in which he went 1-for-5 with a walk. Reese McGuire will start behind the dish and hit ninth in his place.

Leon is not in the lineup Thursday against the Blue Jays, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Leon will take a seat after starting three consecutive games behind the dish, going hitless across eight at-bats during those appearances. Christian Vazquez will start at catcher in his place Thursday.

Contreras is out of the lineup for Thursday's contest against Washington.

Contreras will receive a standard day off after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk during Wednesday's loss to the Brewers. He's been mired in a slump as of late, going just 3-for-25 dating back to Aug. 31. In his absence, Victor Caratini will catch Mike Montgomery and bat fifth.