MLB Player News

Diaz is not starting Saturday against the Mets.

Diaz owns a poor .449 OPS since the All-Star break. Jacob Stallings will catch for Chris Archer, as he's done for Archer's last 11 starts.

Gallagher is not starting Saturday against the Twins.

Gallagher hits the bench after starting five of the last seven games and homering in back-to-back contests. Meibrys Viloria will call the pitches in his absence.

Vazquez is not in the lineup for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Yankees.

He returned from a bruised knee Friday, going 1-for-3 with a strikeout. Sandy Leon will start at catcher and bat ninth.

Gallagher went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 11-9 loss to the Twins.

The backstop went yard for the second straight game, although Gallagher only has three homers on the year. The 26-year-old has been productive to begin the second half, slashing .351/.442/.649 over his last 12 games, and while he won't maintain that pace, he could have fantasy value even in shallower formats as he handles the bulk of the workload behind the plate for the Royals.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 7-3 win over the Angels.

That's now three homers in the last three games and a career-high 19 on the season for the 30-year-old backstop. In fact, Perez is only two more long balls away from doubling his career total, as he came into the year with 21. His .240/.325/.490 slash line limits his value in shallow fantasy formats, but as long as he keeps taking advantage of the juiced ball, he'll have a spot on active rosters in most leagues.

Maldonado went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, two runs scored and a walk in Friday's 10-2 win over the Mariners.

Maldonado started behind the dish for the second consecutive game and provided the third of six Astros homers on the night. The catcher has seven homers, 29 runs scored and 18 RBI in 80 games between the Royals, Cubs and Astros this season. Maldonado is not expected to overtake Robinson Chirinos for the majority of starts, but he provides a solid veteran depth option off the bench for the Astros.

Hedges isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers.

Hedges will head to the bench after going 0-for-2 with a walk in Thursday's series opener. Francisco Mejia is set to handle the catching duties and hit seventh in Hedges' absence.

Garver isn't in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Royals, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Garver will take a seat for the second straight day. As a result, Jason Castro gets the call behind the plate and is set to bat eighth.

Stubbs was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Stubbs is set to serve as the backup catcher Friday evening after the Astros announced that Robinson Chirinos is unavailable due to shoulder soreness. Stubbs has appeared in eight games this season for Houston and is 4-for-25 with two RBI and a stolen base over that brief stretch.

Manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Sanchez (groin) is "very close to being an option," Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez has been going through fielding and catching drills and will do some on-field running Saturday. According to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, the 26-year-old said he has no pain or discomfort and also caught a bullpen session. A return sometime next week appears to be a possibility for the Yankees' catcher.