Christian Vázquez
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MLB Player Data
DateNewsComment
Jun 2 2024Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez remains the Twins' No. 2 catcher, but he picked up starts in three of the previous five games while Minnesota deployed top backstop Ryan Jeffers at designated hitter on three days he didn't start behind the plate. Jeffers will serve as the Twins' catcher for the series finale in Houston while Alex Kirilloff slots in as the DH, leaving no room in the lineup for Vazquez. The 33-year-old has struggled mightily at the dish in his second season in Minnesota, slashing .161/.179/.196 over 119 plate appearances while striking out at a career-worst 25.2 percent rate.
Apr 28 2024Vazquez went 3-for-4 with one run scored and one steal in Sunday's win over the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After hitting just .121 (4-for-33) with a home run through his first 11 games, he's hitting .474 (9-for-19) over his last five games. He continues to split playing time behind the plate with Ryan Jeffers, with Jeffers frequently getting starts at DH when Vazquez is behind the dish.
Apr 6 2024Vazquez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers have alternated starts at catcher over the first eight games of the season, and the latter will start Saturday. Vazquez has started the season going 2-for-10 with two RBI.
Apr 2 2024Vazquez is starting at catcher and batting ninth Tuesday in Milwaukee. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He and Ryan Jeffers have split the catching duties in the first four games of the season, with Jeffers drawing an additional start at designated hitter. Vazquez is the far less desirable fantasy option of the two, but the 33-year-old should have a much better season in 2024 than during a 2023 campaign in which he produced a .598 OPS.
Mar 30 2024Vazquez started at catcher and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday's win at Kansas City. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez struggled at the plate last season by hitting just .223 with little power (.095 ISO) and a paltry .280 OBA, so it was good to see him have a good first game of the season with a key RBI late in the game. He also threw out Bobby Witt, Jr. on a steal attempt late in the game as well. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the plan is to roughly split playing time at catcher with Ryan Jeffers as the Twins aim to keep both players fresh.
Feb 18 2024Vazquez worked at Driveline Baseball in the offseason to improve his bat speed and has his weight down to 208 pounds from 215 pounds as he seeks improved fitness entering the spring, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said the Twins plan to about equally split playing time at catcher even with Vazquez's disappointing 2023 season at the plate, according to the report. Vazquez hit just .223 with little power (.095 ISO) and a paltry .280 OBA last season. Some hope for a rebound can be gleaned from the fact that he's alternated productive and abysmal seasons at the plate throughout his career.
Oct 4 2023Vazquez is absent from the lineup Wednesday for Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series versus the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers basically alternated starts at catcher during the regular season, but it's been Jeffers behind the plate for each of the first two games of the postseason. The only tweak the Twins made in their lineup from Game 1 to Game 2 was flip-flopping Jeffers and Matt Wallner in the batting order, with the former moving down to eighth and the latter up to seventh.
Sep 21 2023Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over Cincinnati. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez reached base three times Wednesday and came around to score the Twins' second run in the top of the eighth after leading off the inning with a double. The backstop then stole his first base of the season in the ninth before coming home a second time on a Jorge Polanco single, giving Minnesota a 5-3 lead. Vazquez had failed to record a hit in his previous four games coming in and is still batting just .194 in September following the two-hit performance.
Sep 19 2023Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest in Cincinnati. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started Monday's series opener but will begin this one on the bench. Ryan Jeffers will do the catching for Kenta Maeda.
Sep 5 2023Vazquez went 2-for-2 in Tuesday's 8-3 win over Cleveland, drawing two walks and hitting a solo homer. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Breaking out of a 1-for-22 slump over his previous seven games played, Vazquez reached base in all four plate appearances Tuesday, including a sixth-inning solo shot that tied the ballgame at 3-3. The 33-year-old backstop is now hitting .222 with six home runs, 28 RBI and 30 runs scored across 88 games (304 plate appearances) on the season.
Aug 30 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Twins' catching timeshare has tilted in favor of Ryan Jeffers of late, leaving less playing time available for Vazquez. The 33-year-old will be on the bench Wednesday for the fourth time in the last six games.
Aug 28 2023Vazquez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers alternated the starts over the last seven games, but the pattern will break Monday, as Jeffers will get the nod behind the plate for the second time in as many days.
Aug 27 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will sit out the day game after a night game, affording Ryan Jeffers a turn behind the plate. After he entered the series versus Texas with a five-game hitting streak, Vazquez went 0-for-7 over his two starts against the Rangers.
Aug 23 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though he's on the bench for the day game after a night game, Vazquez may have supplanted Ryan Jeffers as the Twins' preferred catcher for the time being. Vazquez started behind the dish in four of the previous five contests and went 6-for-16 with a home run, two doubles, five runs and two RBI.
Aug 22 2023Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez notched his fourth long ball of the season and his first since July 26 on Tuesday, taking Wade Miley yard in the second inning to bring Kyle Farmer in to score. Though Vazquez has been a poor source of power this season, he's been a quality bat since the All-Star Break (21 games), batting .274 with 10 runs scored and nine RBI while striking out at an 18.4 percent clip.
Aug 20 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will hit the bench after he went 5-for-12 with two doubles and four runs while starting behind the dish in each of the last three contests. Ryan Jeffers wasn't available for either of the last two games due to back soreness, but now that Jeffers has been cleared to start Sunday, Vazquez could find himself back in a timeshare at catcher.
Aug 15 2023Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's the second straight game on the bench for Vazquez, who has a .259/.271/.397 slash line in 17 contests since the All-Star break. Ryan Jeffers is working behind the plate and batting sixth Tuesday.
Aug 9 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers continue to alternate starts behind the dish, and it'll be the latter's turn to catch Wednesday. Since the All-Star break, Vazquez has been a serviceable performer with a .256 average, two home runs and seven RBI in 13 games, but being stuck in a timeshare with Jeffers limits his overall fantasy upside.
Aug 7 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will give way to Ryan Jeffers behind the dish for the series opener. The two backstops have now alternated starts at catcher over the last eight games.
Aug 1 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game at St. Louis, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started the past two games but will take a seat for Tuesday's series opener. Ryan Jeffers will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Pablo Lopez.
Jul 27 2023Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's loss against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez jumped on the first pitch he saw from Bryce Miller in the bottom of the third and launched it over the wall in left-center field to give the Twins their first run of the game. The catcher then added an RBI single with two outs in the sixth to bring Minnesota back within one run of Seattle and finished the day with three hits for only the third time this season. The home run was just Vazquez's third of the year, though two of those long balls have come within his last seven games. He's batting .363 over that seven-game stretch with five RBI and four extra-base hits.
Jul 25 2023Vazquez isn't in the Twins' lineup Tuesday against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 1-for-3 with an RBI on Monday, Vazquez will get a breather for Tuesday's contest. Ryan Jeffers will take over behind the dish and bat eighth.
Jul 23 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll get a breather for the day game after going 2-for-3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run while playing all nine innings behind the dish in Saturday's 3-2 win. Ryan Jeffers will draw the start at catcher in the series finale.
Jul 21 2023Vazquez is not in the lineup for Friday's contest against the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Twins will go with Ryan Jeffers behind the plate as the club continues to rotate starts with their catchers since the All-Star break. Vazquez is just 4-for-32 at the plate so far in July.
Jul 19 2023Vazquez is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He and Ryan Jeffers have alternated starts at catcher since the All-Star break and it will be Jeffers catching Kenta Maeda in this one. Vazquez went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in Tuesday's contest.
Jul 17 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers have now alternated turns behind the plate through the Twins' first four games out of the All-Star break. A rough timeshare between the two could remain in place for the foreseeable future, but Vazquez isn't likely to fade from the picture completely after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Twins over the winter.
Jul 15 2023Vazquez will sit Saturday against the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has made 19 more starts behind the plate than Ryan Jeffers this season, but the pair have had a much more even split in recent weeks. Vazquez continues to struggle at the plate, posting a .551 OPS for the year and a .433 OPS over his last 22 games.
Jul 8 2023Vazquez will be on the bench Saturday as the Twins host the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is ahead of Ryan Jeffers in the pecking order behind the plate, but not by much. In the last 20 games, Vazquez has the edge in starts by an 11-9 margin. Jeffers' .801 OPS is far better than Vazquez's .561 mark, however, so there's no guarantee Vazquez remains the top option in the second half.
Jul 5 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a breather in the series finale after starting behind the plate Monday and Tuesday while going 1-for-8 with a run scored. Ryan Jeffers will form a battery with starting pitcher Pablo Lopez on Wednesday.
Jul 2 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Twins and Orioles are wrapping up their series with a day game that begins at 12:05 p.m. ET, so Vazquez will get a breather after catching all nine innings of Saturday's 1-0 win. Ryan Jeffers will check in behind the dish Sunday.
Jun 30 2023Vazquez is not in the starting lineup Friday versus the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will take a seat after he went 0-for-4 with two walks and a strikeout while starting two games during the team's series with Atlanta. Ryan Jeffers will draw the start at catcher and bat seventh in the series opener with Baltimore.
Jun 26 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has submitted a palatable .708 OPS thus far in June, but that hasn't been enough for him to gain sole possession of No. 1 catching duties from Ryan Jeffers, who has been swinging a hotter bat of late. The two backstops have now alternated starts over the last eight games.
Jun 24 2023Vazquez isn't in the Twins' lineup Saturday against Detroit. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's been a tough season for Vazquez, but he's turned it around as of late by going 4-for-13 with a homer and five RBI across his last five games. He'll sit Saturday while Ryan Jeffers starts behind the dish and bats eighth.
Jun 22 2023Vazquez is not in Thursday's lineup against the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is hitting .206 with one home run, three runs and five RBI in 14 games this month. Ryan Jeffers will start behind the dish and hit seventh.
Jun 20 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup Tuesday versus the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez slugged a three-run homer and drew a walk in Monday's series opener against his former team, but Ryan Jeffers will take a turn behind the plate and bat eighth for the Twins on Tuesday.
Jun 19 2023Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk Monday in a loss to the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez accounted for all of Minnesota's runs in the contest with his three-run shot in the fifth inning. It was the first long ball in what has been a poor offensive campaign for the backstop, as he's posted a .224/.299/.286 slash line over 164 plate appearances. Vazquez went deep 23 times for Boston in in 2019 but hasn't exceeded double-digit homers in any of his other eight major-league campaigns.
Jun 17 2023Vazquez will hit the bench Saturday against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was the Twins' clear primary catcher early in the season, earning 32 starts to Ryan Jeffers' 17 over the first 49 games. Since then, however, both backstops have started 11 games. Vazquez is hitting just .220/.293/.255 on the year and has gone 1-for-20 at the plate over his last eight games, so an uptick in playing time doesn't appear imminent.
Jun 13 2023Vazquez is not in the starting lineup Tuesday versus the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will take a seat after he went 0-for-7 with two strikeouts while starting twice during the Twins' three-game series with Toronto. Ryan Jeffers will draw the start behind the plate and bat sixth in the series opener with Milwaukee.
Jun 10 2023Vazquez will sit Saturday against the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started consecutive games behind the plate Thursday and Friday, ending a streak in which he and Ryan Jeffers alternated starts for over two weeks. The playing-time split between the pair remains relatively equal, with Jeffers taking over again Saturday. Jeffers owns a 136 wRC+ this season while Vazquez has struggled to a 65 wRC+, so if the balance of power shifts, it seems unlikely to shift in Vazquez's direction.
Jun 7 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez continues to work in a roughly even timeshare with Ryan Jeffers at catcher. The two backstops have now alternated turns behind the plate over the past 14 games, drawing seven starts apiece.
Jun 2 2023Vazquez isn't in the Twins' lineup Friday against Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has collected four hits over his last two games, but Ryan Jeffers will get the nod instead and bat sixth Friday. Vazquez and Jeffers have alternated starts since May 23.
May 29 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game in Houston. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Ryan Jeffers will check in at catcher for Vazquez, who was behind the plate for Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays. The two backstops have now made three starts apiece over the past six games and could be moving into more of a timeshare arrangement with Vazquez slashing just .223/.296/.250 through his first 125 plate appearances with the Twins.
May 27 2023Vazquez is not in the starting lineup Saturday versus the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will take a seat after he went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in Friday's series opener. Ryan Jeffers will take over behind the plate and bat seventh against Toronto.
May 24 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll be receiving some routine maintenance in the series finale after catching both of the past two days. Ryan Jeffers will spell Vazquez behind the plate Wednesday.
May 21 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Angels, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is 6-for-17 in his past four games but has just a .433 OPS in May, and he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale in Anaheim. Ryan Jeffers will work behind the plate and bat ninth.
May 16 2023Vazquez is not in the starting lineup against the Dodgers on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has gone 5-for-9 over his last two games while seeing his average rise from .212 to .245 in the process, but he'll take a seat against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on Tuesday. Ryan Jeffers is starting behind the plate and hitting sixth.
May 13 2023Vazquez will sit Saturday against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez finds himself on the bench for the second time in three games. His bat has gone cold recently, as he's hit .098/.174/.098 in his last 13 games. Ryan Jeffers will take over behind the plate.
May 11 2023Vazquez will take a seat Thursday versus the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a breather after he went 0-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts while starting the last three games behind the plate. Ryan Jeffers will take over at catcher and bat ninth in the series finale.
May 6 2023Vazquez will sit Saturday against Cleveland, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez sits in favor of Ryan Jeffers after starting seven of the last nine games behind the plate. He hasn't exactly earned such a heavy workload, hitting a modest .237/.310/.276 on the season. If Jeffers can maintain something close to his small-sample .801 OPS, it's possible Vazquez starts to lose playing time, but there's been no indication that's about to happen.
May 3 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran catcher appears to be receiving a routine day off. With Vazquez sitting out, Ryan Jeffers will start behind the plate.
Apr 29 2023Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Ryan Jeffers will catch and bat eighth in the afternoon tilt versus the Royals and right-hander Brad Keller. Vazquez should get the start behind the plate for the Twins in Sunday's series finale.
Apr 5 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is getting some routine maintenance while the Twins conclude their series in Miami with a day game after a night game. Ryan Jeffers will draw the start at catcher in place of Vazquez, who will most likely be back behind the dish for Thursday's series opener with the Astros.
Apr 2 2023Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez caught both of the Twins' first two games of the season, registering a pair of two-hit games. He remains atop the Twins' depth chart at catcher, though he'll get a breather Sunday with Ryan Jeffers getting a turn behind the dish in the series finale.
Mar 31 2023Vazquez started at catcher and went 2-for-4 in Thursday's season-opening win over Kansas City. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez should be the primary catcher for the Twins, with the only question being how much playing time backup Ryan Jeffers will receive. The 32-year-old Vazquez slashed .274/.315/.399 with nine home runs, 52 RBI, one stolen base and 41 runs scored over 119 contests last season between Boston and Houston.
Mar 1 2023Vazquez (illness) will serve as the Twins' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While recovering from an illness, Vazquez wasn't available for the Twins' first three days of Grapefruit League play, but he made his spring debut in Tuesday's 10-7 win over Atlanta, going 0-for-3 while catching four innings. Vazquez apparently checked out fine after the contest, so he'll be back in lineup a day later in a purely offensive role.
Feb 25 2023Vazquez was scratched before Saturday's spring game against Tampa Bay due to flu-like symptoms, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was set to be in the starting lineup, but he was replaced by Ryan Jeffers shortly before game time. While his illness shouldn't be a worry for his Opening Day status, it's reassuring to hear it wasn't something more serious. Vazquez should slot in as Minnesota's starting catcher after signing as a free agent following an impressive 2022 season across stops in Boston and Houston. The 32-year-old backstop slashed .274/.315/.399 with nine home runs, 52 RBI, one stolen base and 41 runs scored over 119 contests.
Dec 12 2022Vazquez agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with the Twins on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will immediately slot in as Minnesota's starting catcher following an impressive 2021 season across stops in Boston and Houston, though he was much better with the Red Sox. The 32-year-old backstop slashed .274/.315/.399 with nine homers, 52 RBI, one stolen bag and 41 runs scored over 119 contests.
Oct 5 2022Vazquez went 1-for-1 with a solo homer in Wednesday's win over the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez entered the game in the sixth inning and crushed a solo home run in the seventh to extend the Astros' lead to 3-0. It was a nice finish to the regular season for Vazquez, who came into the game hitting just .161 since the start of September. It was also his first home run since July 22.
Sep 25 2022Vazquez went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's 6-3 win over Baltimore. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez doubled and scored in the third inning before knocking a two-run single in the 11th. It was his second multi-hit game of the month and he's now hitting .143 with three RBI through 12 September appearances. On the year, Vazquez is slashing .274/.316/.394 with 50 RBI and 30 extra-base hits through 113 games.
Sep 16 2022Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Thursday against the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez entered Thursday's start hitless across his last 22 at-bats. However, he snapped out of the slump with an RBI double in the fourth inning, knotting the game at 2-2. Vazquez has been disappointing since joining the Astros at the trade deadline, hitting just .233 with six RBI and five runs scored across 73 at-bats.
Sep 14 2022Vazquez will start at catcher and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With top backstop Martin Maldonado resting for the day game after a night game, Vazquez will draw just his fifth start of September. The 32-year-old catcher is hitting .246 with no extra-base hits in 22 games since being acquired from the Red Sox on Aug. 1.
Aug 13 2022Vazquez will sit Saturday against Oakland, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez doesn't appear to have claimed the starting catcher job just yet after moving to Houston at the deadline, as he's now been on the bench for three of the last four games. Martin Maldonado will make another start behind the plate Saturday.
Aug 11 2022Vazquez is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will be on the bench for a second straight game. He has gone 2-for-12 with no extra-base hits since joining the Astros at the beginning of the month. Martin Maldonado will start behind the plate and bat ninth versus Texas.
Aug 10 2022Vazquez will sit Wednesday versus the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a breather after he went 1-for-3 in Tuesday's win. Martin Maldonado will start at catcher and bat ninth against Texas.
Aug 7 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will take a seat for the day game after a night game, allowing Martin Maldonado to receive a turn behind the dish. Through his first three games for Houston since being acquired from Boston at the trade deadline, Vazquez has gone 1-for-8 at the plate.
Aug 5 2022Vazquez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez finds himself on the bench for the third time in four games since being acquired by the Astros. The 31-year-old should take over as Houston's primary backstop at some point, but it appears he'll split time with Martin Maldonado for the time being.
Aug 4 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game at Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez made his first start for Houston on Wednesday and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, and he'll take a seat for Thursday's series opener. Martin Maldonado will work behind the plate versus the Guardians.
Aug 2 2022Vazquez will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was sent from Boston to Houston on Monday while the two teams were about to start a series at Minute Maid Park. Vazquez has been on the bench for his first two games with his new team, but that's presumably due to the fact that he's not yet settled into his new surroundings, as his .759 OPS dwarfs incumbent primary catcher Martin Maldonado's .582 mark.
Aug 1 2022Vazquez was traded to the Astros from the Red Sox on Monday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's not yet clear who will head to Boston in the deal, but the Astros will have a new primary catcher the rest of the way.
Jul 27 2022Vazquez started at first base, batted fifth, and went 1-for-3 with an RBI in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This was Vazquez's fourth start of the season at first base and third in the last 14 games, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora seeks to buttress the black hole that has been first base in 2022. The catcher is enjoying a bounce-back season, hitting .277 with eight home runs, 18 doubles and a .756 OPS over 77 games. He told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com that he got carried away after bashing 23 home runs in 2019, trying to replicate that production, which led to a lot of flyball outs and a .659 OPS in 2021. At the urging of coaches, he's returned to an approach that stresses line drives. That can be seen in his batted-ball profile, which indicates an increased line-drive rate from 22.4 percent to 26.8 percent and a decreased flyball rate from 28 percent to 21.9 percent.
Jul 22 2022Vazquez went 3-for-4 with two solo homers in Friday's 28-5 loss to Toronto. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Red Sox were manhandled Friday but it didn't stop Vazquez from producing one of his best performances of the year. He took Kevin Gausman deep with a solo shot in the fourth inning and then hit another solo home run against Jeremy Beasley in the sixth. It was Vazquez's first multi-homer game of the year and he's up to eight long balls on the year. He's slashing .281/.324/.442 with 26 extra-base hits and 38 RBI through 75 games.
Jul 14 2022Vazquez isn't starting Thursday's game against the Rays, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started in the last six games and hit .222 with a homer, three doubles, four RBI, three runs and six strikeouts. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the plate and bat seventh.
Jul 10 2022Vazquez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run and RBI in an 11-6 win against the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez tagged New York starter Jameson Taillon for a solo shot in the third inning and tacked on an RBI double followed by a run in the fifth. The backstop has now tallied three multi-hit games through eight July contests and is 10-for-34 with two doubles and a homer.
Jul 9 2022Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI in Friday's 12-5 loss to the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez continued a hot stretch with another three hits. He's hit safely in 13 of 14 games since June 21, slashing .400/.464/.560 with five RBI and seven runs scored.
Jul 7 2022Vazquez will sit Thursday versus the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a breather after he went 2-for-11 with a walk in the series versus Tampa Bay. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the plate and bat ninth Thursday.
Jul 2 2022Vazquez isn't starting Saturday against the Cubs, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 8-for-18 with two doubles, four runs and two RBI. He'll get a breather while Kevin Plawecki starts behind the dish and bats eighth.
Jun 25 2022Vazquez isn't starting Saturday's game against the Guardians, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started in the last five games and went 7-for-18 with two homers, three doubles, five RBI and four runs. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the plate and bat ninth Saturday.
Jun 22 2022Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His seventh-inning blast off Andrew Chafin provided the Red Sox with their final run of the night, and an insurance run they wound up needing after the Tigers nearly closed the gap in the ninth. Vazquez has suddenly found his power stroke, going 4-for-10 over the last three games with two doubles, two homers and five RBI, and the surge has pushed his slash line on the season up to .273/.314/.409 with four home runs and 29 RBI through 52 contests.
Jun 19 2022Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, a double and two runs scored in Sunday's 6-4 win over St. Louis. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez doubled and scored in the seventh inning before putting the Red Sox up 6-1 with his three-run shot in the eighth. It was his third home run of the year and first since May 24. He'd been stuck in an 8-for-47 (.170) slump through 12 games in June entering Sunday's contest. Vazquez is now slashing .271/.315/.388 with 14 extra-base hits and 27 RBI.
Jun 15 2022Vazquez isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez drew the start in Tuesday's series opener against Oakland and went 1-for-4 with a run. He'll be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games while Kevin Plawecki starts behind the dish and bats eighth.
Jun 12 2022Vazquez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is hitting .167 with zero home runs and one steal in nine games this month. Kevin Plawecki is starting behind the dish and hitting ninth.
Jun 3 2022Vazquez is not in Friday's lineup against the Athletics. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He is hitting .444 with one home run and zero steals over his last 10 games. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
May 31 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Reds, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started at catcher in each of the Red Sox's last three games, so he's likely just receiving some routine maintenance Tuesday. Kevin Plawecki replaces him behind the dish, batting eighth in the lineup.
May 28 2022Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in a 4-2 loss to the Orioles in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was one of two Red Sox batters to record multiple hits in this contest. The catcher also knocked in their first run, playing Trevor Story with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Vazquez has a trio of three-hit efforts in his last five games. He's lifted his slash line to .292/.339/.389 with two home runs, 19 RBI, 10 runs scored and five doubles through 124 plate appearances this year.
May 25 2022Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Tuesday's 16-3 win over the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez drilled a three-run blast in the fifth inning and extended a hitting streak to six games (9-for-20). Following a .217 April, the catcher is slashing .314/.375/.451 over 56 plate appearances during the current month.
May 22 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mariners, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will receive some maintenance after he caught each of Boston's last four games while going a collective 5-for-14 with a double, three RBI and a run. Kevin Plawecki will step in for Vazquez behind the plate, forming a battery with starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.
May 17 2022Vazquez will sit Tuesday against the Astros, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez finds himself on the bench for the second time in three games and his third time in the last six contests. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the plate.
May 15 2022Vazquez is not in Sunday's lineup against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He is hitting .250/.344/.357 with zero home runs and zero steals in nine games this month. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat ninth.
May 11 2022Vazquez isn't starting Wednesday against the Rangers, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started in the last three games and went 3-for-12 with a double, two RBI, a run, a walk and three strikeouts during that time. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the dish and bat eighth Wednesday.
May 6 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the White Sox, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is 4-for-22 over his past eight games and finds himself on the bench for the second straight contest. Kevin Plawecki, who has also struggled offensively this season with a .333 OPS, will start behind the plate in his place.
May 5 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Angels, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Red Sox and Angels are concluding their series with a day game, so Vazquez will receive a routine breather after he went 0-for-3 with a walk while serving as Boston's catcher in Wednesday's 10-5 loss. Kevin Plawecki will relieve Vazquez behind the dish Thursday.
May 3 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Angels, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will retreat to the bench after going 2-for-10 with a double while catching in three of the Red Sox's previous four games. Kevin Plawecki will be behind the dish for Tuesday's series opener.
Apr 30 2022Vazquez isn't starting Saturday against Baltimore, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started in the last two games and went 1-for-6 with a strikeout. Kevin Plawecki is starting behind the dish and batting eighth.
Apr 25 2022Vazquez isn't starting Monday against the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started in the last four games and went 2-for-13 with an RBI and three strikeouts. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish after being reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
Apr 20 2022Vazquez (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was placed on the COVID-19 IL on Tuesday but will quickly rejoin Boston's active roster. He'll remain out of the lineup Wednesday with Connor Wong starting behind the plate for the Red Sox.
Apr 19 2022The Red Sox placed Vazquez on the COVID-19-related injured list Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez becomes the second Red Sox catcher to land on the COVID-19 IL in the last two days after Kevin Plawecki was deactivated Monday. Connor Wong was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Monday and tentatively steps in as Boston's No. 1 catcher, with the backstop set to make his first start of the season Tuesday against the Blue Jays, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Boston has yet to officially add another catcher to the roster to serve as Wong's understudy, but Ronaldo Hernandez suggested in a post on his Instagram account that he'll be called up from Triple-A to fortify the position group, per Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican. Abraham also notes that Vazquez is vaccinated, so he'll be eligible to join the Red Sox for next week's series in Toronto if he clears MLB's testing protocol in timely fashion.
Apr 18 2022Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and two RBI in Monday's loss to the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez drove in Alex Verdugo on a groundout in the bottom of the fifth inning before later going deep for a solo homer off Jhoan Duran in the seventh. The homer was his first of the season after he had six last year. The catcher also added a single in the ninth, giving him his first multi-hit effort of the campaign.
Apr 17 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started the past three contests and will take seat for the day game in Sunday's series finale. Kevin Plawecki will work behind the plate in his place.
Apr 12 2022Vazquez is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tigers, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll sit for the second time in three games, likely due to the early start time (1:10 p.m. ET) for Tuesday's contest. Kevin Plawecki will check in behind the dish for Vazquez, who is off to a 2-for-10 start to the season and has yet to produce any counting statistics.
Mar 30 2022Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's spring training game against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has had a quiet spring, going 3-for-15 through six Grapefruit League games. It's not going to impact his role as Boston's primary catcher, but the spring results are continuation of down season in 2021. He strung together a couple of good seasons in 2019 and 2020, when his bat was good enough to slot in at designated hitter at times, but his ISO fell to .094 last year.
Nov 7 2021The Red Sox picked up Vazquez's club option for 2022 on Sunday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is in line to serve as Boston's primary catcher once again in 2022 after his $7 million option was picked up. He appeared in 138 games during the 2021 campaign and slashed .258/.308/.352 with six homers, 51 runs, 49 RBI and eight stolen bases.
Oct 22 2021Vazquez will sit for Game 6 of the ALCS against the Astros on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has hit .290/.313/.419 with one homer through 10 playoff games. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the plate Friday, catching Nathan Eovaldi.
Oct 16 2021Vazquez isn't starting Game 2 of the ALCS against Houston on Saturday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez drew the start in the series opener and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the dish and bat eighth.
Oct 10 2021Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 6-4 win over the Rays in Game 3 of the ALDS. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez came off the bench in Sunday's matchup but still saw plenty of work since the game lasted 13 innings. His walkoff homer in the 13th frame was his first long ball of the postseason, and he's now gone 4-for-13 with a homer, four RBI and two runs across four appearances since the playoffs began.
Oct 5 2021Vazquez will be on the bench for Tuesday's wild-card matchup against the Yankees, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vasquez closed the season on a down note, hitting .161/.206/.290 across his last 12 games. Kevin Plawecki will be the one to catch for Nathan Eovaldi on Tuesday.
Sep 30 2021Vazquez isn't starting Thursday's game against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has gone hitless with an RBI and a walk across his last 10 plate appearances, and he'll be out of the lineup for a second straight game. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
Sep 29 2021Vazquez isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started each of the last two games and went 0-for-5 with an RBI. Kevin Plawecki (foot) will return to the lineup at catcher and bat seventh.
Sep 25 2021Vazquez will sit Saturday against the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez sits after starting three straight games behind the plate. He's been in good form thus far in September, hitting .315/.351/.463 in 16 games. Kevin Plawecki will spell him behind the plate.
Sep 19 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started the first two games of the series and will take a seat for the finale after going 2-for-7 with a double, a walk and two runs. Kevin Plawecki will operate behind the plate Sunday.
Sep 15 2021Vazquez isn't starting Wednesday's game against Seattle, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will be out of the lineup for a second straight game, but he should be available off the bench after he appeared as a pinch hitter in Tuesday's win. Kevin Plawecki will start at catcher and bat eighth.
Sep 14 2021Vazquez is taking a seat Tuesday against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 31-year-old will get the night off after starting Monday. He has recorded at least one hit in each of his last six starts. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate and is batting seventh.
Sep 12 2021Vazquez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez gets the afternoon off after catching Saturday night's extra-inning win and going 2-for-3 with a double. Kevin Plawecki starts behind the dish and bats eighth Sunday.
Sep 8 2021Vazquez isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Rays, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a day off after he went 2-for-10 with two runs, an RBI and a strikeout across the last two games. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the plate and bat sixth.
Sep 5 2021Vazquez is on the bench for Sunday's game against Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has heated up a bit recently, hitting .297 with two extra-base hits and three RBI in his last 10 games. Kevin Plawecki is catching and batting fifth in Sunday's series finale.
Sep 3 2021Vazquez is taking a seat in Friday's matchup versus Cleveland, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher is receiving a routine day off after starting the last four games. Kevin Plawecki is starting behind the plate and batting sixth.
Sep 1 2021Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI in Wednesday's victory over the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher opened the scoring in the game with a second-inning RBI single, scoring teammate Alex Verdugo. He then delivered a game-tying solo blast in the seventh inning off of Rays reliever Colin McHugh. Vazquez collected multiple hits for the third time in his last seven contests, but overall his triple slash on the season of .258/.312/.663 are his lowest numbers since 2018.
Aug 29 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll be getting a breather after starting in each of the past five games while going 5-for-18 at the dish. Kevin Plawecki is catching for starting pitcher Tanner Houck in the series finale.
Aug 23 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rangers, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Though Vazquez caught each of the Red Sox's last three games, he had the benefit of a de facto off day Sunday, when Boston's series finale with Texas was postponed due to the expected impact of Hurricane Henri. Vazquez will still get another day to rest up, allowing Kevin Plawecki to work in a battery with starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on Monday.
Aug 21 2021Vazquez (knee) is starting Saturday's game against the Rangers, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was removed from Friday's contest after he took a foul ball off the top of his left knee, but he'll be back in action Saturday. The 31-year-old has gone 1-for-7 with a double, a run and two strikeouts across the last two games.
Aug 17 2021Vazquez is not starting Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a breather after going 2-for-3 with a solo homer during the first half of the twin bill. Kevin Plawecki will work behind the plate and bat seventh during the nightcap.
Aug 14 2021Vazquez was activated off the bereavement list Saturday and will bat eighth and start behind the plate against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had been away from the team since Wednesday, but he'll be back in the lineup to catch Chris Sale in the lefty's return from Tommy John surgery. Connor Wong will return to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move.
Aug 11 2021Vazquez was placed on the bereavement list Wednesday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was held out of Wednesday's lineup versus the Rays, and he'll actually be away from the team for a few days to spend some time with his family. Connor Wong was promoted from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move to bolster Boston's catching depth.
Aug 8 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started both games of Saturday's doubleheader -- one at catcher and one at designated hitter -- and he'll receive the day off for the series finale. Kevin Plawecki will work behind the plate Sunday.
Aug 5 2021Vazquez is not starting Thursday's series finale in Detroit, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old has hit well in his last six games, going 9-for-24 with only two strikeouts. That being said, only one of Vazquez's hits in that span went for extra bases, and he still hasn't hit a home run since June 27. Kevin Plawecki is catching and batting sixth Thursday.
Jul 28 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Blue Jays, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started Game 1 behind the plate and went 0-for-3. Kevin Plawecki will catch for Tanner Houck in the nightcap and bat seventh.
Jul 24 2021Vazquez isn't starting Saturday's game against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had started each of the last three games, and he went 1-for-11 with an RBI, a walk and five strikeouts. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the plate and bat seventh.
Jul 20 2021Vazquez (knee) is batting ninth and catching Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: One day off was apparently enough for Vazquez to recover from a banged-up knee. He's been unremarkable offensively since the start of July, hitting .225 with no home runs and just two RBI in 11 games.
Jul 18 2021Vazquez won't play Monday against the Blue Jays after he took a foul tip off his right knee in Sunday's 9-1 loss to the Yankees, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez felt stiff and sore after Sunday's contest, so he doesn't expect to be in the lineup in Monday's series opener. However, the backstop is hopeful that he'll be able to return to action Tuesday after a day off. Kevin Plawecki could take over behind the dish Monday.
Jul 6 2021Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Monday's 5-4 win over the Angels that Vazquez would be out of the lineup Tuesday for rest purposes, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has caught each of the past four days, so his planned absence comes as little surprise. Reserve backstop Connor Wong is slated to step in for Vazquez behind the dish, catching for probable starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.
Jul 1 2021Vazquez will sit Thursday against the Royals, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez gets a rest after going just 1-for-11 at the plate over his last three games. Connor Wong gets the start behind the plate in his absence.
Jun 30 2021Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 7-6 win over the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez managed just one hit but reached base twice after he was safe on a fielder's choice in the seventh. He would end up taking second for his eighth stolen base of the year, which already represents a season high in steals for him. The 30-year-old backstop is slashing .266/.310/.365 with four homers, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored and a 16:51 BB:K over 261 plate appearances.
Jun 27 2021Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a sacrifice fly in Sunday's 9-2 win over the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher has gone 7-for-13 with a home run, four RBI and a stolen base in his last four games. Vazquez has lifted his batting average to .269 with three straight multi-hit efforts. He's added four home runs, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored and seven stolen bases through 253 plate appearances this year.
Jun 26 2021Vazquez isn't starting Saturday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had multi-hit efforts in each of his last two games, and he went 4-for-6 with an RBI, a stolen base, a walk and a strikeout during that time. He'll get a breather while Connor Wong starts behind the dish and bats ninth.
Jun 24 2021Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a stolen base Thursday in a loss to Tampa Bay. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was responsible for half of Boston's four hits, singling off Michael Wacha in the fifth inning and Ryan Thompson in the seventh. He also nabbed his seventh stolen base in eight attempts this season. Through 66 games overall, the 30-year-old is slashing .259/.302/.351 with three home runs and 29 RBI across 245 plate appearances.
Jun 20 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday at Kansas City, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez went 3-for-8 with a double and two strikeouts through the first two games of the series and will receive a breather in the finale. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the plate and bat ninth in his place.
Jun 18 2021Vazquez (illness) went 3-for-4 with a double in Friday's 5-3 loss to Kansas City. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher didn't ultimately miss a game after exiting Wednesday's contest versus Atlanta with a stomach illness. Vazquez has hit well in June, going 16-for-50 (.320) in his last 14 games. He's slashing .267/.310/.367 with three home runs, 12 doubles, 28 RBI, 27 runs scored and six stolen bases across 226 plate appearances.
Jun 16 2021Vazquez was removed from Wednesday's game against the Braves in the seventh inning with a stomach illness, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In an odd scene at Truist Park, Vazquez went to the clubhouse mid-inning immediately after a flyout and was promptly replaced by Kevin Plawecki. More details about his condition figure to come out following the game.
Jun 13 2021Vazques is not in the starting lineup Sunday against the Blue Jays, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a well-earned rest after starting each of Boston's previous eight games. Kevin Plawecki will work behind the plate and bat eighth Sunday.
Jun 10 2021Vazquez went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored in Thursday's 12-8 win over Houston. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had a pair of RBI singles, and he was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. Thursday was the catcher's fifth three-hit game of the season. The 30-year-old is slashing .259/.300/.360 with three home runs, 27 RBI, 25 runs scored and five stolen bases across 203 plate appearances.
Jun 8 2021Vazquez remains on the bench for Tuesday's game against Houston, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Tuesday marks just the second time all season that Vazquez has been on the bench for consecutive games. It's possible he's dealing with an unreported minor injury, but he could simply be getting a rest after struggling to a .452 OPS over his last 11 games. Kevin Plawecki will make another start behind the plate in his absence.
Jun 7 2021Vazquez will sit for Monday's game against the Marlins, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez sits after starting three straight games. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the plate, catching Nick Pivetta.
Jun 3 2021Vazquez will sit Thursday against the Astros, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has handled a very heavy workload behind the plate this season, with his 42 starts ranking second among all backstops. He'll get a rest during Thursday's afternoon contest, with Kevin Plawecki taking over in his absence.
May 29 2021Vazquez isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Marlins, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had started in each of the last four games and went 1-for-13 with three RBI and six strikeouts during that time. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
May 22 2021Vazquez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Phillies, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez hits the bench after going 5-for-13 with a homer and five RBI over his last three games. Kevin Plawecki starts behind the plate in his absence.
May 21 2021Vazquez went 2-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored in Friday's win over the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has hit safely in three straight contests and has recorded two hits in each of his last two appearances. The backstop has had a few up-and-down performances of late, and he has hit 18-for-60 during the current month with 13 RBI.
May 19 2021Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 7-3 win over Toronto. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The catcher produced an RBI with a groundout in the first inning. He also added a solo shot in the eighth. Vazquez is slashing .252/.301/.363 with three homers, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored and four stolen bases through 146 plate appearances this year. He's trimmed his strikeout rate to 17.8 percent this year compared to 22.8 percent last year, but it hasn't led to any extra success at the plate.
May 16 2021Vazquez is not in the lineup Sunday versus the Angels, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started the previous six games and will receive the day off for Sunday afternoon's series finale. Kevin Plawecki will step in behind the plate and bat eighth for Boston.
May 9 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is presumably getting a routine breather for the day game after he caught four of Boston's past five games. Kevin Plawecki checks in behind the dish for Vazquez, who should be back in the lineup for Monday's series finale in Baltimore.
May 6 2021Vazquez isn't starting Thursday's game against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vaquez had started each of the last two games and went 4-for-9 with a double, two RBI, a run, a walk and three strikeouts during that time. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat eighth.
May 2 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Texas, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll get a routine day off in the series finale, clearing the way for Kevin Plawecki to pick up a start behind the dish. Vazquez has handled one of the heavier workloads among all catchers this season, starting all but six of the Boston's 27 games.
Apr 29 2021Vazquez went 1-for-3 with an RBI double in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: In an old-fashioned pitching duel, Vazquez's run-producing double in the fourth inning was the game's only offense. Though he entered Wednesday's game with no extra-base hits and a .143 average (7-for-49) over a span of 13 games, Vazquez drove a Jacob deGrom fastball the opposite way to score Xander Bogaerts. He's now hit safely in three of his last four games.
Apr 24 2021Vazquez isn't starting Saturday's game against the Mariners, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had started each of the last six games and went 4-for-22 with two runs, two walks and three strikeouts during that time. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish Saturday, batting ninth.
Apr 20 2021Vazquez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in Monday's 11-4 win over the White Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was part of Boston's six-run first inning, when a line of six consecutive batters recorded hits off Chicago starter Lucas Giolito. His opening-frame single snapped an 0-for-15 skid, and this strong performance raised the veteran catcher's batting average to .308.
Apr 18 2021Vazquez is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader against the White Sox, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old finds himself on the bench for the second straight game as he is 0-for-10 in his past three appearances, leaving Kevin Plawecki to receive another start. Vazquez should return to the lineup for Game 2 later Sunday.
Apr 17 2021Vazquez isn't starting Saturday's game against the White Sox, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez went 0-for-6 with a walk, one run and a strikeout in the past two games. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the plate Saturday, batting ninth.
Apr 14 2021Vazquez isn't in the lineup for Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Twins on Wednesday, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has gone just 2-for-14 with a run, one RBI and three strikeouts in the past three contests. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat ninth for the first game of Wednesday's twin bill.
Apr 8 2021Vazquez went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and a stolen base Thursday against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has hit very well to start the season, with Thursday's effort marking his third multi-hit effort in his last four games. Even more surprising has been Vazquez's aggressiveness on the basepaths, as he stole third base in the first inning to record his second steal of the campaign. At a light-hitting position, Vazquez has stood out as a potential difference maker early on.
Apr 7 2021Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, an additional RBI and an additional run scored in Wednesday's win over the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez went deep in the fourth inning off Ryan Yarbrough, but his contributions didn't stop there -- the backstop also added an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth and later came around to score on a throwing error from shortstop Willy Adames. Vazquez went hitless in his first two games but has picked things up since then, assembling a four-game hitting streak while recording three multi-hit games during that span.
Apr 6 2021Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a walk, stolen base and a solo home run Tuesday against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez led off the ninth inning with a solo home run off Diego Castillo to tie the game. It was his first home run of the season. Earlier in the game, he reached base on a walk and proceeded to steal second base in a double steal with Xander Bogaerts. Vazquez has gotten off to a strong start to the campaign, recording two multi-hit efforts in four starts.
Apr 4 2021Vazquez went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Sunday's 11-3 loss to the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez and J.D. Martinez accounted for five of Boston's six hits in the final game of a bad opening series for the Red Sox. He was back in the lineup Sunday following a rest day Saturday and is expected to play Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Kevin Plawecki starting Wednesday's day game after a night game, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com.
Apr 3 2021Vazquez is not in Saturday's lineup against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish and bat ninth. Vazquez went 0-for-2 with a walk in Boston's opener Friday.
Mar 29 2021Vazquez (eye) remained out of the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, but he was able to catch teammate Eduardo Rodriguez's (arm) bullpen session, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez isn't quite back to 100 percent after he suffered an eye laceration and contusion last week that required stitches, but the Red Sox remain fairly confident that he'll be ready to go for Thursday's season opener versus the Orioles. The backstop will have his stitches removed early in the day Thursday, and if that extraction goes as planned, he should be cleared to catch Opening Day starter Nathan Eovaldi.
Mar 28 2021Manager Alex Cora said Sunday that Vazquez (eye) has "a really good chance" of being ready for Opening Day, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez is back with the team after recently leaving camp to tend to a personal matter, but he's still in the process of recovering from the left eye contusion and laceration he suffered last week. He appears to have made good progress on that front, with Cora indicating that Vazquez could be ready to appear in a "B' game Monday. If that's the case, Vazquez would likely be on track to catch Nathan Eovaldi in the April 1 season opener versus Baltimore.
Mar 27 2021Vazquez (personal/eye) returned to camp Saturday and looks better, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez was away from the team while attending to a personal matter, and he's also dealing with an eye contusion and laceration after being hit in the face during batting practice earlier in the week. Manager Alex Cora is confident that Vazquez will be available for Opening Day, and the catcher reportedly looked better following his brief absence from camp.
Mar 26 2021Vazquez will return to camp Saturday after attending to a personal matter and will undergo additional testing on his left eye, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old is nursing an eye contusion and laceration after being hit in the face during batting practice earlier this week, and he's currently away from the team due to the personal issue. Manager Alex Cora continues to express confidence the eye issue is a minor concern, and Vazquez is expected to be ready for Opening Day against the Orioles on Thursday.
Mar 25 2021Vazquez (eye) is okay after getting hit in the face during batting practice and is expected to be ready for Opening Day, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez suffered an eye contusion and laceration after an accident that resulted in him being hit in the face by a ball. However, manager Alex Cora said the team is confident that he will be okay for the start of regular season action.
Mar 17 2021Vazquez went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk in Tuesday's spring game against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has hit safely in four straight Cactus League games and six of seven. He's made himself into a much better hitter since his early days in MLB when he came up as a defense-first backstop. The 30-year-old catcher's hard-hit rate has hovered around 40 percent the last two seasons after being below 30 percent during his first three seasons. That's made him a viable option as a DH, putting his bat in the lineup when he gets a break from catching. Vazquez, who appeared in 138 games in 2019, will be Boston's starting catcher in 2021.
Sep 27 2020Vazquez is not in the lineup Sunday against the Braves, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and four RBI in what was his final start of the season Saturday. He'll likely finish 2020 with a .283/.344/.457 slash line, seven homers and four stolen bases in 47 games. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate in the season finale.
Sep 26 2020Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a grand slam in Saturday's 8-2 win over Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez sent a pitch from Atlanta reliever Grant Dayton into the left-field seats to finish an eight-run rally by the Red Sox in the second inning. Vazquez also had a double in the contest. The catcher is slashing .283/.344/.457 with seven homers, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored and four stolen bases in 47 games this year.
Sep 25 2020Vazquez is not starting Friday against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has a strong .327/.400/.510 slash line over his last 12 games but sits for the second time in three days. Kevin Plawecki gets the nod behind the plate.
Sep 23 2020Vazquez is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez hits the bench despite homering Tuesday. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate in his absence.
Sep 22 2020Vazquez went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's win over Baltimore. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez made the most of his lone hit, blasting a fastball from reliever Evan Phillips straight into left center field. It was Vazquez's sixth homer of the season and eventually iced the game for Boston. This homer pushed Vazquez's hitting streak to three games, and the backstop has been one of Boston's most reliable hitters of late -- he has hit safely in seven of the team's last 10 games with a .292 average (12-for-41) in that span.
Sep 19 2020Vazquez isn't in Saturday's lineup against the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will take a breather after filling the stat sheet in Friday's loss. Kevin Plawecki will take over behind the dish.
Sep 17 2020Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Marlins, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez started the past three games and will head to the bench after going 2-for-11 with a homer, two runs, three RBI and three walks. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate for Boston.
Sep 13 2020Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run, two runs, one walk and one strikeout in Sunday's win against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez hit second in the order against the Rays, and he set the tone for the game with a two-run shot in his first at-bat as the Red Sox cruised to a 6-3 win. The catcher has seen inconsistent time as he's started in three of the last five games. He's hitting .271 with five home runs, 14 RBI and 18 runs this year.
Sep 12 2020Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez has seen his numbers fall off from his career-best .797 OPS last season, though his .718 this year is an acceptable mark for a catcher. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the plate in his absence.
Sep 8 2020Vazquez is out of the lineup for Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against Philadelphia, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez went 4-for-4 during Game 1 of the twin bill, but it's not a surprise he won't be catching both games Tuesday. Deivy Grullon will take over behind the plate and bat seventh in Game 2.
Sep 5 2020Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Saturday's 9-8 win over the Blue Jays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez's three hits were all singles. He scored on a Jackie Bradley homer in the second inning. In the ninth, Vazquez singled, stole second, advanced to third on an error and then beat the throw home on Yairo Munoz's groundball. The three-hit effort gave Vazquez a .266/.321/.403 slash line with four homers, 16 runs scored, 12 RBI and two steals in 35 games this year.
Sep 4 2020Vazquez will be on the bench for the first game of Friday's twin bill against Toronto, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It's no surprise to see that Vazquez won't be asked to start twice behind the plate in one day. Kevin Plawecki gets the nod for the afternoon contest, but Vazquez will likely return to the lineup for the nightcap.
Sep 2 2020Vazquez isn't in Wednesday's lineup against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez recorded hits in each of the past two contests, but he'll get a day off for the series finale against Atlanta. Kevin Plawecki will take over at catcher.
Aug 30 2020Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will be getting a routine breather after starting nine consecutive games, including each of the last four at catcher. Kevin Plawecki will replace him behind the dish, catching for Zack Godley in the series finale.
Aug 19 2020Vazquez (heel) is back in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies, catching and batting sixth, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez left Monday's game against the Yankees with a sore heel and did not take part in Tuesday's contest, though the issue was never thought to be a major one. His return pushes Kevin Plawecki back to the bench.
Aug 18 2020Vazquez (heel) will sit Tuesday against the Phillies, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez left Monday's game against the Yankees early due to heel soreness, so it's no surprise to see him sit for at least one game. Whether or not his absence will extend to multiple games remains to be seen. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate Tuesday.
Aug 17 2020Vazquez went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored Monday against the Yankees. He was removed early due to a sore heel, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez drove home a run in the fourth inning with a single to left center, but he was unable to finish out the game after experiencing heel soreness. He'll be considered day-to-day moving forward and will likely be re-evaluated Tuesday morning to determine his availability for the series opener against the Phillies.
Aug 13 2020Vazquez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will get a break after working behind the plate and going 1-for-8 with a double between Red Sox losses Tuesday and Wednesday. Kevin Plawecki will fill in as Boston's catcher, working in a battery with rookie Kyle Hart.
Aug 10 2020Vazquez isn't starting Monday against the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had started in the past 10 games for Boston, but he'll take a seat after going 1-for-11 with one RBI and seven strikeouts over the past three games. Kevin Plawecki will step in behind the dish and bat sixth Monday.
Jul 30 2020Vazquez went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI and two runs scored Thursday against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez took Steven Matz deep twice, the first a solo shot in the second inning. He followed that up with a two-run home run that just got over the left field fence in the fourth frame. Vazquez has quickly racked up four long balls on the campaign, and has been steady at the dish overall by reaching base nine times in 20 plate appearances.
Jul 28 2020Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will sit for the second time in the season's first five games. Kevin Plawecki takes over behind the plate.
Jul 26 2020Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's loss to the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez didn't appear in Saturday's contest, but he returned with another strong performance and smacked his first home run of the season. The 29-year-old has gone 4-for-7 with two RBI over his first two games this year.
Jul 25 2020Vazquez isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although Vazquez had a dominant stat line in the team's Opening Day win Friday, manager Ron Roenicke elected to exclude him from the starting lineup for Saturday's day game to prevent any injuries during the shortened season. Kevin Plawecki will start behind the dish Saturday, batting eighth.
Mar 14 2020Vazquez is batting .167/.286/.278 over 10 Grapefruit League games. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez exploded for 23 home runs and a career-best .797 OPS in 2019, but the underlying advanced metrics don't indicate much difference than 2018, when he had three homers and a .540 OPS. There's reason to believe Vazquez will regress in 2020, but he's locked down the starting catcher job based on his defensive reputation. If the bat eventually becomes unplayable, the winner of the Kevin Plawecki/Jonathan Lucroy battle to be Vazquez's backup could get an increase in playing time.
Sep 29 2019Vazquez (hamstring) is starting behind the plate and batting sixth Sunday against the Orioles, jJen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez exited Wednesday's contest with left hamstring tightness and didn't start the last three games, but he'll rejoin the starting nine for the season finale. The 29-year-old has enjoyed a quality season with a .274/.319/.477 slash line with 23 homers and 71 RBI in 137 games.
Sep 28 2019Vazquez (hamstring) is not in Saturday's lineup against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He went 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance Friday, and is presumably still available in that capacity. It is unclear if he will be able to return to the lineup for the final game of the season Sunday. Sandy Leon is starting at catcher and hitting ninth.
Sep 27 2019Vazquez (hamstring) will sit Friday against Baltimore. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez left Wednesday's game with hamstring tightness and did not appear in Thursday's contest. It remains to be seen whether he'll make another appearance before the end of the year. Juan Centeno will start behind the plate Friday.
Sep 26 2019Vazquez (hamstring) is not in Thursday's lineup against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While he left Wednesday's game with hamstring tightness, Vazquez would have sat this game even if he were healthy, with it being a day game after a night game. It's unclear if he will be able to return this weekend against the Orioles.
Sep 25 2019Vazquez made a precautionary exit from Wednesday's game at Texas with left hamstring tightness, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez hit a two-run homer during the top of the third inning but did not retake the field for the bottom of the frame. The 29-year-old wasn't expected to start Thursday's contest regardless, but he could return for the final series of the season versus the Orioles this weekend.
Sep 23 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against the Rays, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez had started eight straight games, going 10-for-27 (.370) with three home runs and a 7:5 BB:K across that span. Sandy Leon is starting at catcher and hitting ninth against lefty Blake Snell in this one.
Sep 16 2019Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and five RBI in a 6-3 victory against the Phillies on Sunday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The two long balls ended a drought of 13 straight games without a homer for Vazquez. It was also his first multi-homer game of the season. Vazquez is batting .273 with 21 home runs, 65 RBI, 59 runs and three steals in 451 at-bats this season.
Sep 12 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Blue Jays, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will head to the bench for Thursday's series finale in Toronto after starting the past three games and going 2-for-10 with a pair of strikeouts and a stolen base. In his place, Juan Centeno is starting behind the dish and hitting ninth against righty Clay Buchholz.
Sep 8 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Vazquez will head to the bench after starting the last 19 games -- three of which came at first base -- and posting a .577 OPS in that stretch. Sandy Leon will take over behind the plate and bat eighth Sunday for the Red Sox.
Aug 27 2019Vazquez went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer in a victory over Colorado on Tuesday.
Aug 21 2019Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the Phillies.
Aug 13 2019Vazquez isn't in the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Indians.
Aug 11 2019Vazquez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Angels.
Aug 8 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Angels, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Aug 4 2019Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Yankees on Sunday.
Aug 3 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Yankees.
Aug 1 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday due to a bruised knee, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.
Jul 28 2019Vazquez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees.
Jul 24 2019Vazquez pinch hit for Mitch Moreland and drilled his 16th home run in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Rays.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 23 2019Vazquez is not starting Tuesday<\/a> against the Rays.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 15 2019Vazquez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 14 2019Vazquez made his first career start at first base Saturday and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in an 11-2 loss to the Dodgers.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 13 2019Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 8-1 win over the Dodgers.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 7 2019Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's win over the Tigers.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 7 2019Vazquez started at designated hitter and went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Tigers.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 3 2019Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, two RBI and three runs in a 10-6 victory against the Blue Jays on Tuesday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 3 2019Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Blue Jays.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 30 2019Vazquez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, three RBI and two runs in a 12-8 loss at London Stadium against the Yankees on Sunday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 30 2019Vazquez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, three RBI and two runs in a 12-8 loss against the Yankees on Sunday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 26 2019Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 21 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 21 2019Vazquez went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Friday's win over Toronto.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 19 2019Vazquez is Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe<\/a> Wednesday against the Twins, source reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 17 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against the Twins, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 16 2019Vazquez went 2-for-6 with two RBI in Sunday's victory over Baltimore.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 15 2019Vazquez is not in Saturday's lineup against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 11 2019Vazquez is back behind the plate Tuesday against Texas, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 10 2019Vazquez will sit Monday against the Rangers, Ian Browne of MLB.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 7 2019Vazquez will sit Friday<\/a> against the Rays.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 6 2019Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBI on Thursday against the Royals.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 5 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Royals, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 1 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 31 2019Vazquez is out of the lineup for Friday's game agianst the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 30 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Yankees, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 27 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup<\/a> Monday against Cleveland.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 24 2019Vazquez is not starting Friday<\/a> against the Astros.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 20 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against the Blue Jays, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 18 2019Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Astros.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 18 2019Vazquez went 3-for-4 with two doubles and knocked in Boston's lone run in a 3-1 loss to Houston on Friday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 14 2019Vazquez isn't in Tuesday's lineup against the Rockies, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 8 2019Vazquez is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 11 2018Vazquez (finger) underwent surgery Tuesday, Bill Koch of the Providence Journal reports.Vazquez had what the Red Sox called a successful pinning procedure performed on his right pinkie finger and is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks.
Jul 9 2018Vazquez (finger) will have surgery and is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.It was initially announced that Vazquez would only miss 2-to-3 weeks, so this comes as an unfortunate surprise. Manager Alex Cora said he is fine going forward with Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart as his two catchers while Vazquez is out, but it's certainly possible the Red Sox will target a catcher at the trade deadline.
Jul 9 2018Vazquez (finger) said Sunday that he expects to be sidelined for 2-to-3 weeks, Jordan Wolf of MLB.com reports.The Red Sox didn't provide a concrete timetable for the backstop's absence after playing him on the 10-day disabled list Sunday, but Vazquez seems optimistic that he'll avoid a long-term stay on the shelf. He's scheduled to visit a hand specialist Monday to examine his fractured right pinkie finger, which should provide a better indication if Vazquez's estimation is accurate. Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart will pick up the slack behind the plate while Vazquez is sidelined, with the former expected to handle the larger share of starts.
Jul 8 2018Vazquez (finger) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.Vazquez fractured his right pinkie finger while sliding into second base during Saturday's game against the Royals and could be sidelined for several weeks to the injury, given that the injury is to his throwing hand. The backstop is set to undergo an MRI on Monday, at which point the Red Sox should have a better idea regarding how long Vazquez will be sidelined. While he's on the disabled list, Sandy Leon is slated to take over as Boston's primary catcher, with Blake Swihart likely settling in as the No. 2 option behind the plate.
Jul 7 2018Vazquez fractured his right pinky finger while sliding into second base Saturday, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.The Red Sox will place Vazquez on the disabled list and it seems likely given the nature of the injury (to his throwing hand) that his absence will extend well past the minimum 10 days. Manager Alex Cora said that Blake Swihart, who has started just one game at catcher so far this season, will help out behind the plate. Sandy Leon figures to take on primary duties.
Jul 3 2018Vazquez is not starting Tuesday against the Nationals, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez will sit in favor of Sandy Leon for the third time in four games, suggesting that a changing of the guard could be taking place behind the plate. Leon's relatively unimpressive .254/.295/.412 season line is nonetheless far superior to Vazquez's .216/.254/.307 mark, so it would make sense for the Red Sox to consider a switch.
Jul 2 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against the Nationals, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.Vazquez will sit in favor of Sandy Leon for the second time in three games. Leon's .261/.303/.423 season slash line easily outpaces Vazquez's .217/.255/.308 mark, and he's 8-for-17 over his last six games, so there's a possibility that Vazquez's starting job could be under threat.
Jun 30 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez has been much better at the plate with a .298/.333/.526 slash line over 57 at-bats in June, but still holds a .221 average and .571 OPS for the season. Sandy Leon will take over catching duties Saturday and bat eighth.
Jun 27 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup against the Angels on Wednesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will receive a standard day off after going 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double during Tuesday's victory. In his absence, Sandy Leon will catch Rick Porcello and bat eighth.
Jun 21 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup against the Twins on Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.Vazquez will take a seat after going 0-for-4 during Wednesday's defeat. In his place, Sandy Leon will catch Rick Porcello and bat eighth.
Jun 19 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Twins, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez will head to the bench for what appears to be a regular day off after going 1-for-4 in Sunday's win over the Mariners -- his third start in four games. Sandy Leon will setup behind the dish in this one, hitting eighth.
Jun 13 2018Vazquez is not in the starting nine against the Orioles on Wednesday, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez will receive a day off after going 2-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored during Tuesday's contest. Sandy Leon will pick up a start behind the plate in his stead.
Jun 10 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez's playing time looked to be on the decline about a week ago, but he's since resurfaced as the Red Sox's primary backstop, starting four of the past five games behind the plate before taking a seat Sunday. With Vazquez going 5-for-14 with a home run and two walks over those four contests, it still looks see the larger share of time behind the plate for Boston. Sandy Leon will catch for Rick Porcello in the series finale, however.
Jun 3 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup Sunday against the Astros, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez blasted a solo homer in Saturday's contest but will give way to Sandy Leon behind the plate Sunday. Vazquez is hitting just .191 on the season with a lowly 3.4 percent walk rate.
Jun 2 2018Vazquez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Astros.Vazquez, who entered the game hitting .188, was the unlikely trigger in Boston's come-from-behind win. His seventh-inning home run, his first of the season, tied the game before Andrew Benintendi delivered the go-ahead runs two batters later with a two-run bomb. Vazquez has recently been losing playing time to backup Sandy Leon primarily due to a season-long slump that's kept his batting average below .200 for the last 28 days. Leon, meanwhile, has emerged from his slump and is hitting .253.
May 31 2018Vazquez isn't in Thursday's series opener against Houston, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez will get the day off after going 0-for-4 in Wednesday's matchup against the Blue Jays. Sandy Leon is slated to handle the catching duties and bat eighth.
May 29 2018Vazquez is not in Tuesday's lineup against Toronto, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez will get a breather with Sandy Leon batting eighth and taking over the catching duties in his place. The 27-year-old backstop is 8-for-36 with one RBI and a double over the course of his last 10 games.
May 27 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Braves, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez started the past two games behind the dish, so he'll just be picking up a routine rest Sunday. Sandy Leon will catch for lefty Chris Sale in the series finale.
May 24 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rays, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Despite extending his hitting streak to four games with a 1-for-4 showing at the plate Wednesday, Vazquez will give way to Sandy Leon behind the dish for the series finale. The two have fallen into more of an equal timeshare recently with Leon heating up at the dish in May (.320/.414/.480 across nine games), as both have seen four starts in the Red Sox's past eight games.
May 22 2018Vazquez isn't in Tuesday's starting lineup against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will receive another day of rest after sitting Sunday and having a scheduled day off Monday. The 27-year-old backstop has struggled at the dish through his first 34 games, putting together a .193/.238/.235 batting line.
May 19 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against Baltimore, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.Vazquez has held onto his starting job despite a .191/.238/.235 line through 123 plate appearances. He's always been a glove-first catcher, but no amount of defensive excellence is enough to make a player with that slash line a positive contributor. Sandy Leon, who starts Saturday, is not faring much better, hitting just .193/.241/.255, so Vazquez seems to have a safe job for now, though his fantasy value will remain limited unless he turns things around at the plate.
May 17 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Orioles, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.Vazquez will head to the bench for a breather after starting the past two games behind the dish and going 1-for-6 in those contests. In his stead, Sandy Leon will start at catcher and hit eighth.
May 14 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against Oakland, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez is hitting a mere .179/.230/.217 on the season, but fellow catcher Sandy Leon, who starts Monday, is hitting just .159/.213/.227, so there's no immediate threat to his job. Blake Swihart is also hanging around, but he's been called on to catch just one inning and is hitting just .160/.250/.200, so he's not much of a threat himself.
May 11 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup against Toronto on Friday, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez will retreat to the bench after going 0-for-4 during Thursday's victory over the Yankees. In his stead, Sandy Leon will catch and bat ninth.
May 9 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will receive a standard day off for maintenance purposes after going 1-for-4 during Tuesday's defeat. Sandy Leon will catch Rick Porcello and bat ninth in the order.
May 6 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston reports.Vazquez and Sandy Leon have alternated starts at catcher the last six games, and that trend seems likely to continue all season unless one of the two backstops catches fire at the plate. Though he has contributed more offensively than Leon so far, Vazquez's .193 average and zero home runs in 96 plate appearances have made it difficult to justify rostering him outside of AL-only or two-catcher mixed leagues.
May 4 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup against the Rangers on Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will receive a standard day off after going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI during Thursday's loss. In his place, Sandy Leon will catch and bat ninth. Expect Vazquez back in the lineup Saturday.
May 4 2018Vazquez has a three-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored in Thursday's 11-5 loss to the Rangers.The three-game run pushed Vazquez back up to the Mendoza Line (.200), as the catcher is making nowhere near the impact he did in 2017. His BABIP has tanked this season, so fantasy owners can hang a hat on good luck coming back to Vazquez, but there's also the real possibility that he isn't the .290-hitter we saw in 2017 and closer to the .233-hitter the previous two seasons. At any rate, Vazquez will continue to play regularly, per Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald, as manager Alex Cora indicated no changes are coming for Boston's catchers, which rank last in MLB with a -0.7 WAR.
May 2 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup against Kansas City on Wednesday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will hit the bench following a pair of starts, including a 1-for-6 night during Tuesday's extra-inning loss. In his stead, Sandy Leon will handle the catching duties in Wednesday's matinee series finale.
Apr 29 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez was well overdue for a rest after serving behind the plate for the previous four contests. He'll give way Sunday to Sandy Leon, who will work as the batterymate for Rick Porcello in the series finale.
Apr 24 2018Vazquez is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.Vazquez doubled in Sunday's contest, but his batting average on the season still sits at a lowly .211 mark. He'll head to the bench for a night off, allowing Sandy Leon to pick up a start behind the plate.
Apr 21 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Athletics, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.Vazquez has fallen into a bit of a slump -- going 2-for-18 over his last five starts -- and will have rest day Saturday. Sandy Leon will take over behind the plate for Boston against Oakland, batting seventh.
Apr 18 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.As has been the case so far this season, Vazquez will give way to Sandy Leon behind the dish with Rick Porcello starting for the Red Sox. Vazquez is 11-for-45 (.244) with three RBI through 12 games this season.
Apr 14 2018Vazquez is not in the starting nine Saturday against Baltimore, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.Vazquez heads back to the bench after going 0-for-3 with a walk during Friday's victory to start the series against the Orioles. In his place, Sandy Leon will catch and bat seventh.
Apr 12 2018Vazquez is not in the lineup against the Yankees on Thursday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will occupy a seat on the bench after setting up behind the plate the past three games. In his absence, Sandy Leon will catch Rick Porcello and bat eighth in the order. Expect to see Vazquez back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against Baltimore.
Apr 7 2018Vazquez is out of Saturday's lineup against the Rays, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.This will only be his second day off this season. He is hitting .227 with zero home runs in six games (22 at-bats). Sandy Leon will start behind the dish and hit ninth.
Mar 31 2018Vazquez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays, Steve Carney of Sports Radio 620 WDAE reports.Sandy Leon will receive his first action of the season in Vazquez's place. Last season, Vazquez received 345 plate appearances compared to Leon's 301. That ratio is closer to a 50-50 split than a true starter/backup situation, a scenario which figures to continue this season.
Mar 24 2018Vazquez agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Red Sox on Saturday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.This deal will lock Vazquez up through the 2021 season. There is also a club option for the following year. His salary will increase each season, starting at $2.85 million in 2019, then reaching $4.2 million in 2020 and $6.25 million in 2021. Vazquez is set to make $7 million in 2022 if the team picks up the option, which also includes a $250,000 buyout. Last year, the catcher hit .290/.330/.404 with five home runs and 32 RBI in 99 games.
Mar 20 2018Vazquez is expected to open the season as the Red Sox's top catcher and will regularly bat ninth in the lineup, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Despite hitting .346 from July 29 through the end of the season in 2017, Vazquez will have to settle for a spot at the bottom of the order due to the number of potent bats populating the Boston lineup. The low slotting in the batting order is harmful enough as it is to Vazquez's fantasy prospects, but he also projects to receive fewer plate appearances than most of top catchers around the league due to the team's plans to split the workload between him and Sandy Leon depending on which pitcher is starting on a given a day. With that in mind, Vazquez might not offer much intrigue outside of two-catcher mixed leagues or AL-only formats.
Jan 12 2018Vazquez agreed to a one-year, $1.425 million deal with Boston on Friday, MLB.com's Ian Browne reports.This was the first year of arbitration eligibility for Vazquez. The backstop took over the starting job by the end of last season, slashing .290/.330/.404 with five home runs, 32 RBI and seven stolen bases in 99 games. A BABIP of .348 shows signs of regression, but he should see more action behind the plate as Sandy Leon reverts into a more reserved role this coming season.
Jan 7 2018Vazquez said that he needs to get better at calling a game, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports,Vazquez carries a reputation as an elite defensive catcher, but is still learning the art of pitch sequencing and playing to the strength of a pitcher. He's rebounded nicely from Tommy John elbow surgery in 2015 and emerged as Boston's leading catcher. The 27-year-old essentially split the catching chores with Sandy Leon in 2017, but Vazquez was the much better hitter (.290/.330/.404) and should get the greater share of at-bats in 2018. In addition to his surprising hitting results, Vazquez's arm came back to pre-surgery strength, throwing out 21 of 50 would-be base-stealers.
Oct 8 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Sunday's ALDS Game 3 against the Astros, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez drew the start in Friday's Game 2, going 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Despite his productive performance, he'll head back to the bench in favor of Sandy Leon as the Red Sox look to defend their home field and take Game 3 from Brad Peacock and the Astros.
Oct 5 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Thursday's ALDS opener against the Astros, The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reports.Sandy Leon will set up behind the plate for Game 1 while Vazquez occupies a seat on the bench. Although he's cooled off a little bit as of late, Vazquez has been hitting well this season, slashing .290/.330/.404 with five home runs and 32 RBI, and could receive a start for Friday's contest with left-hander Dallas Keuchel on the mound.
Sep 30 2017Vazquez is starting behind the dish and hitting eighth on Saturday against the Astros, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.He was scratched from Friday's lineup for an unknown reason, but is back in there, so if he was dealing with an injury it was obviously quite minor. Vazquez is hitting .295/.328/.410 with one home run in 61 at-bats this month.
Sep 29 2017Vazquez was scratched from the lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.It's not clear why Vazquez was scratched Friday, but he will not start behind the plate like he was on track to do. Sandy Leon will enter the lineup in Vazquez's place.
Sep 26 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.Vazquez will get the day off after starting three of the previous four games behind the dish for Boston, going 3-for-13 (.231) over that span. Sandy Leon will take over as the team's backstop and hit eighth in his place.
Sep 20 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against Baltimore, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Coming off an 0-for-4 outing Tuesday, the Red Sox will give Vazquez the night to rest. Sandy Leon will serve as the team's backstop and hit eighth while Vazquez heads to the bench.
Sep 19 2017Vazquez made his first start of the season at designated hitter Monday and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Boston's 10-8 extra-inning win over Baltimore.September's roster expansion allows for such luxuries as using a hot-hitting catcher at DH. Vazquez has maintained a credible bat all season, but in the second half is slashing a hefty .344/.387/.508/.895. Those numbers far outpace his career marks, and has allowed manager John Farrell to move up in the batting order.
Sep 16 2017Vazquez is starting at catcher and hitting second Saturday against the Rays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.This is his first time batting higher than sixth this season, but since the typical No. 2 hitter, Dustin Pedroia, is out of the lineup, this may be a one-time thing. For what it's worth, Vazquez is hitting .395/.425/.632 with two home runs in his lat 38 at-bats, so he's the team's hottest hitter.
Sep 14 2017Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo homer in Thursday's 6-2 win over Oakland.Vazquez erased a 1-0 deficit with his fifth long ball of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning. The catcher's put together a nice stretch over his past four games with seven hits and five RBI despite batting in the bottom half of Boston's order.
Sep 13 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the A's, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.After starting two consecutive games, over which he went 4-for-8 with three RBI, Vazquez will get the night off. Sandy Leon will serve as Boston's backstop with Vazquez out.
Sep 9 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.Vazquez will get the day off after starting three of the past four games at backstop, going 3-for-10 over that stretch. Sandy Leon will start behind the dish in his stead.
Sep 3 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.He'll cede catching duties to Sandy Leon after starting three of the previous four contests. With a .330/.382/.489 batting line since the All-Star break, Vazquez is finally starting to gain a little separation in the job battle with Leon.
Sep 1 2017Vazquez had his mask knocked off his face by a backswing during Thursday's 6-2 loss to the Yankees, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez remained in the game after the incident, but it's something the Red Sox will monitor heading into Friday's game. "He continued to check out fine after the back swing by [Gary] Sanchez caught him on the side of the head," manager John Farrell said. "We were taking every precaution in between to maintain his alertness, which he did."
Aug 29 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.Despite going 4-for-4 with a double and a homer in Monday's series opener, Vazquez will head to the bench after starting two of the last three games behind the dish. In his place, Sandy Leon will draw the start at catcher, batting ninth.
Aug 27 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Sunday against Orioles, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Vazquez continues to split time behind the plate with fellow catcher Sandy Leon. Despite the fact that he's hitting .341 during the month of August, Vazquez will concede the start to Leon for the sixth time in the past nine games.
Aug 25 2017Vazquez is not in Friday's lineup against the Orioles, WEEI.com's Evan Drellich reports.Vazquez will give way to Sandy Leon for the second straight game, and fifth time in the last seven contests. Since July 29, Vazquez is hitting .412/.455/.627 with two home runs and seven RBI, and figures to be back in the lineup for Saturday's affair.
Aug 24 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Indians, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's contest, so he'll hit the bench for the second time in three games as Sandy Leon draws another start behind the dish. The Red Sox will continue to deploy Vazquez and Leon in what is seemingly an unpredictable timeshare.
Aug 22 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Tuesday against the Indians, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Vazquez has recorded six hits over his last three starts, but that won't be enough to keep him in the starting nine Tuesday, as Sandy Leon picks up his third nod behind the plate in four games. It's been difficult to predict how the Red Sox's timeshare behind the plate will shake out from week to week, but things have generally favored Vazquez, who is slashing a career-best .290/.331/.730 for the season in addition to providing quality defense.
Aug 20 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.Vazquez will head to the bench for a second straight contest after starting three of the previous four games behind the dish. Sandy Leon will again draw the start in his place, batting eighth.
Aug 19 2017Vazquez is out of Saturday's lineup against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.He has started three of the last four games and is coming off a 3-for-3 effort where he hit a home run and scored three times. Sand Leon will start the dish and hit eighth.
Aug 15 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Cardinals, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will head to the bench for a breather after starting three of the previous four games behind the dish. Sandy Leon will take over backstop duties for the contest, batting eighth.
Aug 13 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will head to the bench for a breather after starting two straight games. With Sandy Leon back to full health, it looks like the two catchers are settling back into their timeshare, with Vazquez still receiving the healthier dose of reps.
Aug 9 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Rays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.After starting seven consecutive games behind the plate while Sandy Leon was nursing a knee injury, Vazquez will surprisingly find himself on the bench for a third straight contest. Manager John Farrell may have just wanted to give Vazquez an extended break in light of the young backstop's heavy workload last week, so it shouldn't be taken as a sign that Leon has emerged as the team's preferred catching option. Both Leon and Vazquez will continue to stick in a timeshare behind the plate, and it remains difficult which of the two will see the brunt of the starts from week to week.
Aug 8 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will take a seat for the second straight game after starting seven consecutive contests behind the dish while Sandy Leon rested his injured knee. Now that Leon is healthy, the two should resume splitting duties behind the dish, though Vazquez should have the slight upper hand.
Aug 6 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the White Sox, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.It's a well-deserved day off for Vazquez, who had been forced to start the previous seven games behind the plate while Sandy Leon rested with an inflamed knee. The increased workload didn't seem to hinder Vazquez offensively, as the backstop went 13-for-27 with five extra-base hits during the string of starts. Manager John Farrell will likely dole out the starts behind the plate more equitably now that he has two healthy catchers on hand, but the timeshare should slightly favor Vazquez due to his superior production this season.
Aug 4 2017Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday's 9-5 win over the White Sox.Vazquez has posted five straight games with multiple hits, raising his batting average 32 points to .283. With Sandy Leon (knee) not expected back until Sunday at the earliest, you can ride Vazquez's hot streak another couple of days.
Aug 2 2017Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and a walk-off three-run home run in Tuesday's wild 12-10 win over Cleveland.The homer was just his second of the year but he made it count, taking Cody Allen deep to straightaway center field on a 3-1 fastball after Mitch Moreland struck out for what should have been the final out of the game but reached on a wild pitch. Vazquez now has four straight multi-hit games, and with Sandy Leon nursing a sore knee the 26-year-old catcher should remain a fixture in the Boston lineup in the short term.
Jul 30 2017Vazquez went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 9-8 extra-inning win over Kansas City.Vazquez singled, doubled and tripled Saturday, his best offensive game in weeks. He entered the game having gone 4-for-37 (.108) over the past 14 games. Hitting is always the concern with Vazquez, who had held his own over the first with a .267 average. He's a prime candidate for regression here in the second half of the season.
Jul 28 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Royals, WEEI.com's Evan Drellich reports.Vazquez will take a seat for the second consecutive game for the first time since mid-June as Sandy Leon draws another start behind the plate. Manager John Farrell is likely rewarding Leon after he blasted a home run during Wednesday's series finale in Seattle. Expect to see Vazquez back at catcher Saturday.
Jul 26 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marines, The Providence Journal's Tim Britton reports.Vazquez will get the day off for the series finale following Tuesday's extra-inning loss. In his place, Sandy Leon sets up behind the plate, batting eighth.
Jul 23 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.With a .177 batting average since the beginning of June, Vazquez's hot start to the season has looked like a distant memory, and may have allowed Sandy Leon to carve out a larger portion in the timeshare at catcher. Leon will be behind the plate Sunday for the fourth time in six games.
Jul 21 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Friday against the Angels, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.Vazquez has just 11 hits in the past 30 games with only one of them going for extra bases. He'll hit the bench for a night off Friday, allowing Sandy Leon to enter the lineup in his place.
Jul 20 2017Vazquez takes a seat for Thursday's series finale against the Blue Jays, Evan Drellich of WEEI.com reports.Vazquez gets a day off from his catching duties following three starts in the past four games, including an 0-for-3 night at the plate during Wednesday's victory. Sandy Leon will take over behind the plate in his stead.
Jul 18 2017Vazquez is out of Tuesday's lineup against the Blue Jays, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.He had started five of the last six games, notching three hits over that span. Sandy Leon will start behind the dish and hit eighth against lefty J.A. Happ.
Jul 16 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup for the first game of the Red Sox's doubleheader with the Yankees on Sunday, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reports.The Red Sox are presumably saving Vazquez for the nightcap, during which he'll catch left-hander David Price. Sandy Leon will receive the nod behind the plate for Game 1.
Jul 15 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com reports.Vazquez will take a seat for Saturday's afternoon contest following a 1-for-3 day at the plate during Friday night's victory. In his place, Sandy Leon sets up behind the plate and hits eighth in the order. With a doubleheader on tap for Sunday, Vazquez will likely start Game 1 while Leon takes on the duties in Game 2.
Jul 8 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Saturday against the Rays, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Friday night and will get Saturday to clear his head as Sandy Leon takes over behind the plate. The 26-year-old is just 4-for-25 over his last seven starts, but offers an attractive defensive option thanks to his ability to pick off base runners.
Jul 6 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rays, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.As is usually the case when Chris Sale trots to the mound, Vazquez will cede the catching duties to Sandy Leon for the evening. The 26-year-old has cooled off considerably after his scorching hot start, as he's just 11 for his past 61 at-bats.
Jul 5 2017Vazquez went 3-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 11-4 win over the Rangers.The 26-year-old had been hitting just .132 (5-for-38) in his previous 10 games, so Tuesday's performance was a welcome sight. He's worked his way into a time share behind the plate with Sandy Leon this year, and while Vazquez doesn't offer much power his .286 batting average on the season is useful in deeper fantasy formats.
Jul 3 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against the Rangers, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Vazquez has just one hit over his last three starts (1-for-14), so he'll get the day off to clear his head as Sandy Leon crouches behind the plate in his stead. He appears to be on the favorable end of a timeshare with Leon for the time being, though that could change if Leon heats up while Vazquez cools off.
Jul 2 2017Vazquez will start at catcher and bat eighth Sunday against the Blue Jays, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.The Red Sox's catching timeshare has favored Vazquez of late, as the 26-year-old will pick up his fourth start in six games Sunday. Though he seems to have inched ahead of Sandy Leon on the depth chart, Vazquez has cooled considerably from his hot start to the season. Over his last nine games, he's gone just 4-for-33 (.121 average) at the dish.
Jun 23 2017Vazquez is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Angels, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.It's the second day off in the past three games for the young catcher, as Sandy Leon gets the start behind the plate. Vazquez is hitting just .205/.416/.211 this month, a contributing factor to his stagnant playing time.
Jun 14 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Phillies, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.After reaching base three times Tuesday, Vazquez's on-base percentage now sits a .356 for the season, but that's still not enough for him to secure a larger portion of the timeshare at catcher. He'll hit the bench for the fourth time in six games, clearing the way for Sandy Leon to make another start behind the dish.
Jun 12 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Monday against the Phillies, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will take a seat for the third time in four games as him and Sandy Leon continue to split time behind the dish. Vazquez remains the better option of the two with his .318/.345/.421 triple slash.
Jun 9 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Tigers, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Vazquez continues to split time with Sandy Leon, who is behind the dish for Friday's contest and batting eighth in the order. In the two games Vazquez started against the Yankees, he went 0-for-7 at the plate with three strikeouts, but he has clearly been an upgrade over Leon thus far in 2017.
Jun 7 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Vazquez will get the day off in favor of Sandy Leon as the Red Sox go up against C.C. Sabathia and the Yankees. The catcher went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's contest, and has been rotating behind the plate with Leon over the course of the season.
Jun 4 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez has been the Red Sox's top-performing catcher this season, but he's still locked into a timeshare with Sandy Leon, who receives the nod behind the plate Sunday. It's unclear what more Vazquez needs to do in order to capture a larger portion of the starts behind the plate, as he's a capable defender and his .373 on-base percentage is nearly 100 points better than Leon's.
Jun 2 2017Vazquez went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run during Thursday's loss to Baltimore.The backstop is in the midst of a mini heater with a 12-for-28 stretch at the dish, four doubles, six RBI and four runs through his past eight games. Vazquez sports a rock-solid .348/.378/.467 slash line for the campaign and has settled into a near 50-50 timeshare with Sandy Leon behind the plate. Still, Vazquez has failed to deliver much punch in the counting stats with just 11 RBI and eight runs over 98 plate appearances.
Jun 1 2017Vazquez went 1-for-4 with a two-run double that provided the cushion in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the White Sox.Savvy fantasy owners understand that Vazquez, a career .233 hitter entering 2017, will not sustain the lofty .341 average he currently possesses this season. But even as the average corrects itself going forward, Vazquez will continue to get turns as the primary batterymate for two of Boston's starters: Drew Pomeranz has a 3.45 ERA in nine starts with Vazquez behind the plate, and Eduardo Rodriguez has a 2.82 ERA in nine Vazquez starts.
May 28 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Mariners, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Despite turning in multi-hit efforts in his last two starts to lift his season batting average to .350, Vazquez will still find himself on the bench for the fourth time in six contests. Vazquez's offensive numbers have been far more impressive than fellow backstop Sandy Leon, but manager John Farrell seems committed to getting both catchers regular work. For that reason, Vazquez may only be worth keeping active in deeper mixed or AL-only leagues.
May 24 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.This marks the second consecutive game Vazquez will watch from the bench, although it's not too surprising given that Texas is trotting southpaw Martin Perez out to the mound Wednesday. Sandy Leon will take over behind the plate in his place.
May 23 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Rangers, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Despite picking up four hits in the past two games, Vazquez will head to the bench for a night off. Sandy Leon will pick up a start behind the dish in his place.
May 21 2017Vazquez went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in Sunday's 12-3 win over the Athletics.Despite hitting .329 on the season, Vazquez has slumped in May and continues to lose valuable playing time to hot-hitting Sandy Leon. A career-high .400 BABIP for Vazquez also points to likely regression. He's strictly a fantasy asset in two-catcher or deep AL-only leagues hitting in a strong Boston lineup.
May 19 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Friday against the Athletics, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal reports.Vazquez is batting below the Mendoza line in his past seven games, so he'll get a night off to get back on track. Sandy Leon will assume catching duties for the evening.
May 17 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cardinals, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Though he went hitless in his start Tuesday, Vazquez remains a surprising source of offense for a potent Red Sox attack, upholding a .345/.381/.466 line over 63 plate appearances. Unfortunately for Vazquez, Sandy Leon has begun to wake up at the plate and has thrust himself back into the timeshare at catcher. Leon will swap into the lineup Wednesday following back-to-back starts by Vazquez.
May 15 2017Vazquez went 2-for-4 to improve his batting average to .364 during Sunday's loss to Tampa Bay.Coming through the minor leagues, it was Vazquez's defensive prowess that garnered the attention, but his bat has also been a real asset to start 2017. His current .364/.407/.491 slash line is impressive. However, splitting time with Sandy Leon hasn't enabled Vazquez to complement the strong ratios with serviceable counting stats. The 26-year-old backstop has just four runs and four RBI, which makes him a low-end fantasy option, at best.
May 12 2017Vazquez is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the Rays, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.The 26-year-old is 4-for-6 career against Alex Cobb, the projected starter for Tampa Bay, but Sandy Leon will get the start instead. Despite Vazquez's outstanding defensive abilities, he continues to split time behind the plate with his power-hitting counterpart, a trend unlikely to subside within the near future.
May 9 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Brewers, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.Vazquez has just one hit over the last four games (1-for-14), so he'll head to the bench to clear his head as Sandy Leon gets the nod behind the dish. Vazquez, known more for his defensive skills, is still off to a healthy start at the plate this season, slashing .333/.362/.467 through 29 games.
May 6 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Saturday against the Twins, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.Vazquez has started the last three games and is 1-for-14 over the past week, yet still has a solid .333 average on the season. He gives way to Sandy Leon behind the plate in what appears to be a routine day off.
May 2 2017Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Orioles, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.Vazquez seemed to have supplanted Sandy Leon as the top catcher in the pecking order, but Tuesday marks the second day in a row that the former will be watching the game from the bench. It's unclear what manager John Farrell's plan on this is moving forward, but Vazquez should continue to get plenty of playing time given his stellar start to the season at the plate (1.032 OPS, four homers).
May 1 2017Vazquez is out of the lineup Monday against the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.With three straight starts heading into the series opener, Vazquez appears to have taken over as the Red Sox's primary option behind the plate, but he'll give way to Sandy Leon on Monday. Vazquez is a top-flight defender, but his 14-for-34 showing at the dish through the first month of the season has been the main reason he's catapulted Leon on the depth chart.
Apr 30 2017Vazquez is in line to start the majority of Boston's games moving forward, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.Manager John Farrell said that Vazquez is going to start behind the plate when Drew Pomeranz, Steven Wright, and Eduardo Rodriguez take the mound for the Red Sox. Meanwhile, Sandy Leon will start when Rick Porcello and Chris Sale head to the hill. Through 10 games this season, Vazquez is hitting .452/.485/.645.
Apr 30 2017Vazquez started Saturday's game making it the first time this season he's caught consecutive games, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez, who went 1-for-4 Saturday, is 14-for-31 (.452) in his first nine starts with the Red Sox winning six of them. He may soon be Boston's primary catcher instead of Sandy Leon who is 2-for-34 over his last 10 games.
Apr 29 2017Vazquez went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Cubs.Vazquez has caught all four of Pomeranz's starts and all three of Eduardo Rodriguez's starts this season and could be in line for more work. Sandy Leon, the team's primary catcher, has slumped with just two hits over his last 35 plate appearances while Vazquez has hit safely in seven of his eight starts.
Apr 16 2017Vazquez will start Sunday against the Rays, Evan Drellich of CSN New England reports.Vazquez is the logical choice to catch for Drew Pomeranz after he guided the left-hander through six strong innings last week.
Apr 11 2017Vazquez went 4-for-4, finishing a home run shy of a cycle, and added two runs and two RBI in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Orioles.A big night for Vazquez, who is not known for his hitting, but is 5-for-5 to start the season. In addition to his offense, Vazquez guided Drew Pomeranz through six strong innings. Try not to be swayed by his hot start; Vazquez is a career .244 hitter that made the roster primarily becuase he's out of minor-league options.
Apr 8 2017Vazquez is in the starting lineup Saturday, catching and batting ninth, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reports.It will be the season debut for Vazquez, currently serving in a backup role to Sandy Leon. The 26-year-old slashed .227/.277/.308 with 12 RBI in 57 games last season, his first since returning from an elbow injury that sidelined his 2015 campaign. Nonetheless, the team is excited about his defensive abilities -- he threw out five potential base stealers in spring training -- so he could be on track for more regular playing time.
Mar 27 2017Vazquez hit a three-run homer and made several key defensive plays in Sunday's game against the Twins.in addition to a late-game homer, Vazquez picked off a runner at second base, caught a runner attempting to steal third and applied a nice tag on a play at the plate. This is the kind of virtuoso performance the Red Sox have been dreaming of since they elevated the catcher to the majors in 2015. Sandy Leon is the starter heading into the season, but make no mistake, Vazquez will catch two out of every five games at a minimum.
Mar 23 2017Vazquez caught for Eduardo Rodriguez in a minor league game Wednesday and helped the left-hander by throwing out two runners trying to steal second base, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.These caught base-stealers don't register on Vazquez's official spring stat log, but the backstop has thrown out four of five would-be base-stealers in Grapefruit League play. His ability to control the running game and framing skills are enough to overcome whatever hitting holes he has. If Sandy Leon's hitting anywhere near last year's level (.845 OPS), Boston can maintain Vazquez on the roster. However, if Leon (career OPS .681) turns back into a pumpkin, the Red Sox would be in a position to call up Blake Swihart from Triple-A Pawtucket. In that case, the organization would view Vazquez as the more long-term option over Leon.
Mar 6 2017Vazquez went 0-for-3 and threw out a base-stealer in Sunday's game against the Braves. He's 2-for-10 with a double and an RBI so far this spring.Seeing the strength come back to Vazquez's arm after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery is significant. The young catcher who threw out 52 percent (15-of-29) of base-stealers pre-surgery in 2014 dropped down to just 35 percent (8-for-23) post-surgery in 2016. His hitting remains suspect, so Vazquez needs to be at his peak defensively, including his ability to control running games. He's expected to open the season in Boston and share catching duties with Sandy Leon.
Feb 9 2017Vazquez picked up an additional 122 at-bats in 37 games during winter league ball in the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico.Vazquez caught several games a week in Puerto Rico, getting a chance to test his throwing arm, which underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in 2015. He reported not feeling the lingering discomfort he felt last season. The 26-year-old catcher is looking for a fresh start in 2017 after last season's odyssey of stops and starts that eventually led to an extended stay in Triple-A. He's out of options this season, which works in his favor as the Red Sox can stash Blake Swihart in the minors while Vazquez and Sandy Leon handle the major-league pitching staff. Of course, Vazquez's bat will be a factor. He worked on rehabilitating his swing late last season with hitting coach Rich Gedman and had an .805 OPS during the month of August, but that dropped to .653 during the regular season in Puerto Rico.
Oct 6 2016Manager John Farrell said Vazquez could start Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Indians, with Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.Vazquez was included on the postseason roster chiefly for his defense and ability to throw out base runners. The erratic but talented Rodriguez posted a 4.50 ERA in 22 innings this year with Vazquez behind the plate, but he fanned 25 in that sample, so it could wind up as a positive pairing.
Oct 2 2016Vazquez 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 Carfado 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, both of which Vazquez has been his battery mate, Rodriguez has struck out 22 batters in 10.1 innings.
Sep 5 2016Vazquez was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday.Pawtucket is out of contention for the International League playoffs, and with the team's season ending Monday, Vazquez will join the Red Sox to provide some extra catching depth. While Vazquez is a difference maker behind the plate in controlling the run game, his porous bat coupled with Sandy Leon's ongoing success means that he likely won't see many starts in September.
Sep 4 2016Vazquez will be called up to Boston prior to Sunday's series finale against the Athletics, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.Adding Vazquez to the roster will give Boston four catchers for the final month of the season as they fight with Toronto and Baltimore for supremacy in the AL East.
Aug 21 2016Vazquez may not return to Boston when rosters expand next month, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez, who is in his first season following Tommy John elbow surgery, has held up well in 2016, though his bat cost him a regular gig with Boston. For Triple-A Pawtucket, he's been making more consistent at the plate, hitting .265 with a .722 OPS in 33 games. If he could hit like that while maintaining his elite defensive abilities in the majors, he'd be Boston's everyday catcher.
Jul 4 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup Monday against the Rangers, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Though Vazquez is still the top option on the Red Sox's catching depth chart, it appears his grip on the gig is loosening. While he remains a strong defensive catcher, Vazquez's anemic .583 OPS has made him close to an automatic out this season. Meanwhile, backup Sandy Leon continues to thrive in a smaller sample, as Sunday's 2-for-4 showing boosted his line to .457/.525/.686 over 40 plate appearances. Leon will earn a second straight start for his efforts, and could displace Vazquez as the starter if his hot hitting continues.
Jul 3 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.It's a routine off day for Vazquez, who started the Red Sox's previous four games. He recorded four base hits during those contests, but is still sitting on a sickly .226/.278/.305 slash line for the season. Sandy Leon will fill in for Vazquez at catcher.
Jun 26 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will hit the bench following a stretch of three starts in as many days at catcher. As expected, the backstop has handled the pitching staff well and has halted the running game by throwing out 7-of-18 would-be base stealers this season, but he's sitting on an ugly .212/.261/.298 line for the season. With that in mind, Vazquez could be at risk of a demotion once Ryan Hanigan (neck) returns from the DL, likely at some point this week.
Jun 21 2016Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez has been showing signs of life at the plate of late, collecting a pair of multi-hit games over his last three starts, but he'll get the day off Tuesday. Sandy Leon will get the start behind the plate in his place and bat eighth against Chris Sale.
Jun 19 2016Vazquez went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in Saturday's 6-2 win over Seattle.Vazquez has been slumping, entering Saturday's game on a 4-for-32 (.125), but had hits that contributed to runs in the fifth and sixth innings. He was given two days off and his work in the batting cage paid off for one game, but can he sustain it? Do the Red Sox have enough firepower to overcome a .220-hitting catcher? At what cost are his elite defensive skills? The question of whether or not Vazquez can hit enough to warrant being Boston's number one catcher will dog him and manager John Farrell all season.
Jun 18 2016Vazquez was not in the lineup Friday for a second straight game and used the downtime to work more aggressively with Boston's hitting coaches, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports. "We felt he needed to address some things from a timing standpoint at the plate," manager John Farrell said. "He's been scuffling."Part of the rationale to sit Vazquez stems from manager John Farrell's desire to pair Friday night's starter, Roenis Elias, with catcher Sandy Leon. The two have worked together at Triple-A Pawtucket for much of the season. But the night off also gave Vazquez more time to work with hitting coaches, as he attempts to break out of a recent slump. Dating back to June 3, the young catcher is 3-for-26, dropping his season average to .209 with a .248 on-base percentage. If not for his elite defensive skills, those numbers would make Vazquez a backup catcher.
Jun 16 2016Vazquez is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.Vazquez has started each of the last three games for the Red Sox and will be getting a day off Thursday in favor of Sandy Leon, who will be making his second start of the season. Throughout the 2016 season, Vazquez is hitting .209/.248/.299 with one home run and nine RBI while settling into the primary catching role for Boston in the last couple of weeks.
Jun 4 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Blue Jays, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez will take a day off after starting the last two games. In his place, the Red Sox will start Ryan Hanigan in a late afternoon game against Toronto.
May 30 2016Vazquez is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.Vazquez recorded a hit in each of his last four starts, but he will get a day off Monday with the Red Sox playing an early game for the second day in a row. Ryan Hanigan will get the start behind the plate in Vazquez's place.
May 25 2016Vazquez is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez will get the day off after playing in five straight games. The 25-year-old has struggled a bit at the dish this season, hitting just .226/.270/.345 with six RBI through 24 games, but will likely continue to be starting catcher for the Red Sox.
May 19 2016Vazquez went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Boston's 5-2 win over Kansas City in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader.Vazquez delivered in a key situation, singling with the bases loaded in the sixth inning after the Royals intentionally walked Jackie Bradley to get to him. A 7-for-20 stretch over the past week has lifted his average to .254, but the catcher hasn't been much more than a .220 hitter this season.
May 15 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.It's just a routine off day for Vazquez, who has been behind the plate three times in the previous four days. Ryan Hanigan will handle the catching duties, serving as the battery mate for Sean O'Sullivan.
May 11 2016Vazquez is batting eighth and starting behind the plate Wednesday against the A's, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.Coming off Tommy John surgery, Vazquez continues to get regularly scheduled days off. Vazquez's bat still hasn't come around, as he's hitting just .208 with one home run, but is the preferred option over Ryan Hanigan due to his defensive prowess.
May 10 2016Vazquez is out of Tuesday's lineup against the A's, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.Boston continues to give their young catcher regular days off, as Vazquez will head to the bench for the third time in six games. Ryan Hanigan will do the catching and hit eighth against southpaw Sean Manaea.
May 8 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez will get a day of rest on Sunday after playing in both Friday's and Saturday's games. He has split time pretty evenly with his replacement for Sunday, Ryan Hanigan since Blake Swihart was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. Hanigan will bat ninth Sunday.
May 5 2016Vazquez is out of the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez will get another day off Thursday as the Red Sox take the cautious approach by giving his previously problematic elbow plenty of time to rest. Ryan Hanigan will slot in behind the plate in his stead.
May 3 2016Vazquez is not in the lineup Tuesday against the White Sox, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.With Vazquez just over a year removed from Tommy John surgery, Boston will continue to give him regular days off behind the plate. Ryan Hanigan will take over the catching duties in his stead and bat eighth.
Apr 29 2016Vazquez is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Yankees.Vazquez will get the day off while Ryan Hanigan gets the start against Masahiro Tanaka. The 25-year-old is hitting .226/.294/.323 through nine games this season.
Apr 2 2015Vazquez (elbow) underwent successful Tommy John surgery Thursday.A visit to Dr. James Andrew on Wednesday confirmed the diagnosis of a sprained right elbow, and the Red Sox wasted no time in getting Vazquez under the knife. Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon will be tasked with handling the backstop duties in Boston for the time being, with top prospect Blake Swihart expected to be an option in a matter of months. Vazquez will miss the season but should be close to 100 percent by next February.
Apr 1 2015Vazquez (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday, the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reports.Owners had to know this was a likely outcome after Vazquez was placed on the 60-day DL with an elbow strain. The timetable for his return is unknown, but he can safely be let go in single-season leagues. Considering he is not a pitcher, Vazquez has a good shot at being healthy heading into next year's spring training. Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon will handle the catching duties in the short term, and star prospect Blake Swihart will probably join the mix sometime this summer.
Mar 30 2015Vazquez was placed on the 60-day DL Monday with a sprained right elbow, ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes reports.While the Red Sox are calling his injury a sprained right elbow, the fact that he is on the 60-day DL suggests that surgery is a legitimate possibility. If surgery ends up being necessary, Vazquez could be out for the entire season. The Red Sox now go into the regular season with Ryan Hanigan and Sandy Leon (acquired Monday from the Nationals) as their catcher tandem, although the job will likely belong to top prospect Blake Swihart in short order.
Mar 29 2015Vazquez (elbow) is scheduled to meet with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday, the Providence Journal reports.Signs don't get more ominous than a meeting with the most prolific performer of Tommy John surgery, ligament-replacement in the elbow. That suggests the possibility that Vazquez' elbow injury could be a season-killer.
Mar 28 2015Vazquez said doctors "found something" after administering an MRI on Friday, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez said he would receive a second opinion on the matter, but the report nonetheless qualifies as troubling news and casts further doubt on his availability for Opening Day. The catcher first experienced soreness in his right elbow and triceps two weeks ago, and though he endured no setbacks prior to Friday, the injury is particularly worrisome given that the defensive-minded Vazquez's greatest tool is his throwing arm and ability to control the running game. Should the initial assessment of doctors prove true, Vazquez would likely be replaced by a tandem that would include Ryan Hanigan and one of either veteran Humberto Quintero or more intriguingly, top prospect Blake Swihart.
Mar 28 2015Vazquez (elbow) will not be ready for Opening Day, ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes reports.Vazquez is currently seeking a second opinion on an elbow injury, which suggests it could be a long-term absence if he gets a bad ruling in this second evaluation. Manager John Farrell said a combination of Ryan Hanigan plus either Blake Swihart or Humberto Quintero would be sufficient while Vazquez is out. Of those three names, obviously Swihart is the one Red Sox fans and fantasy owners are anxious to see, but even if he is called upon to start a couple days a week behind the dish, catching prospects typically don't hit the ground running offensively. Continue to monitor Vazquez's status for the results of his second opinion.
Mar 27 2015Vazquez (elbow) will receive an MRI on Friday, Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston reports.With the MRI on tap, Vazquez won't be able to throw during Friday's workouts, but he'll still serve as the catcher for Joe Kelly in a minor-league intrasquad game. Vazquez believes the elbow issue is related to little more than soreness, but the Red Sox likely just want to ensure there's no existing structural damage with Opening Day on the horizon.
Mar 26 2015Vazquez (elbow) expressed confidence that he'll be ready to start the season on time, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez said he plans to catch a minor league game Friday with the expectation that he'll be ready for Opening Day. The team is yet to confirm whether or not he'll be at full strength, however, so continue to monitor his status over the next week-and-a-half.
Mar 26 2015Vazquez (elbow) threw to bases Thursday, but not at full intensity, ESPN Boston reports.Manager John Farrell wouldn't say that Vazquez is game ready, but they are building him up to go full release.
Mar 26 2015Vazquez (elbow) expects to learn in the near future whether or not he'll be ready for Opening Day, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports.Vazquez has been dealing with elbow soreness of late, and the team still hasn't ruled out sending the catcher for an MRI. He caught a recent spring game, but was not permitted to throw to the bases. If Vazquez is limited in the early parts of the season, look for Ryan Hanigan to take on extra reps. Per Speier, Vazquez will catch a minor league game Friday, which will likely help determine the best course of action moving forward.
Mar 23 2015Vazquez caught for Clay Buchholz in a minor-league game Sunday but was told not to throw to the bases, the Boston Globe reports.Vazquez will test his right elbow with some throws Tuesday and could play for Boston on Thursday.
Mar 22 2015Vazquez (elbow) served as a catcher for High-A Salem on Saturday, the Boston Globe reports.Vazquez had been shut down from catching for about a week due to soreness in his right elbow, though it was never considered serious. He had been getting at-bats as a designated hitter since the middle of last week.
Mar 21 2015Vazquez will catch in Saturday's spring game, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.The number of innings Vazquez plays will be indicative of his current health. That said, it's hard to see him not being ready for Opening Day if he's already catching at this point.
Mar 21 2015Vazquez was the designated hitter for Boston in Friday's spring game against the Orioles.The young catcher has moved from getting at-bats in minor league spring games to major league games. He's expected to be ready to catch by Monday.
Mar 20 2015Vazquez (elbow) served as a designated hitter for Low-A Greenville on Thursday.Vazquez, who is nursing a sore elbow, targeting a Friday return to Boston's lineup. We're waiting to see him lineup as a catcher before considering him fully recovered.
Mar 18 2015Vazquez (elbow) had four at-bats in a minor league game Wednesday, ESPN Boston reports.Vazquez only had the at-bats and has not yet been cleared to catch.
Mar 17 2015Vazquez is dealing with soreness in his right elbow, the Providence Journal reports. The Red Sox don't view this as a serious issue at this time.Vazquez, who has not played in a spring game since last Friday, is scheduled to get some at-bats in a minor-league game Thursday.
Mar 17 2015Vazquez (elbow) did some throwing Monday, but will be kept out of games indefinitely, ESPN Boston reports.Vazquez has some soreness in his right (throwing) elbow that cropped up after throwing out a runner last Friday. He thinks he might be able to play Friday and suggested the injury is not serious.
Feb 7 2015Vazquez has dropped seven pounds during the offseason, the Boston Herald reports. "I worked hard in the offseason. It was my idea. I knew I needed to lose a little bit to get stronger. I worked hard at it," said Vazquez, who enters 2015 as Boston's No. 1 catcher.Vazquez has a body type that can get out of control if he doesn't watch himself. Late in the 2014 season, one National League talent evaluator raved about Vazquez' skills behind the dish, but also cautioned that his body had "gotten a little jiggly here lately." Vazquez apparently agreed and worked to shed some pounds this winter and should drop even more when spring training arrives.
Sep 28 2014Vazquez is out of Sunday's lineup against the Yankees, The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reports.This will end the season for Vazquez, who will likely be thankful for time after the A.J. Pierzynski injury opened up the starting catcher spot for a Red Sox team that did its best to use a lost season to try out younger players. David Ross will get the start at catcher.
Sep 26 2014Vazquez had a huge game Thursday against the Rays, going 4-for-4 with a double, his first homer of the season, three RBI and two runs.A spectacular and rather out-of-nowhere evening for the 24-year-old catcher, who'd gone 52 games without leaving the yard before Thursday. With not much track record of hitting in the minors other than what looks like an outlier year in A ball back in 2011, it's unwise to expect much more like this from Vazquez.
Sep 21 2014Vazquez is out of the lineup Sunday against the Orioles, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.Vazquez has caught five straight games for the Red Sox, but will take a seat in favor of David Ross on Sunday afternoon. The 24-year-old backstop has hit safely in four of his past five games, but has been largely devoid of power this year, slashing .213/.273/.262 on the season.
Sep 14 2014Vazquez is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.Vazquez will get a day off after starting three straight games. David Ross will start behind the plate Sunday in his place.
Sep 10 2014Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Orioles.Since his promotion to the majors, Vazquez has offered the Red Sox solid defense behind the plate, but little else. Vazquez owns a .224 batting average to go along with no homers over his 134 at-bats, making it difficult to extract any fantasy value from him.
Aug 27 2014Vazquez is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Blue Jays, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.David Ross will spell Vazquez behind the plate after the latter started the previous three games, during which he batted 2-for-11 with two runs scored.
Aug 20 2014Vazquez isn't in the lineup Wednesday against the Angels, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports.Vazquez has awakened somewhat at the plate in his last nine appearances, batting .242 (8-for-33) with two RBI, two runs scored, and two walks versus eight strikeouts. He'll hand over catching duties to David Ross (heel), who was activated from the DL.
Aug 19 2014Vazquez went 2-for-4 and threw out two runners attempting to steal in Monday night's loss to the Angels. He's thrown out 6-of-14 runners since being called up.Vazquez is getting great experience with the Red Sox having fallen out of contention. He's getting game-calling reps and learning hitters at the major-league level. The Red Sox will be happy if he can maintain an average somewhere around .250 -- he's hitting .244/.301.305 in 25 games -- while providing an ability to control the running game. As we look to next season when Boston may have three of its young starting pitcher prospects in the rotation, Vazquez has a lot of experience working with them in the minors.
Aug 10 2014Vazquez caught all of Saturday night's 19-inning loss to the Angels. He will get Sunday off.The day off Sunday was planned before the extra workload was placed on his Saturday. Dan Butler will get the start for Boston.
Aug 8 2014Vazquez went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday night's loss to the Cardinals. The rookie catcher is 7-for-18 (.389) with runners in scoring position.Vazquez came up with a sterling reputation as a backstop but he's also handled himself competently as a hitter. He's hitting .255 with four doubles and 11 RBI in 18 games. He has seven walks and struck out only eight times in 64 plate appearances. You can count on Vazquez getting a bulk of the starts down the stretch, particularly with Boston throwing out young starting pitchers with whom Vazquez is familiar from their days at Triple-A Pawtucket.
Jul 27 2014Vazquez will start Sunday with Allen Webster scheduled to start for Boston, the Boston Globe reports.Before he was traded Saturday, Jake Peavy had been scheduled to start, which would have meant David Ross catching. It makes sense to have Vazquez catching Webster, as the two have worked together all season at Triple-A Pawtucket. Going forward, manager John Farrell has yet to announce any changes to the catching rotation.
Jul 25 2014Vasquez is not in the lineup Friday, the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reports.David Ross will slot in as the catcher after Vasquez caught the last two games. After a blistering start, Vasquez finally saw his average dip below .300 after Thursday's game, and he still only requires ownership in deeper leagues.
Jul 19 2014Vazquez was not in the starting lineup Friday because manager John Farrell wanted David Ross to implement the pitching game plan for the first game of the series against Kansas City, the Providence Journal reports. "I like the fact that David has got the ability to take the first game of a series, take our game plan, implement it, and can also mentor Christian in that way as it works inside of a given series," Farrell said.You may recall prior to the All-Star break, Farrell outlined a division of labor at catcher that would have Ross catching Jon Lester and Jake Peavy while Vazquez caught everyone else, including Friday's starter Clay Buchholz. You can expect Vazquez in the lineup Saturday with Rubby De La Rosa on the hill.
Jul 18 2014Vasquez is not in the lineup Friday, the Providence Journal's Tim Britton reports.David Ross will start behind the dish for the first game after the All-Star break, but it seems like he and Vasquez will be in a pretty even time share for now.
Jul 14 2014Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double and two RBI in Sunday's win over Houston. The rookie catcher has two consecutive multi-hit/multi-RBI games.Vazquez is set to play three of every five days in the second half of the season, after manager John Farrell outlined the catching job share between the rookie and veteran David Ross. And Vazquez could get more at-bats once Jake Peavy, who is being caught by Ross, is traded.
Jul 13 2014Manager John Farrell laid out the timeshare at catcher between Vazquez and David Ross, ESPN Boston reports.Ross will start whenever Jon Lester and Jake Peavy are on the mound, while Vazquez will be the battery mate for the other starters. That means you can expect Vazquez whenever John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Rubby De La Rosa/Brandon Workman are toeing the rubber. You'll see Vazquez in the lineup Sunday with Buchholz the scheduled starter.
Jul 11 2014Vazquez made his second start in three days Friday, collecting his first three big league hits with a 3-for-4 effort against Houston.In addition to the multi-hit game, Vazquez racked up three RBI while batting from the No. 9 spot Friday night. With A.J. Pierzynski out of the picture after he was designated for assignment earlier this week, the Red Sox figure to take a long look at Vazquez with regular playing time throughout the final two-plus months of the season as they assess his readiness to handle the starting job in 2015.
Jul 10 2014Vazquez made his Boston debut Wednesday night, going 0-for-3 in a win over the White Sox. He was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket following the organization's decision to designate A.J. Pierzynski for assignment.The Red Sox will never admit they've cashed it in this season, but this is the clearest sign they're playing for 2015. Vazquez isn't a fantasy darling as a hitter -- though he's improved offensively the last two seasons in the minors -- but he's earned raves for his game-calling and ability to control the running game. He'll get the majority of starts going forward.
Jul 9 2014Vazquez was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket by the Red Sox on Wednesday.Vazquez was slated to make an appearance at the upcoming Futures Game during the All-Star break, but that will be wiped away with his promotion to the big club. He'll replace A.J. Pierzynski on the 25-man roster after the latter was designated for assignment. Moreover, Vazquez will immediately make his major league debut Wednesday, handling catcher and batting ninth in the order. He brings along a .279/.336/.385 line with three homers, 20 RBI, and 35 runs in 244 at-bats at Pawtucket this season. Manager John Farrell indicated that Vazquez will be in the big leagues to stay following his call-up, so it seems likely he'll see a greater share of at-bats at catcher over veteran David Ross the rest of the way.
Mar 17 2014Vazquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday.Vazquez had a strong spring training that led manager John Farrell to say he would not hesitate to call up the 23 year-old if there was a need. With A.J. Pierzynski and David Ross on the roster, it was an uphill battle for Vazquez to make the Opening Day roster. The youngster put up good spring training numbers, batting .500 with a home run and three rbi in ten at-bats.
Mar 16 2014Red Sox manager John Farrell said the team would not hesitate to call up Vazquez if there was a need at the major-league leval, WEEI.com reports.Farrell noted Vazquez's improved offensive approach has given the manager the confidence to call him up. He added that both Vazquez and Blake Swihart, another promising catching prospect in the organization, have made "sizeable strides" since spring training last year.
Mar 5 2014Vazquez went 2-for-3 and threw out two runners attempting to steal in Wednesday's exhibition game against St. Louis.The Red Sox are hoping Vazquez continues to develop at the plate and that he forces his way into the catching plans for 2014. Scouts love his ability to control running games. If he provides a reliable bat, too, the Red Sox will have something.
Jun 29 2013Vazquez had his second four-hit game of the season at Double-A Portland on Friday night, WEEI.com reports.Considering his age, Vazquez is more than holding his own at Double-A to this point and could be in line for a taste of Pawtucket by the end of the season given his advanced plate discipline (27:25 BB:K ratio) at age 22.
Mar 15 2013Vazquez was optioned to Double-A Portland on Friday.At this stage in his development, Vazquez's bat remains behind his defense, which isn't a terrible problem in an organization that lacks defensive standouts at the position at the big-league level. Although a small sample size, Vazquez's 3-for-16 (.188) spring training doesn't seem to indicate he's made much offensive progress of late.
Mar 9 2013Vazquez threw out another baserunner Friday night in Boston's game against Minnesota, Comcast SportsNet New England reports. The young backstop's throw was clocked at 1.82 seconds in the Red Sox''s dugout, while some scouts had it quicker.Generally, a two-second throw is considered a good average, so his throw Friday drew rave reviews. "Just outstanding feet, quick release, plenty of arm strength, accuracy," manager John Farrell said of the throw. "This is probably the fourth guy he's cut down in spring training, all of the same variety." Vazquez split time between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland last season. At both stops, he threw out more than 40 percent of would-be basestealers.
Feb 28 2013Vazquez threw out two baserunners in the eighth inning of Wednesday's spring game, the Boston Herald reports.Vazquez is considered to be better defensively than offensively, and those skills were on display when he gunned down a base-stealer and then picked off a runner who strayed too far off third base. He was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason and is expected open the year in the minors.