MLB Player News

Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Despite turning in a multi-hit effort in his last two starts to lift his season batting average to .350, Vazquez will still find himself on the bench for the fourth time in six contests. Vazquez's offensive numbers have been far more impressive than fellow backstop Sandy Leon, but manager John Farrell seems committed to getting both catchers regular work. For that reason, Vazquez may only be worth keeping active in deeper mixed or AL-only leagues.

Leon will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Mariners, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The pendulum has been swinging in Leon's direction lately in the Red Sox's catching timeshare, with the switch hitter garnering his fourth nod in six games Sunday. Leon has been unable to match the impressive numbers he posted in the second half of the 2016 campaign, but he's been a decent producer in two-catcher mixed or AL-only leagues, contributing a .245 average to go with four home runs and 15 RBI.

Gomes is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals.

After starting behind the plate in back-to-back games and failing to record a hit in seven at-bats, Gomes will cede catching duties to backup Roberto Perez in the series finale. Look for Gomes to check back into the lineup for Monday's game against the Athletics.

Hedges is out of the lineup Sunday against the Nationals.

Hedges has made three straight starts behind the plate, but it will be Luis Torrens that gets the nod to catch Jhoulys Chacin in the series finale.

Rupp is not in the lineup Sunday against the Reds, Stephen Gross of The Allentown Morning Callreports.

Rupp has made three consecutive starts behind the plate, but failed to register a base hit in any of those contests. He'll give way to the 25-year-old Andrew Knapp.

D'Arnaud went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and two RBI during Saturday's extra-innings loss to Pittsburgh.

While the backstop has played just 25 games this season, he has shown impressive pop with a .515 slugging percentage. D'Arnaud's five homers, 18 RBI and 11 runs are also solid returns, as he continues to prove to be a serviceable fantasy asset when healthy. The problem is that he has been limited to just 620 plate appearances dating back to the 2015 campaign.

Contreras is not in the lineup Saturday against the Dodgers.

Contreras will head to the bench ahead of Sunday's matinee contest. Miguel Montero will take over behind the dish, while Contreras should return to the lineup for the series finale.

Maldonado went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run in Friday's 8-5 loss to the Marlins.

It's a rare sight to see Maldonado -- who is known for his defensive abilities -- lead the Angels' offense on a given day, but he did just that against Dan Straily. A career .223 hitter, the 30-year-old has been offering more from an offensive standpoint this season, batting .271 with three homers and 12 RBI in 42 games. While those numbers aren't forcing owners in standard leagues to rush to the waiver wire, those in two-catcher formats could certainly do worse.

Mesoraco is out of Saturday's lineup against the Phillies, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

He has received 16 at-bats over the last week, and has a home run and 4:3 K:BB over that stretch. Tucker Barnhart will start behind the dish and hit eighth.

Grandal went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in Friday's 4-0 win over the Cubs.

Grandal's two-bagger drove home Corey Seager and was the slugging backstop's 16th RBI in May. The 28-year-old catcher has been knocking the cover off the ball during the month, as Friday's production brought his May line to .362/.405/.594. He's been making impactful contact as well, with the double representing his 12th extra-base hit of the month.