MLB Player News

Contreras exited Wednesday's game in the eighth inning with an apparent leg injury.

Contreras slowly left the game with a trainer after pulling up holding his hamstring while running to first base. The severity of the injury is unclear at this point, but more should be known following Wednesday's game. He looked to be in some serious pain following the injury, and even mild hamstring injuries usually sideline players for around two weeks, so a trip to the DL appears to be a strong possibility.

McCann is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates.

McCann will receive a routine rest day after he handled catching duties for the first two games of the series. Backup John Hicks will enter the lineup, working in a battery with starting pitcher Justin Verlander.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

After starting seven consecutive games behind the plate while Sandy Leon was nursing a knee injury, Vazquez will surprisingly find himself on the bench for a third straight contest. Manager John Farrell may have just wanted to give Vazquez an extended break in light of the young backstop's heavy workload last week, so it shouldn't be taken as a sign that Leon has emerged as the team's preferred catching option. Both Leon and Vazquez will continue to stick in a timeshare behind the plate, and it remains difficult which of the two will see the brunt of the starts from week to week.

Leon will start at catcher and bat eighth Wednesday against the Rays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Evidently, the knee injury that sidelined Leon for seven consecutive games is no longer an issue, as he'll draw his third straight start Wednesday. Manager John Farrell has been inconsistent with the manner in which he's doled out playing time behind the plate all season, so Leon's run of starts shouldn't be viewed as an indication that he's overtaken Christian Vazquez as the primary catcher.

Maldonado is out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Orioles.

The 30-year-old will cede catching duties to Juan Graterol for the second time in the last four games, indicating the Angels may be moving away from the slumping Maldonado as an everyday option. The veteran backstop has gone just 2-for-23 over his last seven starts after batting .194 in the month of July.

D'Arnaud is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Rangers.

The catcher will retreat to the bench after starting the past two games behind the plate while Rene Rivera takes over in his place. Since the All-Star break, d'Arnaud is hitting .295/.328/.393 with one home run and eight RBI.

Gomes is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Gomes played the hero in Tuesday's 4-1 victory, going 2-for-4 and connecting on a walk-off, three-run home run to help the Indians snap a two-game slide. With the two sides playing a day game after a night game, Gomes will receive a deserved rest, allowing Roberto Perez to pick up a start behind the dish.

Maile (knee) is still weeks away from returning, and he could be out until early September, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

An MRI of Maile's right knee revealed a meniscus tear that required surgery in early July. More than a month removed from when the injury occurred, the team still has no clear timeline for the catcher's return.

Barnhart went 2-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Padres.

It was his fourth homer of the year, and second in 21 games -- along with his second multi-hit performance -- since the All-Star break. Barnhart's workload seems to be catching up to him, as he's hitting only .238 (15-for-63) over that stretch, but hopefully Devin Mesoraco will come back refreshed after his stint on the paternity list.

Hedges went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Tuesday's 7-3 win over the Reds.

The 24-year-old catcher continues to show that last year's power display for Triple-A El Paso wasn't just a product of a friendly hitting environment, as Hedges now has 15 homers in 83 games for the Padres this season. His .228 batting average and .707 OPS leave a lot to be desired, but he's still got plenty of time to improve on those numbers as his career progresses.