MLB Player News

Smith went 3-for-5 with two RBI, one walk and one run scored in Thursday's 14-2 win over the White Sox.

Smith has three multi-hit efforts over his last six contests since getting a rest day last Thursday. He's also picked up at least one RBI in five of those six games. The 28-year-old is up to a .232/.321/.343 slash line with two home runs, 18 RBI, nine runs scored and no stolen bases over 112 plate appearances since he signed with Boston following his release from Tampa Bay at the start of May. Smith has settled into a strong-side platoon role at first base.

Rafaela went 4-for-6 with four RBI and one run scored in Thursday's 14-2 win over the White Sox.

Rafaela entered Thursday 0-for-10 across his last three games before enjoying a breakout performance. While all four of his hits were singles, three of them led to more runs on the board for the Red Sox. The 23-year-old is slashing a meager .215/.243/.374 through 62 contests, but he's batting .276 (16-for-58) over his last 16 games. Rafaela has added seven home runs, 37 RBI, 29 runs scored and eight stolen bases this season.

Westbrook went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Thursday's 14-2 win over the White Sox.

Westbrook didn't start the contest, but he pinch hit for Tyler O'Neill in the seventh inning. That was when Westbrook hit his first major-league homer, a solo shot off reliever Jared Shuster. Over four contests, Westbrook is 2-for-5 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He is likely to remain in a short-side platoon role in the Boston infield until the team gets some injured players back.

Valdez went 1-for-6 with a three-run home run and a walk in Thursday's 14-2 win over the White Sox.

Valdez turned the game into a romp with his fourth-inning blast. He's hit safely in his last five contests, going 7-for-20 (.350) with three homers and eight RBI in that span. The 25-year-old is slashing just .189/.218/.378 through 120 plate appearances, but he's added five homers, 19 RBI and 13 runs scored across 35 contests. Valdez remains in a starting role at second base while Vaughn Grissom (hamstring) is on the injured list.

Duran went 4-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional RBI, one walk and two total runs scored in Thursday's 14-2 win over the White Sox.

Duran has multiple hits in four of his last five games, and he's gone yard in back-to-back contests. His homer Thursday came on Jake Woodford's second pitch of the game in the first inning, setting the tone for the Red Sox in their blowout win. Duran is up to five homers on the year, and he's added 27 RBI, 38 runs scored, 11 stolen bases and a .271/.336/.465 slash line over 286 plate appearances. While he continues to split time between left field and center field, there's no questioning Duran's place in the lineup this season.

Houck (6-5) allowed two runs on three hits and struck out nine over seven innings to earn the win Thursday over the White Sox. He did not issue a walk.

Houck carried a no-hitter through five innings, though the White Sox managed to tag him for one run in each of the sixth and seventh frames. The right-hander remains dialed in, having allowed just four runs over 27 innings across his last four starts. Houck is at a 1.91 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 84:15 K:BB over 85 innings through 13 starts this season. His next start is projected to be a challenging one at home versus the Phillies.

Rendon (hamstring) resumed baseball activities this week and said Wednesday that he thinks he's ahead of schedule in progressing toward a return, per MLB.com.

Rendon has been out since April 20 due to a left hamstring strain, but he recently began ramping up his activity by throwing and taking swings in a batting cage. The third baseman will next progress to jogging Saturday, which will be a significant test of the injured hamstring. While Rendon remains weeks away from a return, he indicated that he considers himself ahead of schedule, explaining, "I'm trying to push it each and every day. Let my body tell me that it's painful, it hurts or it's not ready. So we'll get back as soon as possible."

Soto (forearm) will undergo imaging Friday after experiencing forearm soreness during Thursday's game against the Twins, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.

Soto didn't return to Thursday's game after a lengthy rain delay. The move was framed as a precautionary measure by manager Aaron Boone, though he also disclosed that Soto has been bothered by forearm discomfort for the past week. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Yankees be cautious with Soto in the short term, though the team has not announced any official plans.

Soto was removed from Thursday's game against the Twins in the sixth inning due to left forearm discomfort, David Lennon of Newsday reports.

Soto didn't return to the field after a lengthy rain delay, though the exact nature or cause of the injury remains unclear. Alex Verdugo entered the game in left field, with Aaron Judge shifting to right.

Devers was replaced by a pinch hitter during the seventh inning of Thursday's game against the White Sox, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

Devers exited with the Red Sox up 11-0 to get some extra rest, and he went 1-for-4 with a run scored prior to hitting the bench. He now has a six-game hitting streak, during which he's gone 8-for-23 with three homers, six RBI and seven runs scored.