The Boston Red Sox added an infielder who hits for power Monday when they signed free agent first baseman Nathaniel

The Red Sox and the Yankees begin an important series against one another Thursday in New York. Both teams are five games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East standings, but the series is a chance for either team to make some headway between second and third place.

Adding two new teams would allow MLB to even the two leagues out at 16 teams apiece, making daily interleague play no longer necessary. It also creates the opportunity for realignment. Manfred hinted at the possibility of wholesale realignment based on geography during an appearance in ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball booth this past weekend.

Boston outfielder Wilyer Abreu went 2-for-3 with a home run against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 17th. For as good of a game as it was in the box score, Abreu had a scare. He was running the bases and tweaked his calf and was forced to leave the contest late.

The Boston Red Sox’s bullpen has been among the best in baseball this season, yet this weekend proved forgettable for the relief corps and highlighted a potential weakness for the team as it fights for a postseason spot.

As the Red Sox lost consecutive home games for the first time in more than two and a half months, the bullpen was again the culprit.