MLB Player News

Monasterio started at shortstop and went 2-for-4 in Monday's 3-1 win over Kansas City.

Monasterio made a fourth consecutive start at shortstop as a fill-in for Trevor Story (groin), who could be facing surgery. The Red Sox have a few options to deploy at shortstop, but thus far interim manager Chad Tracy has only used Monasterio. He's slashing .256/.301/.397 with eight doubles, one home run, nine RBI and eight runs scored over 83 plate appearances.

Kirk has not been cleared to take full batting practice yet because he still feels a bit of soreness in his surgically repaired left thumb while hitting, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Kirk is performing all other baseball activities, and by the end of this week, the Blue Jays expect to have a better idea of when the catcher will be ready for a rehab assignment. The 27-year-old is six weeks removed from surgery to have a screw inserted into his fractured left thumb. Whether Kirk can make it back before the end of May is starting to shape up as an uncertain proposition.

Caglianone went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Red Sox.

Caglianone accounted for two of the Royals' six hits, and he drove in just his 10th run of the season with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning. He now has two straight multi-hit games and is slashing .254/.322/.442 with five homers, 10 RBI, 18 runs scored and a 12:43 BB:K across 152 plate appearances this season. Caglianone has a strong batted-ball profile, as he's in the 95th percentile or better in average exit velocity (94 mph), barrel rate (17.6 percent), hard-hit rate (54.9 percent) and bat speed (76.5 mph), but the results haven't been there in a Kansas City offense that has struggled as a whole.

Gasper started at designated hitter and went 2-for-5 with a run scored in Monday's 3-1 win over the Royals.

Gasper logged his third multi-hit effort in seven starts since a callup from Triple-A Worcester. Most of the switch-hitter's starts have come as the DH, as Roman Anthony's wrist injury has opened up opportunities for both Gasper and Masataka Yoshida. With news that the Red Sox paused Anthony's rehab after he experienced lingering pain while attempting to swing a bat Monday, Gasper could be a regular presence for the immediate future. It helps that he's hit so well, too, going 10-for-30 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored over eight contests.

Lugo (1-4) took the loss Monday against the Red Sox, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts across six innings.

Despite logging a quality start, Lugo made a mistake pitch to Willson Contreras in the sixth inning that resulted in a two-run home run and was saddled with his fourth loss. It was still a nice bounce-back outing for the right-hander after he allowed a total of nine runs on 15 hits and six walks across nine innings in his previous two outings. Lugo owns a 3.68 ERA, career-worst 1.40 WHIP and 51:21 K:BB across 58.2 innings. His .343 BABIP against is significantly higher than his .266 mark last season.

Contreras went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's 3-1 win over the Royals.

Contreras got the scoring started in this one, depositing a sinker from Seth Lugo over the fence for a two-run shot in the sixth inning. It was Contreras' second homer in the last three games and his 10th of the season. He's leading the team with an .841 OPS and now has 10 long balls, 27 RBI, 21 runs scored, one stolen base and a 20:51 BB:K across 189 plate appearances. Contreras is in the 91st percentile or better in xwOBA, xSLG, barrel rate and bat speed.

McClanahan (5-2) earned the win Monday against the Orioles. He allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six across five innings.

McClanahan didn't have his best stuff Monday, but with the way opposing starter Trevor Rogers struggled, the former simply had to limit the damage to earn his fifth win of the season. This outing snapped an excellent stretch for McClanahan, who hadn't allowed runs in his previous four starts, a span covering 21.2 innings. The southpaw has a 1.66 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with strong peripherals, such as a 9.1 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9, in four starts in May. He's scheduled to make his next start over the weekend against the Yankees on the road.

Rogers (2-5) was tagged with the loss Monday against the Rays after allowing eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and two walks across 3.2 innings. He struck out three.

Rogers was tagged with the loss for a fifth straight start, and this was the third consecutive outing in which he couldn't pitch past the fourth inning. The struggles are real for the seven-year veteran, who owns a bloated 11.84 ERA, 2.26 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB through 19 frames in that stretch. Rogers is scheduled to make his next start during the weekend series against the Tigers, and while there's no talk of him being removed from the rotation for the time being, he likely can't afford any more significant stumbles.

Chapman recorded the save in Monday's 3-1 win over the Royals, striking out one with no walks in a hitless and scoreless ninth inning.

Chapman set down Starling Marte, Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins in order on 14 pitches to pick up his 11th save of the season. The left-hander hasn't allowed a run since April 4 and extended his scoreless streak to 12.2 innings. On the season, he owns a microscopic 0.54 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 22:7 K:BB across 16.2 innings. Opponents are batting just .125 against Chapman with a 34.4 percent strikeout rate.

Gray (5-1) earned the win Monday against the Royals, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with nine strikeouts across six innings.

Gray picked up his third straight win in his third start since returning from a short stint on the injured list with a strained right hamstring. He's been limited to 80 pitches or fewer in all three outings, but Gray has been extremely efficient, surrendering just two runs on 11 hits and four walks across 17 innings during that span. He generated season highs in whiffs (12) and strikeouts (nine) against the Royals on Monday and now owns a 2.93 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB across 40 innings. The right-hander's next scheduled start is slated to come Sunday at home against the Twins.