The Minnesota Twins have placed catcher Christian Vázquez on the 10-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday. Vázquez has struggled this season, hitting only .174 with two home runs in 61 games. To fill the gap, the Twins have called up Jhonny Pereda from St. Paul, who has performed well in the minors. This comes as the Twins gear up for a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field.

The Royals enter the series with a record of 57-58, holding a slight lead over the Twins in the AL Central. Salvador Perez has been a key player, maintaining a hot streak with 15 hits in his last 18 games, while new acquisition Mike Yastrzemski is making an impact as well. Meanwhile, the Twins return home after a balanced road trip, with Ryan Jeffers performing impressively, currently on a nine-game hitting streak.

The Minnesota Twins (49-52) face off against the Los Angeles Dodgers (59-43) today, July 23, wrapping up their series. After a thrilling 10-7 victory last night, the Twins equalized the series. Christian Vazquez contributed significantly with three RBIs, while Carlos Correa displayed remarkable performance, scoring four runs. On the Dodgers' side, Shohei Ohtani continues to shine, hitting a home run in his fourth consecutive game. Today's pitching matchup features Chris Paddack (3-9, 5.14 ERA) for Minnesota against Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.10 ERA) for Los Angeles.

Recent trends indicate the Dodgers have won four out of their last five games against AL Central teams, while the Twins have had an underwhelming performance, being under .500. For betting enthusiasts, the odds place the Twins at +197 and the Dodgers at -240, with a spread of -1.5 in favor of the Dodgers and a total set at 8.0 runs. Expert picks suggest considering a moneyline wager on the Dodgers and an over on the game total.

Carlos Narvaez of the Boston Red Sox has emerged as one of baseball's top catchers, boasting a .273 batting average with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in his first half of the season. However, his performance has dipped recently, hitting only .235 with a .657 OPS since mid-June, raising concerns about his heavy workload. The Red Sox may consider acquiring a reliable backup catcher to alleviate some pressure and provide Narvaez with more rest as they aim for a playoff berth.

Possible backup options include Connor Wong, who has struggled this season, or a reunion with Christian Vázquez, despite his lackluster performance this year. While the Red Sox have more pressing needs, improving their catcher position could be vital for maintaining their edge in the Wild Card race and breaking a three-season playoff drought.