MLB Player News

Vazquez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.

Vazquez will take a seat for Saturday's afternoon contest after going 1-for-3 Friday night. In his place, Sandy Leon will set up behind the plate and bat eighth in the order. With a doubleheader on tap for Sunday, Vazquez will likely start Game 1 while Leon takes on the duties in Game 2.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer Friday against the Orioles.

Contreras launched his 12th blast of the year to put the Cubs on the board in the first inning of a winning effort. He's left the yard six times over his last 17 games, and he continues to provide fantasy owners with solid power from the catcher position, as evidenced by his .462 slugging percentage.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI on Friday against the Red Sox.

Sanchez's 14th bomb of the year gave the Yankees a one-run lead in the fifth inning of a game they'd go on to lose. He's followed up his amazing 2016 season with an outstanding .280/.362/.505 slash line, making him one of a very few elite options at catcher.

Grandal (hand) is back behind the plate for Friday's game against the Marlins, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Grandal wound up missing the final game before the All-Star break due to a minor left hand contusion that he suffered during Saturday's contest against the Royals. With the rest coming at a good time for the 28-year-old, he was able to recover without missing much time and is back in the seventh spot of the order while catching Brandon McCarthy on Friday.

Perez slashed a dismal .178/.264/.252 in 34 games prior to the All-Star break.

The backup catcher has had a rough season, one in which he entered with a chance to take on a larger role. Outside of a cheap play in daily leagues when Yan Gomes needs a rest, Perez should not be rostered.

Smith, 22, hit .232/.355/.448 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI and six steals in 72 games at High-A Rancho Cucamonga before being promoted to Double-A.

Smith is a catcher by trade, but the Dodgers have been trying him out at other positions in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Though the batting average is a bit low, Smith has shown some pop along with the ability to work the count.

Thaiss was promoted to Double-A Mobile on Tuesday, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

The 2016 first-round pick will move up to the next level of the minor leagues after 84 games with High-A Inland Empire this season. During 385 plate appearances in 2017, Thaiss has batted .265/.353/.399 with eight home runs and 48 RBI. Although he hasn't been overly impressive, especially in terms of power at the plate, the Angels want to give him a chance to work on his game at a higher level.

Nido went 2-for-2 with two RBI during the World Team's 7-6 loss to Team USA in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday.

He subbed in for starting catcher Francisco Mejia in the sixth inning and made his playing time count, collecting RBI singles in the seventh and ninth. Nido, the Mets' No. 11 prospect, hasn't been able to repeat last year's offensive breakout -- he's slashing just .246/.281/.384 in 60 games for Double-A Binghamton thanks to a .257 BABIP -- but he has maintained the gains he showed in his plate discipline with an 11.6 percent strikeout rate. Given his strong defensive profile, he's still got the potential to be more than just a backup in the big leagues.

Caratini went 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in Sunday's loss to the Pirates.

With the Cubs getting down 10-0 in the first inning of a game they'd go on to lose 14-3, Caratini was able to come off the bench and get the first three hits of his MLB career. Now that Miguel Montero is in Toronto, Caratini should continue to serve as the primary backup to Willson Contreras moving forward.

Manager Dave Roberts stated that the X-rays on Grandal's injured hand came back negative, and he expects him to be ready for Friday's matchup with the Marlins, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Grandal suffered a minor hand contusion Saturday, so he was given the day off Sunday in the Dodgers' final game of the first half. The extra rest from the All-Star break coupled with the positive X-ray results should be enough rest for the 28-year-old to resume his role as the club's starting catcher. Grandal is slashing .267/.319/.469 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 280 plate appearances this year.