MLB Player News

McCann is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

McCann has seen the vast majority of starts behind the dish for the Tigers this season, but the recent return of Miguel Cabrera combined with John Hicks' impact with the bat could lead to more frequent days off in the future. However, McCann is no slouch at the dish either, batting .259/.313/.380 with four home runs and 19 RBI.

Leon started a second straight game for the first time this season and went 1-for-4 in Friday's 7-3 loss to the Astros.

Leon's started eight of the last 15 games, a greater rate of playing time than he was getting at the start of the season, when he played just 10 of the first 30 games. The change in playing time at catcher appears to be due to Leon's bat heating up. He's gone 15-for-39 (.385) over the last 12 games to raise his batting average to .253 while Christian Vazquez continues to slump at .188.

Garver is out of Friday's lineup against the Indians, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The 27-year-old will sit out for the second time in the past three games with Bobby Wilson gets the start behind the plate, batting eighth. Garver is hitting .228/.304/.348 in 92 with two home runs in 92 at-bats this season.

Sanchez is out of the lineup for Friday's game in Baltimore, Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News reports.

That's back-to-back games on the bench for Sanchez, who had started the previous six games. The 25-year-old has 12 home runs and 35 RBI on the season, but is currently mired in a 2-for-24 slump.

Stassi, who was given the day off Thursday, will catch the next three games, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Stassi has become the primary starter behind the plate after Brian McCann (knee) was placed on the 10-day disabled list. While the playing time was somewhat equitable when Stassi and McCann were sharing the job, Stassi is expected to get a significant share of the at-bats at catcher with Tim Federowicz up from Triple-A Fresno to replace McCann. Now might be a good time to look at Stassi for fantasy lineups, as he's riding a seven-game hitting streak in which he's gone 9-for-26 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI.

Sanchez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News reports.

Sanchez has started six straight games, so he'll head to the bench for a breather while Austin Romine sets up behind the dish in his stead. Sanchez is hitting just .211 this season, though his 12 homers and 35 RBI are elite numbers among backstops.

Vazquez isn't in the lineup for Thursday's series opener against Houston, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.

Vazquez will get the day off after going 0-for-4 in Wednesday's matchup against the Blue Jays. Sandy Leon is slated to handle the catching duties and bat eighth.

Maldonado is not in Thursday's starting lineup against the Tigers, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Maldonado will get a breather after starting four straight games. He's gone 3-for-15 with one home run and three RBI over that span. Jose Briceno will handle the catching duties and is slated to bat ninth in Thursday's series finale.

Sanchez went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in Wednesday's win over the Astros.

Sanchez entered Wednesday's tilt amidst an 0-for-18 stretch, but he came through with a clutch two-run single to put the Yankees in the lead. His 12 homers and 33 RBI remain elite among catchers, but his current .211/.313/.485 slash line leaves some room for improvement.

Stassi went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

Stassi provided all of Houston's offense in this one, smacking a two-run homer in the fifth before tacking on an RBI double in the ninth off closer Aroldis Chapman. With Brian McCann (knee) on the disabled list, Stassi is set to take on the primary catching responsibilities in his stead. Even with the injury to McCann, Stassi has earned his playing time, slashing .303/.367/.562 through the opening two months.