MLB Player News

Diaz is out of the lineup Sunday against the Phillies.

Diaz will receive a well-deserved breather after starting 14 consecutive games behind the plate for the Pirates while Francisco Cervelli (concussion) was sidelined. With Cervelli activated from the 10-day disabled list Sunday and re-entering the lineup, Diaz may only be in store for a couple starts per week so long as Cervelli avoids any sort of setback on the health front. That still might be enough to make Diaz playable in NL-only or deeper two-catcher formats, as he's been one of the best No. 2 backstops in baseball this season. Diaz has hit .289 with seven home runs, 23 RBI and 26 runs across 155 plate appearances.

Gomes is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes will take a seat after starting the first two games of the series, giving way to Roberto Perez behind the plate. The 30-year-old Gomes has enjoyed a resurgent season with a .754 OPS, his best mark in the category since 2014. In a weak American League catcher class, his performance thus far could be good enough to earn him a trip to the All-Star Game.

Vazquez (finger) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Vazquez fractured his right pinkie finger while sliding into second base during Saturday's game against the Royals and could be sidelined for several weeks, given that the injury affects his throwing hand. The backstop is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, at which point the Red Sox should have a better idea regarding how long Vazquez will be sidelined. While he's on the disabled list, Sandy Leon is slated to take over as Boston's primary catcher, with Blake Swihart likely settling in as the No. 2 option behind the plate.

Stallings was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Sunday's game against the Phillies, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic Pittsburgh reports.

Stallings was promoted June 22 when starting catcher Francisco Cervelli landed on the disabled list with a concussion, and Cervelli's return Sunday sends Stallings back to the minors. He did not make a start while in the majors. The 28-year-old returns to Indianapolis, where he has a .289/.335/.396 slash line in 42 games.

Higashioka is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

He'll hit the bench for the second time this series and has returned to the backup role at catcher now that Austin Romine has recovered from the hamstring injury he first suffered June 30. Higashioka started four consecutive games while Romine was sidelined and recorded three hits, all of which were home runs.

Leon entered Saturday's game for Christian Vazquez, who fractured his right pinkie finger while sliding into second base, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. He went 2-for-2 with an RBI in a 15-4 win over the Royals.

The Red Sox placed Vazquez on the disabled list following the game, and he'll undergo further testing when the team returns to Boston. Leon will be Boston's primary catcher for as long as Vazquez is sidelined with Blake Swihart becoming the primary backup. Swihart has started one game and logged 14 innings behind the plate in 2018. Given that relative inexperience, we could be looking at Leon getting a bulk of the starts during Vazquez's absence.

Narvaez went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI on Saturday against the Astros.

Narvaez came to the plate with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and took advantage by driving a double to the opposite field, narrowly missing a home run. Though he has just a .387 slugging percentage for the season, he has been productive of late, recording three extra-base hits in his last 14 at-bats. He's far from a full-time starter, but Narvaez seems to have worked himself into an evenly split timeshare behind the plate with Kevan Smith.

Realmuto went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's loss to the Nationals.

The 27-year-old has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games and he's already gone yard twice in July, bringing his total to 12 home runs this season. He's not running like he did in past years, but Realmuto is right up there with Buster Posey and Willson Contreras as one of the best pure hitters at the position.

Vazquez fractured his right pinky finger while sliding into second base Saturday, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.

The Red Sox will place Vazquez on the disabled list and it seems likely given the nature of the injury (to his throwing hand) that his absence will extend well past the minimum 10 days. Manager Alex Cora said that Blake Swihart, who has started just one game at catcher so far this season, will help out behind the plate. Sandy Leon figures to take on primary catching duties.

Stassi went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI on Saturday against the White Sox.

Stassi drove in the first and last runs of the game for the Astros to record his fourth multi-RBI game of the season. He should continue to see regular duty behind the plate thanks to the absence of Brian McCann, though he provides limited production across most categories and has only four extra-base hits since June 16.