MLB Player News

Crawford (shoulder) was able to partake in some pregame drills Thursday, and manager Scott Servais says he's optimistic the veteran will return to the lineup at some point during this weekend's series against the Orioles, the Associated Press reports.

Servais confirmed the shortstop was feeling better despite missing his second straight game Thursday following a collision with the Yankees' Harrison Bader on Tuesday. Crawford appears to have a fighting chance of jumping back into action as early as Friday.

Romero (back) will begin his rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Friday, Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com reports.

He missed the first 10 weeks of the season with a muscular issue in his lower back, but Romero is batting second and starting at shortstop for the FCL Red Sox on Friday. After a few games, Romero will likely be activated for Single-A Salem.

Hamilton went 1-for-3 in Thursday's 6-0 loss to Minnesota.

Hamilton made his first MLB start and logged his first career hit in the eighth inning. Pablo Reyes, who had been dealing with abdominal soreness, started at second base but was removed in the fourth inning, suggesting he's still not 100 percent. If Reyes needs time on the injured list, the speedy Hamilton could remain with the Red Sox and get additional starts at shortstop.

Crawford (shoulder) isn't in the Mariners' lineup Thursday against the Yankees.

Crawford was expected to miss Thursday's game due to the shoulder issue, and he is hopeful he'll be able to return over the weekend against Baltimore. In the meantime, Jose Caballero will start at shortstop and Kolten Wong will start at second while batting ninth.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Franco will remain out of the lineup through at least Friday's game versus the Royals due to the way the infielder has handled frustrating situations this season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Per Topkin's report, Cash said Franco "is a good kid," and the team hopes to work with him to improve with him in becoming a better teammate and in how he deals with the challenges that come with being a big leaguer. Franco is hitting .250 with one home run and four steals in 17 games this month, and he has uncharacteristically struck out at a 40 percent clip over the last three games. Taylor Walls is starting at shortstop in Thursday's series opener.

Franco isn't in the Rays' lineup Thursday against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Slashing just .192/.246/.269 over the past two weeks, Franco will get a day off Thursday to regroup. Taylor Walls will step in as Tampa Bay's shortstop, allowing Vidal Brujan to start at second and bat ninth.

Reyes was removed from Thursday's game against the Twins, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

It's unclear why Reyes was taken out of Thursday's contest, but he had been dealing with abdominal soreness for a few days, so it's possible those issues flared up again. The Red Sox should provide an update in the near future, but Reyes should be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Hamilton is starting at shortstop and hitting eighth Thursday against the Twins.

Hamilton is one of the fastest prospects in the game, and he stole a base and scored a run as a pinch runner Wednesday after getting called up from Triple-A Worcester. The 25-year-old lefty hitter posted a .255/.339/.486 slash line with 11 home runs and 27 steals in 52 games at Triple-A. He will be sharing middle-infield work with Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo and Pablo Reyes in the short term.

Reyes (abdomen) is starting at second base and hitting ninth Thursday against the Twins.

He was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with abdominal soreness but still appeared off the bench each of the last two days. Reyes will be jockeying with prospect David Hamilton and veteran Christian Arroyo for playing time in the middle infield. He is hitting .344 with seven runs, five RBI and one steal in 32 at-bats this month.

Pena went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base Wednesday against the Reds.

Pena reached base at least once for the ninth consecutive game. He's maintained a .324 average and .410 on-base percentage in that span, though he has only two extra-base hits and no home runs. Pena has maintained a near-identical line to his rookie season, though he has increased his stolen base output by swiping eight bags across the first 70 games of his campaign.