MLB Player News

General manager Brian Cashman said the hope is that Sanchez (calf) will return to action Tuesday against the Red Sox, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Sanchez has missed the previous two games while nursing a calf injury, but with an off day Monday -- marking the catcher's third consecutive day off -- the Yankees are hoping that the 25-year-old will be able to either catch or serve as the team's designated hitter for Tuesday's series opener. He'll still have to be cleared by team doctors prior to Tuesday's game, and while the Yankees are hopeful to have their star catcher back in action, Cashman noted he "can't guarantee anything." Look for Sanchez's status to clear up sometime Tuesday. If he's unable to play, Austin Romine will once again start behind the dish.

Jansen will open the season with Triple-A Buffalo.

Jansen reached the Triple-A level for the first time last year, hitting .328/.423/.552 in 21 games. Russell Martin is entrenched as the starter in Toronto and is unlikely to yield that position until he becomes a free agent after the 2019 season, but he's 35, so there's certainly the risk than an injury could open up playing time for Jansen this season. The biggest threat to Jansen's value might be his fellow Triple-A backstop, Reese McGuire. McGuire has a strong defensive reputation and had a solid season at the plate last year as well, hitting .278/.366/.492 in 34 games for Double-A New Hampshire.

Stassi went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Padres.

Stassi's fifth-inning bomb snapped Houston's streak of 29-plus innings without an extra-base knock. The catcher, who revamped his swing last season to hit more flyballs, is 6-for-15 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI over six games (four starts).

Gomes went 1-for-4 with a home run in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Royals.

Gomes entered Sunday's game having gone 2-for-17 (.118) over five outings this season, with one of those hits being a home run. Cleveland's bats were quiet for much of the game, as the team combined to record just four hits. However, Gomes managed to pick up his third hit of the year in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he hit a two-run walkoff home run. Although he's shown power early this season, Gomes is expected to continue sharing time behind the dish with Roberto Perez.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Sunday that swelling has "vacated" Perez's sprained left knee, and the catcher is expected to "get back a little bit before" the 4-to-6-week recovery timeline established March 28, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports reports.

Since Perez has yet to resume baseball activities, it's too early to predict with much confidence that he'll be ready to go by the end of April, as Moore seems to be forecasting. In any case, the fact Perez has healed a little faster than anticipated counts as positive news and may convince any owners with limited bench spots who were thinking of cutting him to think twice. The Royals will likely provide additional updates on Perez's condition over the next few weeks before a firmer return date is sussed out.

McCann is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox.

McCann will receive a routine rest after starting the first two games of the series and going 1-for-8 at the dish. John Hicks will settle in behind the plate, catching for Mike Fiers.

Sanchez (calf) is out of the lineup Sunday against the Orioles, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Sanchez will be held out for the second straight day with a calf issue, which he first experienced during the Yankees' extra-inning loss Friday in the series opener. The injury was initially categorized as a cramp, but the back-to-back absences suggest that Sanchez could be dealing with some lingering soreness. There's been no indication that Sanchez will be bound for the disabled list, so the Yankees are hopeful that two more days of rest -- the team is off the schedule Monday -- will be enough for the backstop to reenter the lineup Tuesday in Boston.

Maldonado is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Athletics, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Maldonado heads to the bench Saturday after starting the last two games for the Angels. The 31-year-old has yet to start more than two consecutive games this season and will yield to Rene Rivera behind the plate Saturday.

Gomes is not in the starting nine for Saturday's game against Kansas City.

Gomes will head to the bench in favor of Roberto Perez after starting the past two games behind the dish. Through five starts this season, Gomes is hitting .118 with one home run and three RBI.

Sanchez (calf) is out of the lineup against the Orioles on Saturday, Pete Caldera of The Bergen Record reports.

It would've been surprising to see Sanchez in the lineup after he left Friday's contest with a calf injury in the 14th inning. Though the injury appears to be just a cramp, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, the team will take it easy on its star backstop, especially after he caught 256 pitches Friday night. Consider him day-to-day for Sunday's series finale. Austin Romine will draw the start in his stead Saturday.