Indians closer Chris Perez suffered a strained shoulder on March 1. But he’s feeling much better now:
Chris Perez says his shoulder injury is 100 percent. Feels he should be ready for Opening Day barring anything unforeseen. #Indians.
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) March 18, 2013
Good news for the Indians, as Perez’ putative replacement as closer, Vinnie Pestano, has had neither a good spring training nor a good run in the World Baseball Classic.
The Rangers have signed catcher Jeff Mathis to a two-year contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is pending a physical.
Mathis turns 36 years old at the end of March and has a career .564 OPS across 14 seasons, but he is well-regarded for his defense and ability to handle a pitching staff.
The arrival of Mathis could mean the Rangers are moving on from Robinson Chirinos behind the plate, as he is now a free agent. The Rangers could go after another catcher to complement Mathis or just have Isiah Kiner-Falefa back up Mathis. Though Kiner-Falefa mostly played elsewhere, including three spots across the infield, he did rack up over 300 defensive innings behind the plate in 2018.
