The Boston Red Sox are on track to pay a $13.05 million luxury tax for a season in which they are likely to miss the playoffs.

The World Series champions' payroll for purposes of the tax increased from $239.7 million on Opening Day to $242.8 million on Aug. 31, according to calculations by the commissioner's office obtained by The Associated Press.

Teams are allowed to get to $206 million before the luxury tax kicks in.

As of Opening Day, the Red Sox were projected for an $11.76 million tax.

Chris Duncan, a former outfielder who helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 2006 World Series, died Friday. He was 38.

Duncan, the son of former St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan and brother of former major leaguer Shelley Duncan, died of brain cancer in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have had initial conversations about randomly testing players for opioids following an autopsy report that showed oxycodone and fentanyl in the blood of late Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

While the discussions are in preliminary stages, both sides expect them to ramp up in the coming weeks and progress in the offseason, sources told ESPN.

Chace Numata, a minor league catcher in the Detroit Tigers organization, died Monday from injuries suffered last week in a skateboarding accident. He was 27.