MLB Player News

Manager Kevin Cash said Thursday that Kittredge will likely require surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow, and he's expected to miss at least a month, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Kittredge landed on the injured list due to right elbow discomfort earlier Thursday, and he'll miss more than the 15-day minimum following his procedure. He should have a better return timetable once he resumes throwing, but Kittredge's absence should lead to more high-leverage work for Colin Poche, Jason Adam and Ryan Thompson as the Rays utilize a committee-based approach in the late innings.

Faucher was recalled by the Rays on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Faucher has been quite busy over the past week. He was recalled Friday only to be optioned two days later, but he's back again four days after that with Andrew Kittredge (elbow) hitting the injured list. Faucher's only major-league experience has come this season and has seen him allow five runs in two innings of relief work, so don't expect to see him handling high-leverage innings any time soon.

Kittredge (elbow) was placed of the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Kittredge stumbled in his last outing Tuesday, allowing an earned run on two hits and walk versus the Cardinals. It's possible that he started to feel off in that outing and he is now going to miss at least half a month while dealing with right elbow discomfort. It's always a challenge to predict the length of absence for pitchers, especially when it comes to an elbow issue, so it's possible he misses extended time. Calvin Faucher was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Thursday to fill his spot in the bullpen. Colin Poche could be Tampa Bay's primary option for saves since J.P. Feyereisen (shoulder) is also on the shelf.

Robles (back) joined the Red Sox in Anaheim and is expected to be activated off the 15-day injured list Thursday, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Robles had been scheduled to throw a rehab inning for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, but the outing was postponed due to rain. Instead of taking part in the doubleheader Wednesday, he threw a bullpen session and flew to the west coast to hook up with the Red Sox.

Schreiber struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn a hold in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Angels.

Schreiber was part of a resurgent Boston relief crew that limited the Angels to one hit over the final four innings. This was Schreiber's fourth consecutive scoreless appearance following an outing May 27, in which he was part of a bullpen meltdown. Even with that one outing Schreiber has pitched well this season, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.66 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and three walks over 16.2 innings.

Strahm earned a save over the Angels on Wednesday, retiring both batters he faced and notching one strikeout.

The Red Sox entered the bottom of the ninth inning with a 1-0 lead, and they allowed righty John Schreiber to open the frame against right-handed hitter Juan Lagares. Schreiber notched the out before Boston turned to the southpaw Strahm against lefty Brandon Marsh. Strahm retired Marsh on a lineout and followed with a strikeout of Jack Mayfield to secure a save for the second straight day. Boston's closer situation remains hazy, but Strahm appears to be pushing toward the front of line given his excellent results in the team's past two games.

Kelly (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

It will be the right-hander's first bullpen session since landing on the injured list two weeks ago with a strained left hamstring. Kelly expects to require two bullpen sessions and potentially one rehab outing before rejoining the active roster.

Vest (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout and earned the win Wednesday against the Pirates.

Vest earned his first win of the year and just the second of his MLB career, as he typically works the middle innings and doesn't factor into the decision too often. Even without wins, the righty has been effective for the Tigers with a 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 26 strikeouts across 20 innings this year.

Soto worked around a hit and a walk to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and earn the save Wednesday against the Pirates.

Soto earned his second save in as many days, but the lefty made this one a bit more difficult after registering a 1-2-3 inning Tuesday. He started strongly Wednesday by recording two quick outs, got into some trouble with a walk and a single, then finished the game with a strikeout. Soto sometimes makes things interesting, though he's been quite effective overall with a 1.71 ERA and 12 saves in 13 chances. He looks to have a fairly firm grip on the closer role in Detroit at this point.

Vasquez was diagnosed with a sprained right ankle after exiting Wednesday's loss to the Royals, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Vasquez suffered the injury while attempting to cover first base, as he rolled his ankle when contacting the bag. It wouldn't be surprising if the left-hander requires a trip to the injured list, but for now he should be considered day-to-day.