The Red Sox have claimed corner infielder Travis Shaw off waivers from the Brewers, the club announced earlier Sunday afternoon.
Shaw, 31, was designated for assignment and promptly placed on outright waivers by Milwaukee earlier this weekend after slashing a dismal .191/.279/.337 with eight doubles, six home runs, 28 RBI, 14 runs scored, 19 walks, and 51 strikeouts across 56 games (202 plate appearances) with the club this season.
Signed to a minor-league deal by the Brewers in February, Shaw, who made Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, has appeared in 48 games at third base and 20 at first base so far this year.
In early June, the left-handed hitter dislocated his left shoulder, resulting in him being placed on the 10-day injured list and transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 12.
Late last month, the Brewers sent Shaw out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville. He hit .273/.415/.485 with two home runs and eight RBI over 11 games (41 plate appearances) with the Sounds.
Due to the emergence of other corner infielders such as Rowdy Tellez and Eduardo Escobar, however, Shaw ultimately lost his spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster.
In being claimed off waivers by the Red Sox, though, Shaw rejoins the organization he originally began his professional career with as a ninth-round draft selection out of Kent State University in 2011.
After eventually making his major-league debut for Boston in May 2015, the Ohio native enjoyed a decent amount of success during his rookie season, posting a .270/.327/.487 slash line to go along with 10 doubles, 13 homers, and 36 RBI in 56 games in the process of being dubbed the “Mayor of Ding Dong City.”
Following the 2016 campaign, the Red Sox traded Shaw — as well prospects Mauricio Dubon, Josh Pennington, and Yeison Coca to the Brewers in exchange for reliever Tyler Thornburg.
Thornburg’s time in Boston did not go well, but Shaw got his tenure in Milwaukee off to a solid start by clubbing 31 home runs in 2017 and a career-best 32 home runs in 2018.
That said, Shaw regressed mightily in 2019 and was later non-tendered by the Brewers that December. He inked a one-year contract with the Blue Jays shortly thereafter.
In his lone season with Toronto, Shaw posted a .717 OPS in 50 games before becoming a free-agent once again. The Red Sox had interest in bringing him back over the winter, though he ultimately decided to return to Milwaukee on a minors pact.
Now that he is back with Boston, Shaw — listed at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds –will look to provide the Sox with a left-handed power bat that has experience at every infield position besides shortstop.
The Red Sox were able to add Shaw to their 40-man roster without making a corresponding move since they placed left-handed reliever Josh Taylor on the COVID-19 related injured list earlier in the day.
On top of that, WEEI’s Rob Bradford reports that the plan is for Shaw to join the Sox ahead of their series against the Yankees that begins in New York on Tuesday.
The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier was the first to report that the Red Sox had claimed Shaw off waivers.
(Picture of Travis Shaw: John Fisher/Getty Images)
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