MLB Player News

Casali left Wednesday's game early after getting hit by a back swing, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Time reports.

Casali was hit by a back swing behind the plate earlier in the game, and was eventually forced to leave. He was 0-for-2 before being replaced by Hank Conger. The severity of the injury is currently unknown, but consider him day-to-day until more information is released.

Leon is out of Wednesday's lineup, the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reports.

This comes on the same day that it was reported Leon would be the primary catcher going forward, but of course he had caught the last three contests so he was due for a day off. Ryan Hanigan will start behind the dish and hit ninth Wednesday, but Leon is expected to get around four starts per week going forward.

Mejia, 20, is 10-for-29 (.345) in seven games since being promoted to High-A Lynchburg.

Mejia has continued to hit even with the jump in levels. He had a 30-game hitting streak earlier this year en route to tearing up Low-A. At that level he slashed .347/.384/.531 with seven home runs and 51 RBI in 60 games. The switch-hitting backstop still has some way to go as far as development behind the dish, but his bat should certainly draw rave reviews at this time, particularly due to his age.

Sanchez, 23, is batting .319 with two home runs, seven RBI and two steals over the last 10 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

In most other organizations, Sanchez would already be in the big leagues. However, the presence of Brian McCann has forced him to stay in the minors to get everyday at-bats. Through 54 games at Triple-A, Sanchez is batting .281/.319/.491 with nine home runs, 37 RBI and five steals. He will play in the Futures Game this weekend.

Moore (elbow) was put on the 7-day DL on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old catcher was hitting .268 with five home runs with Triple-A Columbus this season before injuring his elbow. It's currently unknown exactly what his return timetable is, but the earliest he can return would be against Toledo on July 14.

Gomes is not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Tigers, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Gomes has made three straight starts behind the plate, but will give way to Chris Gimenez for Wednesday's matinee affair. Since snapping a six-game hitting streak Tuesday, Gomes is just 2-for-24 at the plate to bring his season average down to .175.

Leon will catch at least three out of every five games, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

With Ryan Hanigan rejoining the Red Sox after a stint on the disabled list and Christian Vazquez optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, manager John Farrell sees Leon has the team's primary catcher. With that said, Hanigan will be in the box Wednesday night when knuckleballer and AL All-Star Steven Wright pitches.

Leon went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a run in Monday's 12-5 victory over Texas. In 15 games since he was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket, he's 20-for-40 with nine extra-base hits and nine RBI.

Leon was an emergency addition a month ago after both Ryan Hanigan (neck) and Blake Swihart (ankle) were injured in the same game. One month later, his unprecedented fluency with the bat has earned him a spot on Boston's roster going forward. Out of minor league options, Leon would likely have been claimed if the Red Sox wanted to send him back to Pawtucket, so when Hanigan was activated off the DL on Monday the organization chose to keep Leon and option Christian Vazquez to Triple-A. Be aware that Leon's career MLB average prior to this season was .186, so his surge in 2016 should be viewed with great circumspection. He and Hanigan will share the catching job for the time being.

Vazquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Vazquez had been finding some comfort at the plate of late, going 5-for-13 with one RBI in his past five games. No matter, Ryan Hanigan (neck) has been activated from the DL, which will relegate Vazquez to the minors for the time being.

Vazquez is out of the lineup Monday against the Rangers, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

Though Vazquez is still the top option on the Red Sox's catching depth chart, it appears his grip on the gig is loosening. While he remains a strong defensive catcher, Vazquez's anemic .583 OPS has made him close to an automatic out this season. Meanwhile, backup Sandy Leon continues to thrive in a smaller sample, as Sunday's 2-for-4 showing boosted his line to .457/.525/.686 over 40 plate appearances. Leon will earn a second straight start for his efforts, and could displace Vazquez as the starter if his hot hitting continues.