MLB Player News

Maldonado reached base three times Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in a 5-2 win over Houston.

The Angels' catcher position looked like it was heading for a timeshare between Maldonado and Carlos Perez when both catchers were struggling during spring training. Things have changed since then, with the former getting off to a hot start (.294/.385/.324) and seizing the starting job. Maldonado is still providing nothing in the counting stat categories, but an empty batting average may be good enough for owners to roster in two-catcher formats.

Sanchez (biceps) has begun swinging a bat with his left hand and is set to begin throwing Wednesday, Sweeny Murti of Sportsradio 66 WFAN reports.

Sanchez is slowly working his way back from a Grade 1 bicep strain, but he says that he's been feeling good. His ability to resume throwing Wednesday is a positive sign but it's difficult to say exactly when the slugging catcher will be ready to return to the lineup. More information should become available as he progresses through his rehab program.

Gomes is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins.

After starting behind the dish for the last three games, Gomes will give way to Roberto Perez. He's hitting just .091 on the season through 33 at-bats, so he'll get a breather to clear his head.

Leon is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

After going 1-for-4 in the series finale against the Rays, Leon will head to the bench in favor of Christian Vasquez. Leon is 9-for-34 (.265) with one homer and six RBI this season.

McCann is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest with the Rays, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Tuesday's absence marks the second game in a row McCann will head to the bench for a night off. The 26-year-old does have three home runs on the season, but he only has one hit outside of that, ultimately producing a lowly .143 batting average. Alex Avila will fill in for him behind the plate once again.

Stubbs has landed on the 7-day disabled list with Double-A Corpus Christi due to a hamstring injury, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The Astros' top catching prospect, Stubbs hasn't played in more than a week while nursing the injury, and it's unclear when he'll be able to come off the DL. The 23-year-old's athleticism should allow him to stick behind the plate as he rises through the system, but his performance as a hitter is what those who own the backstop in dynasty leagues will want to track. He slashed .325/.401/.517 across 137 plate appearances with Corpus Christi in the second half of last season.

Narvaez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees.

With the White Sox facing a left-handed starting pitcher for the second straight day, Narvaez will again give way to Kevan Smith behind the plate. Narvaez still figures to assume the larger half of the platoon while Geovany Soto (elbow) is on the disabled list, but he won't carry much value outside of AL-only leagues.

Narvaez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The White Sox will use an exclusively right-handed lineup in the Sunday with southpaw Hector Santiago on the hill for the Twins, so Narvaez will sit out for the second time in the series. Based on how manager Rick Renteria has used his catchers since Geovany Soto (elbow) was placed on the disabled list Thursday, it appears that Narvaez may occupy the strong side of a platoon with Kevan Smith.

Maldonado is out of the lineup Sunday against the Royals, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia is just handing Maldonado a routine day off after the 30-year-old catcher was behind the plate for the first two games of the series. Carlos Perez will handle catching duties in the series finale.

McCann is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Indians.

Alex Avila will be rewarded with his second start of the series after going 2-for-3 with a home run in the opener Friday, forcing McCann back to the bench for the second time in three days. McCann has homered three times in just nine games this season, but he's gone just 1-for-25 in his other at-bats to limit the impact of those long balls. He could lose out on more starts to Avila if he's unable to offer more consistent contributions at the dish in his subsequent opportunities.