Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Burdi (foot) could begin a rehab assignment before the end of the week, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Burdi was placed on the 15-day injured list just over a week ago with a right foot contusion and is close to being cleared to test things out in a game setting. The reliever is eligible for activation June 18 and appears likely to return around that date, barring a setback.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Hendriks (hip) has yet to resume baseball activities, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Hendriks has been sidelined since late May due to right hip inflammation and appears no closer to returning. He's struggled in 14 relief outings for Boston this season, collecting a 6.59 ERA and 12:7 K:BB over 13.2 frames.

The Royals recalled Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday.

Bowlan was just sent down this past weekend, but he's eligible to return after just a few days because he's replacing an injured player in Cole Ragans (shoulder). The righty reliever holds a 4.09 ERA and 10:6 K:BB over 11 frames this season out of the Royals' bullpen.

The Royals designated Richards for assignment Wednesday.

Kansas City will swap Richards out of its bullpen for a fresh right-handed arm in Jonathan Bowlan, who was recalled from Triple-A Omaha. After receiving a promotion to the big club Saturday, Richards appeared in three contests and gave up four earned runs on seven hits and two walks over three innings. If he goes unclaimed off waivers, Richards will have the option of electing free agency if he doesn't wish to report back to Omaha.

The Royals activated Erceg (back) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.

Erceg has been shelved since late May with a lower-back strain but is ready to go after making one scoreless rehab appearance. He will slide back into a setup role for Kansas City.

The Red Sox outrighted Stock to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.

Stock is off the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization in a depth capacity. The righty has yielded three runs over 2.2 innings covering two appearances with Boston this season.

The Twins claimed Wentz off waivers from the Pirates on Wednesday.

Wentz is out of minor-league options and will be added to the Twins' active roster prior to Thursday's game against the Rangers. He's posted a 4.15 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 22:11 K:BB over 26 innings at the big-league level in 2025.

The Rays recalled Sulser from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Sulser has pitched well in 11.2 relief innings with the big club, allowing four runs with a 9:3 K:BB. He's taking the roster spot vacated by Manuel Rodriguez (forearm), who has landed on the 15-day injured list.

The Rays placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right forearm strain, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

It's not clear when Rodriguez was hurt, but he last made an appearance Monday in Boston, tossing a scoreless frame despite giving up two hits and a walk. He will be eligible for activation June 25, but given the nature of the injury, it's possible Rodriguez will need more time than that.

Lauer will start Wednesday's game against the Cardinals, though Spencer Turnbull is expected to work behind him as a bulk reliever, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manager John Schneider said Monday that Turnbull is set to handle a multi-inning role out of the bullpen for Toronto after being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, and Wednesday's contest represents a good opportunity for the Blue Jays to break him in for some extended work. Lauer has been the Blue Jays' nominal No. 5 starter since late April, making two starts and five bulk-relief appearances among his eight outings. The southpaw hasn't covered more than 4.2 innings in any of those appearances, and the Blue Jays are likely to continue to keep his workload in check to optimize his performance. Since Lauer is unlikely to reach five innings Wednesday, Turnbull is the more likely of the two pitchers to factor into the decision.