MLB Player News

Merrifield isn't starting Saturday against the Guardians.

Merrifield will get a day off after he went 1-for-10 with a walk and two strikeouts over the last three games. Raimel Tapia is staring in center field while Santiago Espinal starts at second base.

Hernandez (hip) started in center field and went 0-for-3 for Double-A Portland on Friday.

This was Hernandez's second game on a rehab assignment with the Sea Dogs after playing five innings in center field Wednesday. He upped that to seven innings Friday and is expected suit up again Saturday. He'll take Sunday off and return to Fenway Park for evaluation ahead of possibly being activated for a series against the Pirates beginning Tuesday.

Hernandez (hip) is expected to return from the injured list sometime next week, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Hernandez began a rehab assignment Wednesday, and he'll appear in games at Double-A Portland on Friday and Saturday. He'll rest Sunday and Monday but will be in the mix to rejoin the Red Sox as early as Tuesday, when the team begins a three-game series in Pittsburgh.

Andrus isn't starting Friday against the Astros.

Andrus is out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games after he went 0-for-5 with a strikeout Wednesday. Nick Allen will shift to shortstop while Chad Pinder starts in right field.

Lowe is starting at designated hitter and batting fourth in Friday's series opener against the Orioles.

The 28-year-old will surrender second-base duties to Yu Chang. Lowe has gone 1-for-16 with eight strikeouts over his last four games, and removing him from the field could help him get back on track.

Lowe will sit Friday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Lowe will get a breather after he went 0-for-8 with four strikeouts over the last two games of the series with the Brewers. Yu Chang will take over at second base and bat fifth in the series opener.

Lopez went 1-for-4 with a two-run single, a stolen base and a run scored in Thursday's 5-3 win over the White Sox.

Lopez hadn't driven in a run since July 15 entering Thursday's contest. He changed that with a two-run single in the seventh inning before stealing second and scoring on an MJ Melendez single. Since the All-Star break, Lopez is hitting .271 (16-for-59) with six stolen bases and nine runs scored, but he has only one extra-base hit in that span. The light-hitting infielder continues to find playing time as a versatile defender, but he's put up a meager .246/.301/.290 slash line with 12 steals, 15 RBI and 40 runs scored through 106 games this season.

Gimenez went 1-for-4 with a hit by pitch, a stolen base and a pair of runs scored in Thursday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Tigers.

Gimenez has hit safely in his last five games, and he's posted three steals in that span while going 8-for-20 (.400) at the plate. The second baseman is up to 14 steals in 16 tries this season. He's maintained an excellent .304/.367/.482 slash line with 12 home runs, 50 RBI, 45 runs scored, 18 doubles and two triples through 99 contests, making him a solid source of both speed and power.

Haggerty went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a win over the Yankees on Wednesday.

Haggerty's blistering bat continued to produce Wednesday, as he opened the scoring with a 395-foot shot to left field in the sixth inning. The 28-year-old's play partly influenced the decision to send Kyle Lewis to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, as Haggerty has significantly outperformed his teammate at the plate and is capable of playing all three outfield positions.

Hernandez (hip) started in center field and went 1-for-2 with Double-A Portland on Wednesday.

Hernandez kicked off a rehab assignment with the Sea Dogs and played five innings in the field. An earlier rehab stint was paused after one outing, so the Red Sox will want to thoroughly evaluate the outfielder this time around. He hasn't played in the majors since June 7, which suggests the rehab stint could go into next week. The Red Sox will at least want to see him play nine innings and on back-to-back days.