MLB Player News

Maldonado was placed on the bereavement list Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

This explains why Maldonado isn't in the lineup Friday. MLB rules require a three-day minimum absence, with seven days being the longest absence allowed. He'll be replaced on the active roster by Juan Graterol.

Maldonado is not in the lineup against the Mariners on Friday.

Maldonado will get the day off after starting the past three games behind the plate. In his place, Rene Rivera will catch and bat ninth in the order. Expect Maldonado back in the lineup Saturday.

Vazquez is out of the lineup against the Rangers on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez will receive a standard day off after going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI during Thursday's loss. In his place, Sandy Leon will catch and bat ninth. Expect Vazquez back in the lineup Saturday.

Vazquez has a three-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored in Thursday's 11-5 loss to the Rangers.

The three-game run pushed Vazquez back up to the Mendoza Line (.200), as the catcher is making nowhere near the impact he did in 2017. His BABIP has tanked this season, so fantasy owners can hang a hat on good luck coming back to Vazquez, but there's also the real possibility that he isn't the .290 hitter we saw in 2017 and closer to the .233 hitter the previous two seasons. At any rate, Vazquez will continue to play regularly, per Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald, as manager Alex Cora indicated no changes are coming for Boston's catchers, which rank last in MLB with a -0.7 WAR.

Perez went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run homer in Thursday's win over Detroit.

He also drew a walk and scored two of the Royals' 10 runs. The homer was his second in 11 games since he was activated from the disabled list. Perez's late-March knee injury was a buzzkill, but fantasy owners are now reaping the benefits with Perez playing close to every day and batting .304/.340/.500.

Perez was added to the Rangers' official roster Thursday.

Texas designated Juan Centeno for assignment to clear a roster spot for the recently acquired Perez. It should be noted that Perez's calling card is his defensive prowess rather than his bat; Perez was just 3-for-21 at the dish before being DFA'd by the Braves last week. He'll immediately be available and should slide into a role as Robinson Chirinos' backup.

Maldonado fell a triple short of the cycle Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI and three runs scored in a 10-7 win over Baltimore.

It was Maldonado's second consecutive three-hit performance following a rough 0-for-33 stretch over his previous 11 games. The veteran backstop is still slashing a meager .222/.309/.319 this season, with his defensive abilities keeping him in the lineup on a regular basis.

McCann went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a pair of strikeouts in Wednesday's win over the Rays.

The solo shot was a big one, as it tied the score in the seventh inning to help pave the way for Detroit's 12-inning win. McCann is starting to heat up a bit at the plate, hitting .375 (6-for-16) with a pair of RBI over the last four games to bring his slash line to .259/.301/.412 on the year.

Perez was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Wednesday.

Perez was designated for assignment by the Braves on Friday. The 27-year-old appeared in eight games for the club this season, going 3-for-21 with zero extra-base hits and six strikeouts. In a corresponding move, Elvis Andrus (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day DL in order to make room on the 40-man roster. A subsequent move will be made prior to Thursday's game as the Rangers will need to remove someone from the active 25-man roster.

Gomes is not in the lineup against Texas on Wednesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Gomes will receive a breather after going 2-for-6 with one run scored during Tuesday's loss in extras. In his absence, Roberto Perez will catch Corey Kluber and bat eighth.