MLB Player News

Frazier is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Houston.

Frazier had started each of the last nine games when the Royals were facing a traditional right-handed starter (he sat once against a righty opener), but he'll begin this one on the bench as the Astros send righty Hunter Brown to the hill. Garrett Hampson will be in right field for the series opener in Houston.

Kirk is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Boston.

Kirk started each of the first three games of the series, so he'll get a breather for Thursday's finale. Brian Serven will do the catching for Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis.

Wagner is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Boston.

It's right-hander Kutter Crawford on the bump for the Red Sox, but the left-handed hitting Wagner will begin this one on the bench. Leo Jimenez is getting the call at second base for the Blue Jays.

Devers (shoulder) isn't in Boston's lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Devers will miss the third game in a row Thursday as he continues to recover from soreness in both of his shoulders. Nick Sogard will get the starting nod at third base in his place, while Mickey Gasper will cover second.

Wong isn't in the Red Sox's lineup for Thursday's game against Toronto.

Wong will get a day to rest Thursday after going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts during Wednesday's win. Danny Jansen will catch instead for right-hander Kutter Crawford and bat seventh.

The Red Sox recalled Sogard from Triple-A Worcester on Thursday.

With David Hamilton (finger) headed for the injured list, Sogard will return to the big leagues in order to replenish the Red Sox's infield depth. The 26-year-old slashed .227/.300/.250 with six RBI across 50 plate appearances during his first big-league stint earlier this month, though he's gone 8-for-24 with five RBI and seven runs scored in seven games since returning to Triple-A. He could see regular playing time at second base until Hamilton is able to return.

The Red Sox placed Hamilton on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a left index finger fracture, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Hamilton suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays and subsequent X-rays revealed the fracture. Per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Hamilton has been told it's typically a 4-to-6 week injury, but he's hoping to be back in 2-to-3 weeks if his pain tolerance allows. Nick Sogard is taking Hamilton's spot on the roster and will be an option for starts at second base along with Romy Gonzalez and Mickey Gasper.

The Astros optioned King to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

This looks like merely a numbers game and King having minor-league options available, as his 2.05 ERA and 27:9 K:BB over 22 innings doesn't point to a guy deserving of a demotion. King should be back in the Houston bullpen soon enough.

The Astros activated Pressly (back) from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Pressly missed just the minimum 15 days while recovering from a lower-back strain. He did not go out on a rehab assignment, but manager Joe Espada is unlikely to shy away from using Pressly in high-leverage spots right away.

The Astros designated Junk for assignment Thursday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Jason Heyward. Junk was claimed off waivers earlier this month by the Astros and is now slated to go through the waiver process again.