MLB Player News

Indians catcher Yan Gomes continues to test the injured knee that landed him on the 15-day disabled list. 

Gomes ran the bases before Sunday's game, per Fox Sports Ohio.

Manager Terry Francona said Gomes would be evaluated on Tuesday. He'll go through a series of drills, including crouching, fielding bunts and baserunning. If it goes well, he could be sent out on a minor league rehab assignment that day. 

Sandy Leon gets the start at catcher for the Red Sox on Sunday. 

Leon will bat ninth in the order and replace Blake Swihart, who has started six of seven games since Ryan Hanigan went on the disabled list. 

Leon gets his eighth start of the season. 

Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against Boston. 

Josh Thole replaces Martin in the lineup for the fourth time this year and second time in the last 10 games. 

Thole will bat ninth in the order. Kevin Pillar moves up one spot in the order to replace Martin in the five-hole. 

The Blue Jays are -120 money line favorites at home against Boston. 

Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said Saturday that catcher James McCann will see the bulk of the starts behind the plate in the wake of the injury to Alex Avila, the Detroit Free Press reports.

McCann has served as the team's starter at catcher against left-handed pitchers but will now see regular action against righties with Avila sidelined. McCann has hit .295/.311/.432 with one home run and five RBI in 44 at-bats this season but has posted a .600 OPS against righties while delivering a .929 OPS against lefties.

Royals catcher Salvador Perez is out of the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers.

It's just the second time this season that Perez hasn't been behind the plate for the Royals. He has hit .306/.316/.459 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 111 at-bats. Drew Butera, who was acquired by the Royals Thursday, is getting the start and batting ninth.

The Royals are underdogs (+140) in Detroit Saturday, per VegasInsider.com.

The Tigers made a late change to their lineup for Friday's game. Alex Avila was scratched from the lineup, and James McCann will take his place at catcher, per MLive. 

Avila suffered a right forearm contusion in the eighth inning of Thursday's game, which will keep him out of the lineup, the team announced. 

If recent lineups are any indication, the starting job could be slipping away from scuffling Angels catcher Chris Iannetta.

Iannetta has been benched for the third time in four games for the Friday night game against Houston. Carlos Perez is set to start instead.

Iannetta did himself no favors with another hitless performance Thursday. He is 1-for-25 over his last eight games and owns a .091/.197/.106 slash line on the year.

Catcher Chris Iannetta is back in the starting lineup for the Angels on Thursday. Iannetta sat out the last two games while rookie Carlos Perez drew the start. The veteran Iannetta is hitting an ugly .094 on the year, and has gone 0 for 5 lifetime against Astros' starter Collin McHugh.

With a right-hander slated to toe the rubber for the Royals on Thursday, Indians manager Terry Francona has produced a heavy lefty-hitting lineup.

David Murphy returns to the starting lineup as the designated hitter, while Nick Swisher gets a rest after playing in two straight since returning from a DL stint.

Michael Bourn, who will be benched against lefties for the near future, was back in the lineup batting seventh and playing center field. 

Switch-hitter Jose Ramirez slides in at shorstop to replace Mike Aviles. The Indians' lineup contains just one natural right-handed hitter, catcher Roberto Perez.

Angels catcher Carlos Perez made such an impression on his ballclub, and the sport, with his walk-off heroics on Tuesday, that there was very little doubt whether or not the rookie would be back in the lineup on Wednesday.

Well, he was. And despite going 0 for 3, questions are starting to arrise in regards to how manager Mike Scioscia will divide the playing time between Perez and incumbent starter Chris Iannetta, according to The Orange County Register.

“We're going to need them both, so whatever it turns out to be, it turns out to be. ... Obviously when a guy plays well, you can earn more playing time,” Scioscia said.

Perez, who is just 24 years of age, was hitting well in Triple-A before his call-up, owning a very impressive .361/.418/.556 batting line in 17 games. Perez also threw out his first baserunner on Wednesday night, after recording seven in Triple-A this year.

Meanwhile, Iannetta has been struggling at the Major League level, hitting just .094 with one extra base hit entering play on Thursday. The Angels will likely give Perez several good looks behind the plate in the coming weeks.