Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Thursday that Casas (ribs) has been taking full batting practice and could be ready to begin a rehab assignment by the end of the week, Chris Henrique of MLB.com reports.

The Red Sox have given mixed messages on the status of Casas' progress in recent days, but Breslow's statement Thursday certainly qualifies as the most favorable update that's been offered. If Casas is indeed ready for rehab games in the coming days, he could have a shot to return from the 60-day injured list by early or mid-August. The first baseman has been sidelined since late April with a cartilage tear in his left ribcage.

Canha is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Guardians.

Canha will cede his spot in the lineup to Zach McKinstry, who gets the nod at third base while Matt Vierling shifts to the outfield. After going 0-for-22 over a six-game stretch from June 25 through July 2, Canha has bounced back over the ensuing three weeks, slashing .306/.390/.500 over 11 games. As a veteran on an expiring contract, Canha could be a prime candidate to get moved elsewhere ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline while the 50-53 Tigers likely find themselves in the sellers camp.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run and four RBI in Wednesday's 10-2 win over the White Sox.

Lowe gave the Rangers the lead for good, delivering a run-scoring single in the fifth inning, then ended matters with a three-run home run in the eighth. He's hit safely in five of six games since the All-Star break, going 6-for-19 with two homers and five RBI. Lowe is batting .266/.356/.390 with eight home runs, 42 RBI, two steals and 36 runs over 81 contests.

Naylor went 1-for-3 with a walk, one RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Tigers.

Naylor's RBI single in the eighth inning was the decisive play in this contest. The first baseman has been a bit lacking in highlight moments in July, batting a poor .215 (14-for-65) with 11 RBI through 18 games this month. For the season, he's slashing .237/.319/.469 with 22 home runs, 72 RBI, 55 runs scored, five steals and 16 doubles through 401 plate appearances.

Guerrero went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk, an additional RBI and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 6-3 win over the Rays.

Guerrero plated the Blue Jays' first two runs with an RBI single in the first inning and a solo shot in the third. The first baseman has homered in five of his last six games, adding eight RBI in that span as he looks to make up for a slow start to the year. Overall, he's at a .296/.366/.488 slash line with 18 homers, 62 RBI, 52 runs scored, two stolen bases and 21 doubles through 100 contests in 2024.

Mountcastle is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.

After going 0-for-8 with three strikeouts in the Orioles' series with the Rangers over the weekend, Mountcastle bounced back with a pair of hits in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Miami. He'll cede a start at first base to Ryan O'Hearn on Wednesday, but Mountcastle's spot in the Orioles' everyday lineup still appears fairly secure.

Rice is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.

The Mets have started southpaws in both games of the series and Rice has been out of the lineup both times, although he logged two plate appearances off the bench Tuesday. DJ LeMahieu is at first base Wednesday while Oswaldo Cabrera handles the hot corner.

Locklear, summoned from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day, went 1-for-4 in a loss to the Angels on Tuesday.

Locklear is expected to be given an extended look at first base after Ty Francewas jettisoned from the roster, and Locklear was able to get on safely in his first big-league plate appearance since June 20. Consistent contact was an Achilles' heel for Locklear -- as it is for many rookies -- during his first tenure with the Mariners this season, so the fact he struck out in two of his other three plate appearances Tuesday is a reminder he still has plenty of work to do in that regard.

The Mariners recalled Locklear from Triple-A Tacoma, and he's starting at first base and batting sixth Tuesday against the Angels.

The Mariners have elected to move on from first baseman Ty France, and Locklear will now have the opportunity to secure the starting role after posting an .887 OPS between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. The 23-year-old received his first taste of the majors in June while France was banged up, but Locklear was sent back to Tacoma after just 11 games. He's poised for a longer stay this time around as one of Seattle's top prospects.

Smith isn't in the Red Sox's lineup for Tuesday's game against Colorado, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The Red Sox will be facing a lefty (Ty Blach) for the third game in a row Tuesday, sending Smith to the bench for his third consecutive contest. Romy Gonzalez will once again fill in at first base while batting seventh.