Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Verdugo will be benched Thursday against Cleveland due to a "lack of hustle," Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.
Verdugo didn't give maximum effort on the basepaths during a fielder's choice by Masataka Yoshida in Wednesday's game, and the skipper has opted to send a message to the rest of the team. Cora also said that the 27-year-old outfielder will return to Boston's lineup Friday.