Red Sox vs Royals

no

The Red Sox plan to continue proceeding cautiously with Crochet while he works his way through left shoulder inflammation, but the club is optimistic that it caught the injury early enough and shut the lefty down before it became a greater concern. For his part, Crochet believes that he'll be ready to return from the IL when first eligible May 12, but the two-time All-Star still has a few more checkpoints to hit in the recovery process before the Red Sox pencil him back into the rotation.

The moves frees up a 40-man roster spot for the addition of Jack Anderson. Oviedo was diagnosed with a flexor strain last week and will remain shut down from throwing for another five weeks, so the transaction doesn't alter his timetable.

Slaten opened a rehab assignment by serving as the game opener for the Sea Dogs. His next outing will be May 6 or May 7 at Triple-A Worcester, per MLB.com.

The veteran right-hander threw a bullpen session Monday in Detroit that apparently went well, setting himself up to come off the IL for Wednesday's series finale. Gray landed on the shelf April 21 due to the hamstring strain, and he shouldn't face significant workload limitations in his return to the big-league mound given the brevity of the absence.

It's the first time he's thrown a baseball since he underwent a UCL reconstruction and flexor tendon repair six months ago. Houck will continue a deliberate rehab process over the next several months and hopes to make a late-season return, but it's likely the Red Sox will hold him back until 2027.

Burdi made four appearances at the big-league level with Boston in 2025, but he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in August and then joined the Mets on a minor-league deal this offseason. The 33-year-old righty was given the chance to compete for a spot in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen during spring training, but he was cut after yielding two runs in two innings in his two Grapefruit League appearances. Expect Burdi to report to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season.

Suarez exited his start Sunday against the Astros in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness, but the left-hander is not expected to be sent for an MRI by the Red Sox. The 30-year-old was confident following Sunday's 3-1 extra-inning loss that he will avoid a stint on the injured list, stating that he dealt with a similar situation last season, per Marcos Grunfeld of ElEmergente.com. Suarez is set to remain in Boston while the team travels to Detroit for a three-game set beginning Monday. The southpaw will be monitored by the training staff, and the hope is that he'll be to go for his next outing, which is tentatively set to come Friday at home versus the Rays.

The 21-year-old was removed from Monday's game in Detroit due to the injury and returned to Boston on Tuesday to visit a hand specialist, who apparently provided an encouraging diagnosis. Anthony still seems likely to miss at least another game or two, but he could be back in action in the near future if he recovers well over the next couple days.

Falter logged his fifth rehab appearance with Triple-A Omaha as he works back from left elbow inflammation. The outing was arguably his best of the assignment, as the southpaw didn't allow a baserunner, though it also marked his first appearance since April 15 (his initial rehab outing) in which he logged fewer than two innings. Across 8.2 innings at Triple-A, the 28-year-old owns a 3.12 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with a stellar 12:1 K:BB. Falter struggled in two relief appearances with Kansas City prior to landing on the injured list, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks across 3.1 innings with four strikeouts. The veteran is likely to be activated in the near future, with a multi-inning role out of the bullpen his likely role upon reinstatement.

Estevez landed on the 15-day injured list at the beginning of April with a left foot contusion, though his poor performance and velocity issues were arguably the biggest driving force of his IL stint. The veteran reliever's velocity has reportedly ticked back up of late in live batting practice sessions, but to what level isn't clear. Estevez has a chance to get his closer job back if he looks sharp on his rehab assignment, as Lucas Erceg has been up-and-down since taking over the ninth inning for Kansas City.

India hasn't played since April 18 and was placed on the injured list eight days ago due to a shoulder subluxation. After further testing, India required season-ending surgery. The 29-year-old's 2026 campaign ends with a .167/.310/.313 slash line with two home runs, eight RBI, eight runs scored and an 8:13 BB:K across 58 trips to the plate. It's been a disappointing two years for India in Kansas City after posting career-low numbers in 2025. Michael Massey and Nick Loftin should continue to see most of the reps at second base for the Royals.

Kolek completed his fourth rehab appearance at Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday, striking out four batters over 4.1 innings (72 pitches) while yielding three runs (one earned) on eight hits and no walks. Though he initially appeared to be ticketed for a long-relief role upon his return from the IL, Kolek will end up slotting into the rotation Tuesday as a rpelacement for Noah Cameron, who was scratched from his scheduled start due to lower-back tightness. Kolek suffered a Grade 1 left oblique strain during spring training and will be making his first big-league appearance of the 2026 campaign Tuesday.

Stephen Kolek is picking up a spot start Tuesday for Kansas City in Cameron's absence. Assuming the 26-year-old southpaw bounces back as expected, he should re-enter the Royals' starting rotation this weekend versus Detroit.