MLB Player News

The Red Sox placed Sogard on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right oblique strain, Chris Henrique of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

It's unclear how long the injury has been bothering Sogard, but he hasn't played since Saturday. Anthony Seigler is grabbing Sogard's spot on Boston's active roster, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa could see steadier playing time while Sogard is out.

McKinstry is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

McKinstry had started in each of Detroit's last three games, but he could be at risk of falling into more of a part-time role after the Tigers reinstated Gleyber Torres from the 10-day injured list Tuesday. Since the beginning of May, the Tigers rank 29th in the majors with a .287 wOBA, and McKinstry has played a major part in the team's offensive struggles. During that stretch, McKinstry is slashing just .127/.238/.141 over 86 plate appearances.

Kirk (thumb) could be activated from the injured list early next week, with Blue Jays manager John Schneider indicating the catcher would need about 20 at-bats on his rehab assignment before being ready to rejoin the lineup, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Kirk will begin his rehab stint at Single-A Dunedin on Wednesday, and depending on whether he's allowed to play on consecutive days right away, he could have time to get in 20 at-bats by the weekend. The organization might elect to be a little more cautious with the 27-year-old given that he last saw big-league action April 3, but with the Jays sliding in the standings and looking for a spark, they'll want their starting backstop back in the lineup as soon as possible. Tyler Heineman and Brandon Valenzuela will continue holding down the fort behind the plate until Kirk is cleared to return.

Perez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rays.

Perez will head to the bench for the series finale, ending a streak of 12 consecutive starts for the 26-year-old. Though he slugged four home runs during that stretch of action, Perez batted just .178, which actually brought his season-long average up to .170. Despite Perez's struggles, he still looks as though he'll have a fairly clear path to a near-everyday role in the Detroit outfield unless the Tigers elect to promote top prospect Max Clark from Triple-A Toledo.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday that Madden has been shifted to the bullpen, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Madden has pitched well in a starting and bulk-relief role this season, authoring a 3.07 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 16:4 K:BB over 14.2 innings. However, with Justin Verlander (hip) slated to return from the injured list early next week and Tarik Skubal (elbow) not far behind him, there's no room for Madden in the Detroit rotation.

Verlander (hip) is likely to return from the 15-day injured list to make a start during the Tigers' series with the Twins next week, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Ty Madden has been shifted to a bullpen role, clearing the path for Verlander's return to the rotation. The 43-year-old threw 64 pitches over five shutout innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, and it's expected to be the only rehab outing he'll need before returning to the Tigers' active roster. Verlander has been shelved by left hip inflammation since early April.

Durbin went 1-for-3 with a double in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles.

He's still hitting ninth in the order, but Durbin seems to have regained a full-time job at third base thanks to a surge that has seen him produce an extra-base hit in five straight games while batting .350 (7-for-20) with four doubles, a triple, one run and six RBI. If the former Brewer is beginning to learn how to play wall ball off the Green Monster in his new home park, Durbin could still turn around what has been a tough start to his Red Sox tenure.

Rafaela went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles.

After sitting out Sunday's game due to lower-back soreness and getting Monday's team off day to rest, Rafaela was back in center field Tuesday and looked no worse for wear. Since the beginning of May, Rafaela is slashing .294/.351/.480 over 28 contests with seven doubles, four homers, six steals, 10 runs and 13 RBI.

Early (3-5) took the loss Tuesday as the Red Sox fell 4-2 to the Orioles, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out six.

The 24-year-old southpaw fanned at least five batters for a fifth straight start, but homers by Coby Mayo in the second inning and Pete Alonso in the third saddled Early with the loss. It's the third time in his last four starts that Early has served up multiple long balls, but he's done a good job of limiting the damage against him otherwise, posting a 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB in 23.2 innings over that stretch. He'll try to keep the ball in the yard in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend against the Yankees.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

The first baseman took Connelly Early deep in the third inning for what proved to be the game-winning hit. Alonso has hit safely in six straight games, and over his last 12 contests he's slashing .319/.377/.574 with four of his 12 homers on the season, along with eight runs and 12 RBI.