MLB Player News

Nicholas was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Monday, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.

The Rangers are labeling backup catcher Robinson Chirinos as day-to-day after X-rays on his sprained left ankle came back negative, but Nicholas will still earn his first call-up of the season to act as insurance behind the plate. Jonathan Lucroy is slated to handle the bulk of the duties at catcher, so Nicholas won't be in line for more than a start or two a week even if it's determined that Chirinos will require a trip to the disabled list. Nicholas is batting .311/.353/.469 over 293 plate appearances this season at Round Rock.

Gomes is out of the lineup Monday against the Reds.

Gomes will retreat to the bench following two straight turns behind the dish, allowing Roberto Perez to draw the start at catcher. In six appearances since the All-Star break, Gomes has gone 4-for-21 with a home run and two RBI.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.

With a .177 batting average since the beginning of June, Vazquez's hot start to the season has looked like a distant memory, and may have allowed Sandy Leon to carve out a larger portion in the timeshare at catcher. Leon will be behind the plate Sunday for the fourth time in six games.

Mejia, 21, is day-to-day at Double-A Akron with a hip strain, Chris Assenheimer of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

He has not played since Thursday, but it sounds like he may not require a stint on the 7-day DL for the RubberDucks. Mejia, the best catching prospect in the game, is hitting .320/.368/.525 with 10 home runs and five steals in 270 plate appearances. He has an exemplary 35:19 K:BB, despite being much younger than the typical player in the Eastern League.

McGuire (knee) was removed from Double-A New Hampshire's disabled list to begin a rehab assignment at the Jays complex in Dunedin.

The catcher had surgery in May to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee. McGuire, 22, scorched an RBI double during his first rehab game Friday in the Gulf Coast League. A first-round pick in 2013 by the Pirates, McGuire has yet to break through offensively over 370 career at-bats in Double-A, but he's still considered one of the organization's top catching prospects.

Maldonado went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Red Sox.

Friday night's performance contributed to what has been Maldonado's best season at the plate, as the 30-year-old backstop is slashing .247/.310/.418 with 11 home runs and 29 RBI this year. It isn't an overly flashy stat line, although his sneaky power and consistent playing time make him worth a look in two-catcher leagues given the dearth of other options behind the plate.

Vazquez is not in the lineup Friday against the Angels, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.

Vazquez has just 11 hits in the past 30 games with only one of them going for extra bases. He'll hit the bench for a night off Friday, allowing Sandy Leon to enter the lineup in his place.

Gomes is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays.

Roberto Perez will start behind the plate for the third time in the last five games, signaling the Indians may be moving away from Gomes as an everyday lineup piece. The veteran backstop is hitting just .216 this month, but his defensive abilities make him a strong candidate for starts, as he leads the league with 20 runners caught stealing this year.

Vazquez will take a seat for Thursday's series finale against the Blue Jays, Evan Drellich of WEEI.com reports.

Vazquez gets a day off from his catching duties following three starts in the past four games, including an 0-for-3 night at the plate during Wednesday's victory. Sandy Leon will take over behind the plate in his stead.

Gomes is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants.

Gomes will get the day off after starting the past two contests behind the plate. In his place, Roberto Perez will catch Carlos Carrasco for the series finale while batting seventh.