Franchy Cordero

Red Sox outfielder Franchy Cordero fields a single by Niko Goodrum during a game against the Tigers on May 6. Cordero, who has a .501 OPS in 34 games this season, was optioned Thursday to Triple-A Worcester. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

The Boston Red Sox optioned outfielder Franchy Cordero to Triple-A Worcester, the team announced Thursday morning.

Boston will need to make a corresponding roster move before Friday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins.

Cordero, who came over from the Royals in the Andrew Benintendi trade in February, is hitting .179 (17 for 95) with one homer, six doubles and a .501 OPS in 34 games. The 26-year-old has only started four of the club’s last 11 games, so the move is designed to give him the chance to get more consistent at-bats.

With second baseman Christian Arroyo now active, Kiké Hernández and Marwin Gonzalez will be tasked with more outfield work alongside Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe, newcomer Danny Santana and – occasionally – J.D. Martinez.

It’s likely the Red Sox will promote a pitcher to take Cordero’s roster spot. Boston carried 14 pitchers and 12 position players for the first 45 games of the season before going to a 13/13 split when Santana was activated last Friday.

ANGELS: A traffic jam kept Shohei Ohtani from making it to the ballpark in time for his regular pregame pitching routine, and he was scratched from his scheduled start against the Oakland Athletics and shifted to designated hitter.

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METS: Noah Syndergaard, after cruising through his Tommy John rehab for the last 14 months, re-aggravated his pitching elbow and is shut down from throwing at least until the All-Star break.

Syndergaard underwent an MRI that revealed inflammation in his right elbow, Mets Manager Luis Rojas announced. On the bright side, there was no structural damage to his UCL. But the right-hander, who was on the precipice of returning to the Mets, will not throw for at least the next six weeks.

“We pray that he can pitch for us this year,” Rojas said.

The 28-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2020 and last pitched in a major league game on Sept. 29, 2019. He will become a free agent this offseason, putting his return to the Mets in question. It’s possible Syndergaard’s final days in a Mets uniform are behind him.

Rojas would not say whether the Mets organization is confident Syndergaard can pitch again in the majors this season.

He pitched two rehab assignments for the Low-A St. Lucie Mets this month, hurling 95-mph fastballs across four scoreless innings in his first outing, and was expected to make his 2021 debut in June. That outlook quickly crumbled when Syndergaard was pulled from his most recent start after just one inning, with reports of his velocity diminishing to 89 mph. He was scheduled for just 4-5 additional rehab assignments before he left his start Tuesday with pain in his right elbow.

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“As tough as it is for us to hear, I can’t imagine how tough it is for him, who did a solid job the whole time just to be at the point that he was before he got stopped,” Rojas said. “This guy works really hard. He was in unbelievable shape. He was throwing the ball like you expect him to throw the ball, with all the force he has, and probably that caused this to happen.”

Syndergaard flew from Port St. Lucie on Wednesday and joined the Mets in New York. As of Thursday morning, Rojas had not yet spoken to the right-hander following his setback and Syndergaard has not spoken to reporters throughout his rehab from UCL surgery.

REDS: Nick Senzel is scheduled to have knee surgery on Friday and could miss four to six weeks. The Reds also announced that right-handed starter Jeff Hoffman has been put on the 10-day injured list with a sore shoulder.

Senzel, who began the season as the center fielder before moving to third base, has been on the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation since last Friday. He hasn’t played since May 17.

Senzel and Hoffman are the latest injuries for the Reds. First baseman Joey Votto is recovering from a fractured thumb. Mike Moustakas, who moved from third base to first base after Votto was hurt, is out with a heel injury. Left-handed starter Wade Miley, who threw a no-hitter against Cleveland May 7, was put on the 10-day injured list May 21 with a left foot sprain.

Outfielder Aristides Aquino, on the injured list since April 16 when he had hand surgery, is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville in the next week.


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