MLB Player News

The Red Sox placed Houck on the 15-day injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Tuesday, with a right flexor pronator strain, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Houck was shelled for 11 runs in just 2.1 innings during his last start against Detroit on Monday, and his injury may have been a contributing factor to his poor performance. He'll now spend at least a couple of weeks on the shelf to ensure he gets back to 100 percent for his next outing; meanwhile, Cooper Criswell will come up from Triple-A Worcester to claim the open spot on the big-league roster, and potentially the Sox's rotation.

Palacios is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.

Palacios will hit the bench for the second day in a row while the Reds send another lefty (Nick Lodolo) to the bump. Though he's been holding down a strong-side platoon role in right field lately, Palacios' playing time could soon fall by the wayside. Mike Tauchman (hamstring) and Austin Slater (knee) are both in the midst of rehab assignments and could form the White Sox's preferred platoon arrangement in right field upon their returns from the 10-day injured list.

Joyce underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder Wednesday and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

The Angels shut down Joyce's throwing program earlier in the month after he reported further discomfort in his shoulder. Rather than waiting to see if more rest would do the trick, the 24-year-old righty opted to go under the knife to address the issue, sacrificing the rest of his season in the process. He'll close the book on 2025 with three earned runs allowed in 4.1 innings and shift his focus toward getting ready for the start of the '26 campaign.

Walls is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Though he'll be on the bench Wednesday, Walls appears to have taken back primary shortstop duties from Jose Caballero. Walls had started in each of the Rays' previous nine games and provided a rare impact at the dish during that stretch, slashing .310/.400/.379 with two doubles, five walks, one steal, five runs and three RBI.

Rortvedt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

Though he had seemed to be moving into the strong side of a platoon at catcher with Danny Jansen, the left-handed-hitting Rortvedt will end up hitting the bench Wednesday for a third straight matchup versus a right-handed starting pitcher. Rortvedt is heralded for his defense behind the plate and his quick pop time, but he's been an easy out at the plate this season with a .196 on-base percentage.

Bader was removed from the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader in Baltimore in the third inning due to an undisclosed injury, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Bader grounded out in the top of the third inning before being replaced in center field for the bottom of the frame. It's not clear what he's dealing with, but Bader was visited by the trainer in the first game Wednesday after sliding into the side wall following a catch. He stayed in that contest but might have aggravated something in the second game. The Twins should have more on Bader's condition shortly.

Winckowski was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday due to right elbow inflammation, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

It's not yet clear how long Winkowski will be sidelined, but it will be a while before he's under consideration for a promotion to the major-league club. The swingman holds a 3.86 ERA and 9:5 K:BB over 11.2 innings with the Red Sox this season and a 2.21 ERA and 18:2 K:BB across 20.1 frames with Worcester.

Torkelson is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox.

Torkelson clubbed his 11th home run in Tuesday's extra-innings victory over the Red Sox, but he will receive just his second day off of the season in Wednesday's series finale. Colt Keith is playing first base for the Tigers and Kerry Carpenter will be the club's designated hitter.

Meadows (arm) threw to bases from the outfield Wednesday and said afterward that he feels close to being ready for a rehab assignment, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Meadows hasn't played in a game since late February as he recovers from a nerve issue in his right arm. Because his absence has been so long, his rehab assignment could last for close to the full 20-day window. Still, Meadows makes for a fine stash in fantasy leagues where he's available.

Smith (back) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Rockies.

Smith had missed the Rangers' last two games while tending to a sore lower back, but the team had labeled him as day-to-day and never expressed much concern that he would require a stint on the injured list. The super-utility man had made his previous two starts at first base before his brief absence, but he'll likely see the bulk of his reps at shortstop for the foreseeable future after the Rangers placed Corey Seager (hamstring) back on the IL on Tuesday. Smith took over as the everyday leadoff man earlier this month and should continue to maintain those duties while he's gotten on base at a .389 clip through his first 36 games of the season.