MLB Player News
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Christian Vazquez C | HOU
Red Sox's Christian Vazquez: Rides pine Thursday
Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rays, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.
As is usually the case when Chris Sale trots to the mound, Vazquez will cede the catching duties to Sandy Leon for the evening. The 26-year-old has cooled off considerably after his scorching hot start, as he's just 11 for his past 61 at-bats.
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Salvador Perez DH | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Homers in win over Mariners
Perez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning of Wednesday's win over Seattle.
The backstop has been a go-to fantasy asset for years, but 2017 might prove to be his best season. He's sporting a rock-solid .288/.318/.528 slash line with 17 homers, 55 RBI and 36 runs, and his 301 plate appearances lead all catchers. Perez shouldn't have any trouble remaining a high-end contributor moving forward, either.
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Salvador Perez DH | KC
Royals' Salvador Perez: Makes history with ASG vote
Perez has been selected for his fifth All-Star Game, and he'll suit up as the American League's starting catcher for the fourth straight season.
Per ESPN.com, Perez will become the first AL catcher to start four consecutive All-Star Games since Hall of Famer Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. Furthermore, only one time has a Royal been the game's starting catcher (Darrell Porter in 1979) before this run, and Perez joins George Brett as the organization's only players to start consecutive midsummer classics. Entering Wednesday, the veteran backstop was slashing .290/.320/.523 through 76 games. His 16 home runs and 53 RBI are most among all MLB catchers. In his seventh big-league season at age 27, Perez is on pace to shatter career bests in a handful of categories.
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Luke Maile C | KC
Blue Jays' Luke Maile: Will require procedure
According to manager John Gibbons, Maile will require a procedure on the torn meniscus in his right knee, The Associated Press reports.
The Jays were hopeful that surgery might be avoidable, but the skipper's comments made clear that Maile is headed under the knife. Any value that the backup catcher brought to deep leagues is now out the window. The recently acquired Miguel Montero steps in as the new reserve behind Russell Martin.
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Luke Maile C | KC
Blue Jays' Luke Maile: Tests reveal torn meniscus
Maile underwent an MRI on Tuesday, revealing a torn meniscus in his right knee, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports.
Maile landed on the DL prior to Tuesday's afternoon game against the Yankees with inflammation, but the situation became much more significant following the results of the MRI. The team is considering all options, including different treatment plans while surgery remains on the table. It is unclear what the timetable would look like if Maile does indeed need to go the surgical route, but he could miss an extended period of time moving forward.
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Christian Vazquez C | HOU
Red Sox's Christian Vazquez: Bangs out three hits Tuesday
Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Rangers.
The 26-year-old had been hitting just .132 (5-for-38) in his previous 10 games, so Tuesday's performance was a welcome sight. He's worked his way into a timeshare behind the plate with Sandy Leon this year, and while Vazquez doesn't offer much power his .286 batting average on the season is useful in deeper fantasy formats.
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Martin Maldonado C | SD
Angels' Martin Maldonado: Receives day off Tuesday
Maldonado is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
After delivering his ninth home run of the season in Monday's series opener, Maldonado will rest up following a string of three consecutive starts. Backup backstop Juan Graterol gets the nod behind the plate and will bat ninth.
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Luke Maile C | KC
Blue Jays' Luke Maile: Hits DL with knee injury
Maile was placed on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday with right knee inflammation, Mike Wilner of Sportsnet 590 The Fan reports.
Though the Blue Jays will use the open spot on the active roster for newly acquired backstop Miguel Montero, it doesn't seem that Maile's move to the DL is the result of a phantom injury. According to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca, Maile is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday, suggesting a more serious issue than simple inflammation may be at play. Regardless of the severity of his condition, Maile may be bound for Triple-A Buffalo once he's activated unless manager John Gibbons decides to carry three catchers.
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Martin Maldonado C | SD
Angels' Martin Maldonado: Hits ninth homer
Maldonado went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Monday's loss to Minnesota.
The backstop is having a respectable fantasy season with a .251/.316/.420 slash line, nine homers, 26 RBI and 24 runs. Those numbers don't jump off the page, but there are plenty of deeper settings where Maldonado is a serviceable asset. It also helps that he's receiving consistent at-bats.