MLB Player News

Gomes went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Royals.

After missing more than two months with a shoulder and knee injury, Gomes drilled a go-ahead homer in his first at-bat since July 17. It was one of the few highlights in an otherwise disappointing season for Gomes, who batted a lowly .167/.201/.327 with 69 strikeouts and just nine walks in 264 plate appearances. The 29-year-old's numbers have been trending down since 2013, making him a dicey fantasy option as he approaches his thirties.

Contreras went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a walk in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Reds.

Contreras helped keep the game close with his fourth-inning RBI single and eighth-inning solo homer, both of which trimmed Cincinnati's lead to one. Chicago then rallied for four runs in the ninth for its 103rd win of the year. Contreras played a key role in his team's success this year, slashing .282/.357/.488 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI in 283 plate appearances. The 24-year-old rookie excelled after his call-up in mid-June and should be locked in as the Cubs' starting backstop next year.

Indians manager Terry Francona said Sunday that Gomes could be included on the club's ALDS roster, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports.

Gomes was activated from the DL on Friday after a lengthy absence due to a separated shoulder and fractured wrist. However, he's still not fully comfortable hitting just yet. The Indians included Gomes in the lineup behind the plate for their regular-season finale Sunday against the Royals, so that may serve as a testing ground to see what Gomes is capable of doing in the batter's box. If Gomes is included on the ALDS roster, the Indians would likely carry three catchers as a safeguard against another injury setback.

Realmuto is not in the lineup for Sunday's season finale against the Nationals, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Realmuto will rest for a second straight day as the Marlins' season comes to a close. Barring a pinch-hit appearance, he will finish the season having posted a .300/.343/.428 batting line with 11 home runs and 12 stolen bases, both career highs, while Tomas Telis will step in behind the plate.

Perez (knee) is in Sunday's lineup against Cleveland, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports.

Perez wasn't expected to play Sunday, so his presence in the lineup comes as a bit of a surprise. However, he won't be starting behind the dish. Instead, he'll serve as the Royals' designated hitter and hit cleanup.

Maldonado will yield Sunday's season-finale start behind the plate to Andrew Susac.

Susac will bat seventh for the Brewers, while Maldonado will finish the season having gathered just a .202/.332/.351 batting line with eight home runs over 76 games. It's unlikely he fits the mold of a starting catcher for the Brewers moving forward, and it wouldn't be surprising if he returns to a backup role in 2017.

Vazquez is a candidate to be the backup catcher, ahead of Ryan Hanigan and Bryan Holaday, for the Red Sox in their postseason series against the Indians, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports.

A couple of factors have Boston manager John Farrell considering Vazquez, who seemingly fell out of favor during the regular season when his offense didn't match his defense. The catcher has thrown out 45.1 percent of would-be base-stealers during his career, a skill that might be useful against a Cleveland team that leads the American League with 134 steals. A second factor is his work with Eduardo Rodriguez, presumed to be the team's third or fourth starter in the playoffs. In the left-hander's last two starts, which featured Vazquez as his battery mate, Rodriguez has struck out 22 batters in 10.1 innings.

Bethancourt (intercostals) threw a bullpen session Saturday, Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports reports.

Manager Andy Green is reportedly "intrigued" by Bethancourt's ability on the pitching mound, having seen him throw 96 mph without any work on his mechanics. A catcher by trade, Bethancourt's arm strength is unquestionably his strongest asset. He has hit just .223/.253/.318 in 153 games at the major league level, but it doesn't sound like the Padres are planning to have him focus exclusively on pitching -- they may instead try to develop him into a catcher/outfielder/pitcher hybrid player.

Perez (multiple injuries) is not expected to play Sunday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

He has not started a game since the Royals were eliminated from postseason contention Wednesday, and it sounds like Perez is indeed done catching for the year. Manager Ned Yost revealed Saturday that Perez has a sore knee and a hamstring strain, so he will get a head start on his offseason and rest his legs for a few months before pitchers and catchers report.

Realmuto is not in Saturday's lineup against the Nationals, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

Given how weak the catcher position is, Realmuto will easily finish the year as a top-10 option at the position. His .303 batting average was aided somewhat by a .357 BABIP (career .323 BABIP), but the 11 homers and 12 steals seem like reasonable benchmarks moving forward, as he won't turn 26 until March 18. Jeff Mathis will start behind the dish and hit eighth.