Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten was placed on the injured list on Friday with right elbow inflammation. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

The Boston Red Sox placed Justin Slaten on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on Friday. The move is retroactive to July 9. Boston recalled left-handed reliever Cam Booser from Triple-A to fill his spot.

Slaten last pitched against the Yankees on July 7, throwing 16 pitches in one inning, striking out one and walking one in Boston’s 3-0 win.

The Red Sox also recalled starting pitcher Cooper Criswell to start against the Royals. Criswell has made 11 starts for Boston this season. He has a 4.15 ERA in 52 innings.

To make room for Criswell, Boston optioned reliever Trey Wingenter  to Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox acquired Wingenter in a trade with the Tigers on July 6 and he made his debut on July 9. He allowed three runs in one inning against Oakland.

Red Sox Manager Alex Cora hopes Slaten will be able to return to the team for its series against the Dodgers starting on July 19.

“I think it is smart to put him on the IL,” Cora said before Friday’s game. “It’s his first time pitching this much. We have to be careful.”

Cora said his level of concern about the injury is “minimal.”

Slaten is 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA. He has 45 strikeouts and nine walks in his first season in the major leagues.

At this time last year, Slaten was pitching for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Texas Rangers’ Double-A affiliate.

“The workload is a lot,” Cora said. “The effort is different, but he has been good. … For us to push him in this series for one game, and then something else happens and we lose him for a month, it just makes sense to take care of him now.”

Booser has appeared in 27 games for Boston this season. He has a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings.

ALL-STAR GAME: Seattle reliever Andrés Muñoz replaced teammate Logan Gilbert on the AL roster for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

Gilbert is scheduled to start on Sunday at the Los Angeles Angels in the Mariners’ last game before the All-Star break and won’t be active for the All-Stars at Arlington, Texas.

A 25-year-old right-hander, Muñoz entered with 15 saves in 17 chances, six holds and a 1.45 ERA, striking out 45 and walking 16 in 37 1/3 innings.

PHILLIES: Philadelphia released utility player Whit Merrifield and recalled Weston Wilson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The Phillies will owe Merrifield $3 million of his $7 million salary.

Merrifield, 35, appeared in 53 games for the Phillies, making 20 starts in left field, 12 at second base and eight at third base. He batted .199 with 11 RBI and 21 runs scored in 174 plate appearances.

Wilson arrives for a second stint with the Phillies this season. The 29-year-old made his season debut on June 9 against the New York Mets at London Stadium. He has batted .315 with 10 homers and 20 RBI in 20 games with the IronPigs since being optioned.

NATIONALS: Washington placed third baseman Nick Senzel on unconditional waivers.

Senzel had signed a one-year, $2 million contract in December. The team had designated him for assignment on July 6 hoping to trade him.

Senzel is batting .209 with seven homers and 18 RBI in 64 games this season. He spent his first five major league seasons with the Reds, but his big league career was hampered by trips to the injured list. He opened the season on the list with a broken right thumb sustained in spring training.

ROCKIES: Germán Márquez threw a bullpen at Citi Field and is scheduled to start Sunday against the New York Mets in his long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery. He’s been on a rehab assignment in the minor leagues but hasn’t pitched in the majors since April 26, 2023.

Márquez is expected to throw 75-90 pitches Sunday. The 29-year-old right-hander has won at least 11 games four times and is 65-56 with a 4.41 ERA in eight big league seasons — all with the Rockies.

PADRES: Second baseman Xander Bogaerts was activated from the disabled list in time to start and bat fifth in the opener of a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.

Bogaerts had been sidelined with a broken left shoulder. He was hurt when he landed awkwardly on a diving attempt at Ronald Acuña Jr.’s RBI infield single in Atlanta on May 20.

He is batting .219 with four homers and 14 RBI.