MLB Player News

Maldonado is out of the starting lineup Wednesday against the Orioles.

The 30-year-old will cede catching duties to Juan Graterol for the second time in the last four games, indicating the Angels may be moving away from the slumping Maldonado as an everyday option. The veteran backstop has gone just 2-for-23 over his last seven starts after batting .194 in the month of July.

Gomes is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rockies.

Gomes played the hero in Tuesday's 4-1 victory, going 2-for-4 and connecting on a walk-off, three-run home run to help the Indians snap a two-game slide. With the two sides playing a day game after a night game, Gomes will receive a deserved rest, allowing Roberto Perez to pick up a start behind the dish.

Maile (knee) is still weeks away from returning, and he could be out until early September, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

An MRI of Maile's right knee revealed a meniscus tear that required surgery in early July. More than a month removed from when the injury occurred, the team still has no clear timeline for the catcher's return.

Sanchez will start at catcher and bat cleanup Tuesday against the Blue Jays.

Manager Joe Girardi held Sanchez out of the lineup in the Yankees' previous game Sunday against the Indians, citing the 24-year-old's lack of defensive polish as the reason for his benching. The Yankees won't pull the plug on using Sanchez as their primary catcher, but his MLB-leading 12 passed balls have made him a defensive liability this season, and raise questions about his ability to stick behind the plate long term. If Sanchez fails to show much improvement in blocking balls in subsequent starts, he could end up seeing more usage at designated hitter, where the Yankees have a temporary opening with Matt Holliday (back) on the disabled list.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Vazquez will take a seat for the second straight game after starting seven consecutive contests behind the dish while Sandy Leon rested his injured knee. Now that Leon is healthy, the two should resume splitting duties behind the dish, though Vazquez should have the slight upper hand.

Perez (intercostal) said he is unsure of his timetable to return, as he's still experiencing pain, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

Manager Ned Yost said Perez is feeling better than he did Sunday, according to Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City, but he's apparently still hurting when he swings and misses, so the Royals will wait for that to subside before moving forward with the backstop's rehab. A clearer timetable for his return should become available once Perez is able to take part in baseball activities with no issues.

Leon went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over the White Sox.

Leon returned to the lineup Sunday after missing the team's last seven games. On his double, he could be seen favoring his right knee, slowing Leon down on his way to second base.

Maldonado is out of the lineup Sunday against the Athletics, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.

Maldonado will receive a routine maintenance day in the series finale, opening up a start behind the plate for Juan Graterol. The backstop hasn't been helping out fantasy owners of late while going 3-for-27 (.111 average) over his last 10 games, but he's at little risk of falling into a timeshare with Graterol.

The Mariners designated Gosewisch for assignment Sunday.

After acquiring reliever Ryan Garton from the Rays in a trade Sunday, the Mariners didn't have room on the roster for Gosewisch, a 33-year-old catcher who didn't project as a regular option at the position. Gosewisch, a career .190 hitter over parts of four seasons in the big leagues with the Diamondbacks and Mariners, will look to latch on with another organization to serve as catching depth in the upper minors.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.

It's a well-deserved day off for Vazquez, who had been forced to start the previous seven games behind the plate while Sandy Leon rested with an inflamed knee. The increased workload didn't seem to hinder Vazquez offensively, as the backstop went 13-for-27 with five extra-base hits during the string of starts. Manager John Farrell will likely dole out the starts behind the plate more equitably now that he has two healthy catchers on hand, but the timeshare should slightly favor Vazquez due to his superior production this season.