MLB Player News

Matthews (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Matthews has been on the shelf since June 8 while recovering from a right shoulder strain, but after checking out fine after live hitters for Tuesday, he's been given the green light to pitch in the minors. Because the 25-year-old has been out for over a month, he'll likely require at least a couple of rehab starts before making his return from the 15-day injured list.

Rafaela will start at second base and bat second in Saturday's game against the Rays, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Rafaela has batted ninth and played center field virtually all season, but he'll be in new spots on defense and in the lineup Saturday after his walk-off home run Friday extended Boston's win streak to eight games. He's been smoking hot of late, going 14-for-31 (.452) with four home runs, six doubles and 13 RBI during the team's win streak.

Bregman went 1-for-4 in Friday's 5-4 win over Tampa Bay.

Bregman was activated from the injured list Friday after missing 43 games due to a quadriceps injury. He had batted third prior to the injury but was moved to second in the order Friday. Bregman returned to a team that traded Rafael Devers, promoted top prospect Roman Anthony and welcomed back veteran Masataka Yoshida off the injured list, so the spots in the upper third of the batting order could fluctuate.

Mayer went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Rays.

Mayer had a run-scoring double for the second straight game, both of which helped the Red Sox come back after the Rays had taken a lead. He's set to become the primary second baseman after the team activated third baseman Alex Bregman from the injured list Friday. Mayer, who is batting .225 through 38 games, has hit safely in three straight games, going 4-for-11 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.

The Red Sox recalled Fitts from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.

With Hunter Dobbins (knee) set to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Fitts will come up from the minors to fill the void on the pitching staff. The Red Sox haven't indicated whether Fitts will take over Dobbins' spot in the rotation, however, as Tanner Houck (elbow) could be ready to return from the 15-day injured list following the All-Star break and may get the nod ahead of Fitts. The 25-year-old has already made eight starts for Boston this season, posting a 4.28 ERA and 1.22 WHIP to go with a 28:10 K:BB through 33.2 innings.

Heim went 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI in Friday's 7-3 win over the Astros.

Heim's two-run double in the third inning turned out to be the game-winning knock. July is shaping up to be the catcher's best month. Heim, who's batting .224 for the season, is 10-for-38 (.263) with three doubles and six RBI over 10 games this month.

The Red Sox placed Dobbins on the 15-day injured list Saturday after he was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee.

The Red Sox were anticipating a serious knee injury for Dobbins after he exited early in his start Friday against the Rays, and follow-up tests confirmed that he sustained a ligament tear. The 25-year-old will require surgery and will miss the rest of the season, spelling an end to a solid rookie campaign in which he posted a 4.13 ERA and 1.28 WHIP alongside a 45:17 K:BB through 61 innings with the big club. Richard Fitts was promoted from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move and could take Dobbins' spot in the rotation following the All-Star break.

Carter went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base in Friday's 7-3 win over Houston.

Carter delivered a two-out, two-run single in the first inning to give Texas an early lead. He then stole a base but was left stranded. Carter had a slow start upon his promotion from Triple-A Round Rock in early May, but the outfielder has turned it around over the last month. Since June 8, Carter owns a .310/.400/.483 slash line with nine extra-base hits, 14 RBI, nine steals and 17 runs scored over 25 games.

Dobbins is feared to have suffered a serious knee injury during Friday's game against Tampa Bay, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Dobbins hurt himself while covering first base during Friday's contest. Boston is still in the process of evaluating the damage done to the right-hander's knee, which may include an ACL injury, though early indications suggest that he will most likely have to miss a significant amount of time.

Sands will serve as the Twins' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Pirates.

Since Bailey Ober (hip) joined Zebby Matthews (shoulder) and Pablo Lopez (shoulder) on the injured list earlier this month, the Twins have yet to settle on a new No. 5 starter. For the second straight turn through Ober's spot in the rotation, the Twins are opting for a bullpen day that will be led off by Sands, who previously tossed a scoreless frame in his most recent start last Saturday versus the Rays. Travis Adams pitched four innings in long relief in that contest and will likely be tasked with covering multiple frames once again Saturday after Sands exits the contest.