MLB Player News

Rafaela (hamstring) will start in center field and bat sixth Thursday against the Guardians, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Rafaela made an early exit from Wednesday's contest due to right hamstring tightness. He underwent imaging Thursday that came back negative for a significant injury, and he's seemingly feeling well enough to return to the lineup without missing a start. The 26-year-old went 1-for-1 before leaving Wednesday's game and is batting .277 since the beginning of August.

Anthony is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Guardians.

It's Anthony's first day off since he returned from the 60-day injured list in late August. The 22-year-old is slashing .242/.294/.432 with four home runs across 22 contests since being activated. Jarren Duran will be in left field for the Red Sox on Thursday, and Mickey Gasper will serve as Boston's designated hitter.

Contreras (hand) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Guardians.

It marks the sixth straight absence for Contreras, who is working his way back from a bruised right hand. The Red Sox are considering the slugger day-to-day. Nick Sogard will slot in at first base in Contreras' stead on Thursday.

The White Sox placed Castillo on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right shoulder impingement.

Castillo posted a 7.52 ERA in six starts and then a 13.50 ERA in three relief outings after being demoted to the Chicago bullpen. The veteran right-hander will be eligible for activation during the ALDS, but considering how he's pitched, there's a good chance Castillo's season is over even if he's healthy.

The White Sox recalled Davis from Triple-A Charlotte on Thursday.

Davis will rejoin the White Sox's bullpen to replace Luis Castillo, who landed on the injured list Thursday with a shoulder injury. Davis owns a 6.12 ERA and 1.40 WHIP through 25 innings in the minors this year but has been far more effective in the majors, posting a 3.52 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 30.2 frames.

Butler went 2-for-5 with an RBI and was caught stealing in Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Angels.

Butler started the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning, ultimately closing with a pair of knocks in the win. The outfielder has really turned things around in the second half of the season, slashing .278/.358/.505 with 12 homers, 39 RBI, 32 runs and four stolen bases in 62 games after the All-Star break. Overall, Butler is hitting .235/.325/.395 with 17 homers, 61 RBI, 63 runs and 10 stolen bases across 150 contests.

Cantillo is slated to pitch in bulk relief behind opener Daniel Espino in Thursday's game at Boston, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

For a third straight appearance, Cantillo will work in relief of Espino, who is likely to be limited to 1-to-2 innings. Cantillo has looked sharp out of the bullpen, posting a 13:2 K:BB while giving up just three hits over 10 shutout frames.

The Royals recalled Bivens from the Arizona Complex League on Thursday.

Bivens will give the Royals another bullpen option while Steven Cruz (paternity) is away. The 32-year-old Bivens has been touched up for 10 runs (eight earned) over five innings covering his four outings in the big leagues this season.

Gibson (2-3) picked up the win in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Toronto, allowing three hits and two walks over 6.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

In his first big-league start since June 30, Gibson took advantage of a demoralized Blue Jays squad that had been eliminated from playoff contention in the first half of the twin bill. The result was the best start of the 24-year-old righty's brief career, as he fired 65 of 92 pitches for strikes in his first quality start. He's struggled to find much consistency in 2026, either in the majors or at Triple-A, but with Trevor Rogers and Chris Bassitt both set to reach free agency this offseason, there could be a spot in the 2027 rotation for Gibson.

The Royals placed Cruz on the paternity leave list Thursday.

By rule, Cruz will miss the next 1-to-3 games while welcoming a new baby, so he should be back for Sunday's season finale, at minimum. Cruz has registered three of the past four saves for the Royals, which includes his eighth save of the season in Wednesday's win over the White Sox. While Cruz is away, the Royals could turn to Nate Pearson for save chances.