MLB Player News

Colome notched his 23rd save by recording two outs in the ninth inning of Friday's 5-1 victory over the Yankees.

The Rays' closer needed only five pitches -- four of which he threw for strikes -- to close out a second consecutive gem by Jake Odorizzi. After last Saturday's improbable blown save against the A's in which he surrendered three earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning, Colome has bounced back with two consecutive saves in as many chances.

Johnson pitched six scoreless innings Friday, giving up four hits and no walks while striking out five for Triple-A Pawtucket.

This was the left-hander's best outing of the season and a reminder of why he was regarded so highly as a prospect. The pinpoint control that fueled Johnson's rise through the organization was on full display Friday -- the first time he hasn't issued a free pass since May 2015. The performance was quite a relief following his three-inning outing last Sunday in which he allowed 10 baserunners and four runs -- that was his first start at Triple-A following his two-month ordeal to address an anxiety issue. He'll need to string together a few performances before the Red Sox trust him in Boston, but if Johnson can get back to level he was at early last year, he could be a depth starter for the team during the stretch run.

Kimbrel (knee) will throw one inning his first rehabilitation outing Saturday for Triple-A Pawtucket, and then the team will assess his readiness on Sunday to determine if he should be activated from the disabled list, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports.

It was just 19 days ago that Kimbrel had surgery on his left knee, and now it's looking like he can make it back to the team early next week in time for the series against the Mariners that begins Monday. With his return, the Red Sox will need to make a roster move and could look to trade one of their relievers before Monday's trade deadline.

McHugh (7-7) was blasted in just 1.2 innings Friday versus the Tigers. He allowed eight runs on ten hits while recording just one strikeout in the loss.

The outing was McHugh's worst since his opening start of the season against the Yankees (five runs in 0.1 inning) The right-hander entered the game with a 2.66 ERA in July, but it ballooned to 5.33, ruining what was shaping up to be his best month of the season so far. McHugh's rebound effort won't be easy as he'll take on a dangerous Blue Jays lineup Wednesday in his next start.

Boxberger (oblique) was activated from the 15-day disabled list Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The right-handed reliever has battled oblique issues for most of the season, but his recent rehab assignment gives optimism that those problems are behind him now. He made it through four separate appearances and even ramped up to 18 pitches on Tuesday. Provided he can stay healthy, he'll be a much-needed stopper in the back end of what has been a bottom tier bullpen this season. That said, Alex Colome will remain as the Rays' closer in all likelihood.

Jimenez was called up to Triple-A Toledo on Friday.

Jimenez had posted a 2.18 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP over the course of 20.2 innings with Double-A Erie this season. The closer had converted 12 of his 13 save opportunities with Erie, and previously dominated at the High-A level earlier this year. Most impressively, Jimenez boasted a 34:8 K:BB during his time with Erie, and will look to continue his form at the next level.

Kimbrel (knee) will make a rehab appearance with Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports.

This was expected, but Kimbrel will indeed join Pawtucket with his knee responding well to Wednesday's bullpen session, his second of the week. It could end up being a very brief stop with the affiliate, as the Red Sox may activate Kimbrel after the one appearance, barring any setbacks with the knee. He should return to the closer role immediately upon activation, pushing Brad Ziegler to a setup role.

Martinez was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

The team had to clear a spot on the roster for Dario Alvarez, who was acquired from the Braves on Wednesday, and Martinez was the casualty. Martinez was an obvious candidate for demotion, having given up five runs over four innings Tuesday and 20 runs total in his five starts (23.2 innings). Lucas Harrell, also brought in from Atlanta, is expected to take Martinez's spot in the starting rotation.

Duffey (5-8) was blasted for five runs on eight hits and a walk over just 1.1 innings in Wednesday's loss to the Braves.

His teammates made a valiant comeback effort, but it fell just short, leaving Duffey with his second straight loss in an abbreviated outing. In those two games, he's given up 11 runs (all earned) and a stunning 17 hits and two walks without a strikeout over 3.2 innings. Duffey's been hugely blowup-prone this year, and this is only the latest example, but manager Paul Molitor said after the game that the 25-year-old righty is still in line to start Monday.

Johnson's first start back for Triple-A Pawtucket was described as "tentative" by Red Sox manager John Farrell, Julian Benbow of the Boston Globe reports. The left-hander allowed four runs on six hits and four walks last Sunday in his return to Pawtucket after four starts at the lower levels of the organization.

"Where his games in Lowell, there might've been a little bit more freedom to the stuff, the attack of the strike zone, I think the ball-strike ratio kind of reflected the tentativeness - and the walks that were issued. First start back, a step in the right direction, but still he's got some work to do," said Farrell. Johnson will continue to work his way back from a two-month layoff to treat an anxiety issue and at this point is not ready to be a helpful piece for Boston.