MLB Player News

Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez made a big impact in his second major-league game Friday, an 8-3 win over the Astros.

Vazquez went hitless in his major-league debut Wednesday, but made up for it Friday. He was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two doubles. He drove in runs with each of those doubles, finishing the game with three driven in during the win.

Vazquez is now 3 for 7 in his first two major-league games. 

The Indians got a big performance from catcher Roberto Perez in his major-league debut Thursday, in a 9-3 win over the Yankees.

Perez reached base three times in the win, going 2 for 3 with a walk. He added a home run and two RBI, while scoring twice.

Perez spent two days on the roster before getting his first action, so it is not clear how much playing time he might find moving forward. 

Royals catcher Salvador Perez came through in a big way Wednesday against the Rays.

With his team trailing by two, Perez stepped to the plate with two men on in the top of the ninth inning. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Perez belted a 91 mph fastball out to left for the go-ahead blast. The Royals hung on to win the game, making Perez the hero.

Perez finished 2 for 5, with two runs scored and three RBI. 

The Red Sox have been giving Brandon Workman and Rubby De La Rosa some looks in the rotation, and now they have decided to inject some youth on the other end of the battery. They promoted catcher Christian Vazquez from Triple-A Pawtucket on Wednesday, and he will ostensibly get the bulk of the playing time in the aftermath of A.J. Pierzynski getting designated for assignment.

It's Vazquez's defensive skills that likely earned him the promotion, but he does show some promise with the bat. He has demonstrated an ability to make contact and draw walks, though those skills hadn't translated all that well to Triple-A Pawtucket. Vazquez will be hard pressed to replicate his .279 batting average from Pawtucket in the majors, and with little power or speed, he will need to at least come close to have value even in deeper Fantasy formats.

If you need a replacement for, say, Joe Mauer or Pierzynski in an AL-only league, Vazquez will probably be your best waiver option, just on the promise of frequent playing time alone. In mixed league formats, though, you can almost certainly find several more promising options. Owners in dynasty leagues should keep in mind Vazquez's long-term potential as an on-base threat, even if he struggles in his initial exposure to major league pitching.

The Red Sox are set to callup catcher Christian Vazquez from Triple-A Pawtucket Wednesday, after A.J. Pierzynski was designated for assignment.

Manager John Farrell confirmed the move as lineups were released for Wednesday's game against the White Sox, and they had Vazquez in the starting lineup. The 23-year-old was hitting .279/.336/.385 at Triple-A Pawtucket this season. 

The Indians have made a flurry of moves, including the placing of starter Justin Masterson on the disabled list with a knee issue.

They have promoted catcher Roberto Perez and left-handed reliever Nick Hagadone from Triple-A Columbus and demoted outfielder Tyler Holt .

Perez will be making his first trip to the big leagues. He leads the Clippers in batting at .305 with eight home runs and 43 RBI.

Indians catcher Yan Gomes went 1 for 3 with a solo home run in his team's 5-3 loss to the Yankees Monday.

Gomes' eighth-inning home run brought his team to within two, but it was the closest they would get before taking the loss. The catcher has smacked home runs in back-to-back games. Gomes owns a .270/.313/.446 line with 11 home runs and 33 RBI in 267 at-bats.

On Sunday, Major League Baseball revealed the American League reserves for the 2014 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis.

The following players were selected as reserves:

C Salvador Perez, Royals
C Derek Norris, Athletics
C Kurt Suzuki, Twins
1B Jose Abreu, White Sox
1B Victor Martinez, Tigers
1B Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
1B/OF Brandon Moss, Athletics
2B Jose Altuve, Astros
SS Alexei Ramirez, White Sox
3B Adrian Beltre, Rangers
OF Yoenis Cespedes, Athletics
OF Alex Gordon, Royals
OF Michael Brantley, Indians

On Sunday, Major League Baseball revealed the American League starting lineup for the 2014 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 15 at Target Field in Minneapolis. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters was voted as a starter, but Royals catcher Salvador Perez will take his place behind the plate for the game. Other injured players will likely be replaced on the roster moving forward.

The following players were selected as starters by the fans:

OF Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (leading vote-getter)
OF Mike Trout, Angels
OF Adam Jones, Orioles
1B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B Robinson Cano, Mariners
SS Derek Jeter, Yankees
3B Josh Donaldson, Athletics
C Matt Wieters, Orioles
DH Nelson Cruz, Orioles

RHP Yu Darvish, Rangers
RHP Max Scherzer, Tigers
RHP Felix Hernandez, Mariners
RHP Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees
LHP Jon Lester, Red Sox
LHP David Price, Rays
LHP Scott Kazmir, Athletics
LHP Mark Buehrle, Blue Jays
LHP Sean Doolittle, Athletics
RHP Greg Holland, Royals
LHP Glen Perkins, Twins
RHP Dellin Betances, Yankees

Indians catcher Yan Gomes went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer and a double in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Royals. The home run traveled 406 feet to center.

Gomes upped his average to .269, with 10 homers and 32 RBI in 264 at-bats.