MLB Player News

Red Sox manager John Farrell said Thursday he should have a better idea by the weekend about the Opening Day status of catcher Christian Vazquez (elbow) and closer Koji Uehara (hamstring), per The Boston Globe.

Farrell added Vazquez will catch a minor-league game Friday. Vazquez said Thursday he has no doubt he will be ready by Opening Day.

"I'm going to be ready," he said, per WEEI.com.

Uehara will throw off flat ground Thursday. Farrell hopeful Uehara will throw a bullpen session this weekend.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia announced Drew Butera will be the backup to starting catcher Chris Iannetta, per The Orange County Register. He beat out Carlos Perez for the backup role.

Butera, who is out of options, is batting .143 (3 for 21) with one double, one home run and three RBI in nine spring games.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons denied a previous report that he wanted Josh Thole to make the club to catch knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, and general manager Alex Anthopoulos did not, according to Sportsnet.ca.

Thole is hitting .333/.423/.429 through 21 Grapefruit League at-bats.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez will test his elbow by catching in a minor league game on Saturday, per the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. 

Vazquez was sidelined for five days with soreness in his throwing elbow. He was able to bat in a minor league game on Wednesday but didn't play the field. 

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons is considering having Josh Thole catch knuckleballer R.A. Dickey during the 2015 season, per Sportsnet.ca.

"If (Russell) Martin catches 130 games, he maybe more valuable with the other four starters," Gibbons said.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez logged four at-bats in a minor-league game on Wednesday, and did not serve as a catcher, according to the Boston Globe. Vazquez has been sidelined for five days with a sore throwing elbow. He's expected to spend some days in minor-league games before he's cleared for Grapefruit League games.

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez has been sidelined for four days with a sore throwing elbow, according to the Boston Herald.

He threw on the side on Monday and will get a few at-bats in minor-league games the next few days before he is cleared for big-league games. He's targeting a return on Friday, according to the Boston Globe. 

Vazquez has three hits in his first 14 spring at-bats.

Royals manager Ned Yost was considering having Erik Kratz as a personal catcher for one of the pitchers in the team's rotation as a way of having built-in days off for starting catcher Salvador Perez. However, Yost is no longer going to use that plan.

"Just not going to happen," Yost said Wednesday, per MLB.com."I talked to my staff and decided that's not what we want to do. We'll pick spots and give Sal a day off. We'll look for days -- a Saturday off or a Sunday. We just decided to go that way."

Yost added it will be up to the coaching staff to make sure Perez, who appeared in a career-high 150 games in 2014, gets time off in 2015.

"You got so many off-days early in the season," Yost said. "[The rest] comes into play about June, July and August. But then in September, that's it [for days off] unless we have a big lead."

Tigers catcher James McCann, who is vying for a spot on the roster as a backup to Alex Avila, allowed a passed ball during Thursday's spring game against the Braves. After the game, McCann was very critical of his play and vowed to make sure no more pitches skip by him. 

McCann's relentless work ethic is one trait that manager Brad Aumus likes about the 24-year-old catcher.

"I don't have to worry about him working," Ausmus said Thursday, per the Detroit Free Press. "I think Mac does an excellent job. He is very alert. His head is into the game at all times. He understands that his value is greater on the defensive side of the game than it is when he is standing in the batter's box. That's not to say he doesn't take his hitting seriously.

"I think he has a chance to be a very good major-league catcher. I'm more concerned about how he handles a staff, how he calls a game, how he blocks balls in the dirt (than his ability to throw out runners)."

Indians catcher Yan Gomes' first hit of the spring came on a two-run home run during Cleveland's 9-3 Cactus League win over the Reds. 

Gomes went yard in the fifth inning off of Reds pitcher Burke Badenhop. 

Thursday's showing was a good sign that Gomes is picking up where he left off in 2014, when he recorded a batting average of .278 and hit 21 home runs.