MLB Player News

Refsnyder entered Thursday's game as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1 in a 5-4 loss to Cleveland.

Refsnyder pinch hit for second baseman Enmanuel Valdez and stayed in the game to play left field. It was the season debut for Refsnyder, who opened the year on the 10-day injured list due to a toe injury. He was activated to take the roster spot of Tyler O'Neill, who landed on the 7-day concussion list. Refsnyder will likely be in the starting nine whenever the Red Sox face a left-hander.

Reyes started at third base and went 0-for-4 in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Cleveland.

Reyes filled in for the injured Rafael Devers (knee) and committed a costly error that allowed one of three unearned runs to score. Reyes also couldn't get a ball out of his glove quick enough to start a 5-4-3 double, which allowed another run to score. Per Ian Browne of MLB.com, the Red Sox are hoping to avoid having to put Devers on the injured list, which suggests a fill-in will be needed for more than just Thursday's contest. Reyes and Bobby Dalbec are the primary candidates to play third base should Devers need an stint on the IL.

Ramirez went 0-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Red Sox.

Ramirez reached on a fielder's choice in the fifth inning and picked up his first steal of the campaign on his first attempt. The third baseman isn't the fastest player, but he tends to be opportunistic on the basepaths. He has at least 20 steals in each of the last five full campaigns, including going 28-for-34 on his stolen base attempts in 2023. His four-game hitting streak came to a close Thursday, and he's batting a modest .238 with three home runs, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, three doubles and a triple of 19 contests.

Story (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

The move was strictly procedural, as Story has already been ruled out for the rest of the 2024 season. The transaction opened a 40-man roster spot for the newly acquired Vladimir Gutierrez.

Church was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Round Rock with a right shoulder strain Thursday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

Church was in the running for a spot in the big-league bullpen during spring training, though he was ultimately optioned to the minors. He's allowed two earned runs across 4.2 innings while posting a 5:3 K:BB with Triple-A Round Rock. It's unclear how long Church will be sidelined.

Alexander will start Friday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Alexander has shifted between a bulk relief and a traditional starting role. It appears he's in line for the latter Friday, and he should have no limitations after working six innings in his last appearance, which came against San Francisco on Sunday.

Heim went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 9-7 win over Detroit.

Heim extended a hit streak to six games with a second-inning homer to put the Rangers up 4-0. The catcher has launched three home runs with 15 RBI (third on team) over 17 games. Heim is batting .348 (8-for-23) with runners in scoring position.

Hernaiz was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Hernaiz had started seven of the last eight games for the Athletics, though he went just 3-for-20 with six strikeouts in that span. It's very likely that he'll be back in the majors at some point in 2024, though there's no indication of how long the team plans to keep him in the minors. The move should give Nick Allen the starting job at shortstop while creating a roster spot for Brent Rooker (ribs) to be activated off the injured list.

Leclerc (1-2) picked up the win Thursday, allowing two walks and striking out two over one scoreless inning in a 9-7 victory over the Tigers.

It was a wild affair in Detroit, as the Tigers came back from 4-0 and 7-4 deficits before the Rangers put it away in the final two innings. For Leclerc, it was his first time in what would be a considered a high-leverage spot since he was removed as the team's closer last weekend. He entered with two outs and two inherited runners in the seventh inning and escaped without damage. He became the pitcher of record an inning later when Texas broke a 7-7 tie. He worked around a pair of walks in the eighth before Kirby Yates came in for a four-out save. Since Leclerc lost the closer's job, the right-hander has not allowed a run and struck out six over four innings.

Duran went 1-for-4 with a two-run triple, two runs scored and a stolen base in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Cleveland.

Duran drew a walk to lead off the home half of the first inning before swiping his seventh bag of the year. The speedy outfielder would then drive in a pair of runs with a triple in the sixth inning, his first three-bagger this season. Duran is now 5-for-17 with three extra-base hits in his last four contests. He's off to a nice start following a promising 2023 campaign, slashing .301/.366/.422 with a home run, 12 runs scored and nine RBI through his first 20 games.