The Indians activated catcher Roberto Perez from the injured list and designated Rene Rivera for assignment, per MLB.com’s Mandy Ball (via Twitter).
Cleveland has been without their starting catcher since May 5th when a fracture of his ring finger sent Perez to the injured list. While Perez doesn’t produce much at the plate, he’s nevertheless been considered a core piece of the Indians’ roster for the way he handles the pitching staff. He has won a Gold Glove Award in each of the past two seasons. At the plate, he was hitting .131/.274/.295 over 73 plate appearances to start the year.
The veteran Rivera appeared in 21 games as coverage for Perez’s absence, slashing .236/.300/.400 in 63 plate appearances. The well-traveled veteran could be claimed by one of the other 29 teams, and if not, he’ll likely have the opportunity to accept an assignment to Triple-A or elect free agency.
Austin Hedges is firmly entrenched as the other piece of the Indians’ catching tandem, so Rivera isn’t likely to see the roster again in Cleveland unless there’s another injury. That said, Hedges has struggled at the plate as well, putting up a paltry .159/.213/.262 line across 139 trips.
rip rene
I liked having Rivera around. Hopefully he’ll stay in the organization.
There are reasons that Rivera keeps getting opportunities, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him get another one soon.
Yes, too bad we couldn’t find a taker for Hedge’s contract and keep this guy or Ramos instead.
When Rivera was a Mariner, I unexpectedly ran into him in public. What a gracious and nice person he was that day. Might be part of how he keeps getting chances. He’s a solid backup and a solid guy it seems.
Thanks Bpax, you’re probably right.
rivera seemed like a solid guy. with perez back and hedges / ramos, i don’t see the need anymore sadly. hope he catches on somewhere he can be on a MLB team. he’s a solid leader especially for younger pitchers
If the Pirates claim Rene, he will be their 6th best hitter.
Won’t matter who’s catching if they don’t get real major league level starting pitchers.
Half the batting order belongs in AAA…
I liked BPax anectdote of Rivera. Lolnuts comment crude and rude.