Gary Sánchez DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Baltimore Orioles have signed free-agent catcher Gary Sanchez to a one-year, $8.5 million deal. Sanchez will back up frontline catcher Adley Rutschman, but could also DH if need be. The 32-year-old played for Milwaukee last season, slashing .220/.307/.392, including 11 home runs, with a .307 wOBA and 96 wRC+ in 280 plate appearances. The veteran backstop still has plenty of pop in his bat, registering a 10.5% barrel rate last season and a 15.4% rate with 19 home runs in 240 at-bats just two seasons ago in 2023. Coming to Baltimore brings him back to the AL East, the division in which he played in for his first several seasons up through 2021 as a member of the New York Yankees. Unless the Dominican gets regular at-bats, however, he won't be all that relevant for fantasy purposes.

The Milwaukee Brewers reinstated catcher Gary Sanchez (calf) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and placed outfielder Christian Yelich (back) on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Sanchez isn't in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale at Wrigley Field against the division-rival Chicago Cubs, but the 31-year-old veteran backstop figures to be the team's regular DH moving forward now that Yelich is out for the foreseeable future with a nagging back injury. Sanchez has been out the last month with a left-calf strain but is worth rostering in two-catcher leagues due to his power from the right side, at the very least. He hasn't been quite as good as he was with the San Diego Padres in 2023, but Sanchez has contributed seven long balls in 51 games as the primary backup to William Contreras.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Friday that catcher Gary Sanchez (calf) and left-hander Jared Koenig (elbow) were sent on minor-league rehab assignments with Triple-A Nashville. Sanchez is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a left-calf strain and could return to the Brewers' big-league roster next week as long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks while on his rehab assignment this weekend. When the 31-year-old veteran catcher is able to return from the 10-day injured list, he'll return to backup catching duties to William Contreras and also occasionally serve as the team's designated hitter. He's been out for over three weeks at this point due to his calf injury but has a good shot to return before the end of July. In two-catcher leagues, Sanchez remains useful for his power while playing for the first-place Brew Crew.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez (calf) is well ahead of schedule in his rehab from a calf strain that was originally expected to keep him out for 12 weeks, according to manager Pat Murphy. Sanchez was placed on the injured list in late June due to his calf injury and won't return to the Brewers before next week's All-Star break, but the 31-year-old backstop could be back sooner than later in the second half of the season. When he returns, he'll still be second fiddle to starter William Contreras, but Sanchez will still have fantasy value in two-catcher leagues for his power (seven home runs) in 147 at-bats. However, he won't do you any favors in the batting average department (he's currently hitting just .218). With Sanchez sidelined, veteran Eric Haase has been Contreras' primary backup at the major-league level.

Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez (calf) is dealing with a low-grade left-calf strain and will go on the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the Brewers are calling up Eric Haase from the minors to serve as the backup to William Contreras. Sanchez's injury isn't all that serious, so there's a chance that he'll be able to come off the injured list when he's eligible on July 4. The 31-year-old right-handed-hitting backstop resurfaced with the San Diego Padres in 2023, when he hit 19 home runs, but he's playing second fiddle to Contreras in Milwaukee this year and is currently batting .218 (32-for-147) in 51 games. However, he's still hit seven home runs and has maintained utility in two-catcher fantasy leagues because of his pop at a shallow position. For now, Haase will back up Contreras for the Brew Crew.