MLB Player News

Kahnle is expected to opt out of his minor-league deal with the Red Sox on Monday if he isn't added to the major-league roster, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

After signing late in spring training with Boston, Kahnle stayed behind at the Red Sox's complex in Florida before reporting to Triple-A Worcester in the second week of April. He's been excellent thus far, posting a 1.40 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB in 19.1 innings. If the Red Sox aren't able to find a spot on the 26-man roster for the 36-year-old righty, he shouldn't have much trouble securing a major-league deal in free agency.

Verlander (hip) tossed a bullpen session Saturday in Chicago, MLB.com reports.

Verlander returned to the mound three days after he completed a four-inning, 66-pitch simulated game Wednesday during which he topped out at 95.3 mph with his fastball, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. A left hip injury has kept him on the shelf since April 4, and while the 43-year-old hurler has been building up his pitch count in sim games, Detroit could still have Verlander go on a brief rehab stint before bringing him back from the injured list. He'll be re-evaluated Sunday before the Tigers determine his next step.

Burger went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Royals.

Burger was involved in the Rangers' three-run, walk-off rally in the ninth inning. His single plated the game-tying run before Ezequiel Duran won it with another single. For Burger, the RBI was his team-leading 37th. After an April that saw him hit .170 and dredged up memories of the early-season struggles in 2025 that eventually led to a demotion, Burger has responded in May by slashing .286/.343/.516 with five home runs and 18 RBI over 25 contests.

Perez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-1 loss to the White Sox.

Perez has only five home runs this season, but three of them have come in his last five games. The power surge is nice, but the outfielder is batting just .235 during the stretch, and he's batting only .172 overall this year. Perez looks like he can occasionally be a nice source of homers, but his low batting average will make him a volatile fantasy asset prone to extended slumps.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Saturday that Gasper has emerged as the team's preferred option at catcher against right-handed pitching, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Following a May 7 promotion, Gasper initially saw most of his opportunities at designated hitter with Roman Anthony (finger/wrist) on the shelf. Masataka Yoshida and Andruw Monasterio have since settled into a platoon at DH, but Gasper has poached starts behind the plate from Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong. Since his call-up, Gasper is slashing an impressive .340/.380/.404 across 51 plate appearances. With zero home runs or steals, eight runs and two RBI over 16 games, however, he isn't providing much fantasy value, and his batting average has been fueled by a .432 BABIP.

Duran went 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 7-6 win over Kansas City.

Duran recorded the first walk-off plate appearance of his career, capping a ninth-inning, three-run rally with a flare single to right field. The versatile Duran has made himself indispensable as a fill-in at several positions for injured regulars, but he's played well enough to remain a lineup staple even when the roster gets healthy. Across 50 games this season, Duran is slashing .289/.343/.453 with four home runs, 29 RBI, five steals and 24 runs.

Pederson went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 7-6 win over the Royals.

Pederson ignited a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning with a leadoff homer. That was the first of five consecutive hits, culminating with Ezequiel Duran's walk-off single to wipe out Kansas City's lead. The home run was Pederson's second in as many games and the fifth across his last five contests.

Langford (forearm) served as the designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored in a rehab game for Triple-A Round Rock on Saturday.

Langford kicked off a rehab assignment Saturday. He should see time in the outfield in the minors in the coming days and is projected to return from the 10-day injured list when the Rangers' next homestand gets underway Friday against the Guardians, per MLB.com.

Chivilli (shoulder) has resumed throwing off a mound and is slated to throw live batting practice during the coming week, per MLB.com.

Chivilli logged action in only two games with the big-league club before landing on the injured list April 25 due to right shoulder discomfort. He was shut down from throwing for several weeks but has since been able to resume tossing from a mound. Given the length of his absence, Chivilli will likely need a minor-league rehab assignment before he's activated, though it's not clear when that rehab stint will begin.

Stanton (calf) has begun running outside, per MLB.com.

It's a notable step in Stanton's movement toward a return to action, as he hadn't previously been cleared to run. The slugger underwent imaging earlier this week, and the encouraging results of those tests prompted team doctors to allow Stanton to begin running. It's still not clear when the 36-year-old will be ready to be activated from the injured list though, and he may need a rehab assignment first given that he hasn't played since late April.