Red Sox lose Phillips Valdez on waivers to Mariners

The Red Sox lost reliever Phillips Valdez on waivers to the Mariners over the weekend. Seattle claimed Valdez on Friday and promptly optioned him to its Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, Wash.

Boston had designated Valdez for assignment three days prior in order to create space for Josh Winckowski, who did not count against the club’s 40-man roster while he was out on the COVID-19 related injured list.

Valdez, 30, was originally claimed by the Red Sox off waivers from the Mariners in February 2020. The right-hander made Boston’s Opening Day roster that summer and impressed during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign by posting a 3.26 ERA with 30 strikeouts to 16 walks over a career-high 24 relief appearances (30 1/3 innings pitched).

After producing a 5.85 ERA in 2021, Valdez had spent much of the 2022 campaign with the Red Sox being shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Worcester. With the big-league club, the Dominican-born hurler pitched to a 4.41 ERA (3.92 FIP) with 13 punchouts to seven walks across 13 outings spanning 16 1/3 innings of work. With the WooSox, he yielded a 3.06 ERA to go along with 19 strikeouts to 14 walks over 17 2/3 innings of relief.

Equipped with a changeup, sinker, and slider, Valdez has but one option year remaining, meaning the Mariners could stash him away at Triple-A for the rest of the season if they so choose.

That being said, Valdez made his Rainiers debut on Sunday, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in an 8-3 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas. He was followed by another former Red Sox reliever in Fernando Abad, who worked a shutout ninth inning to preserve the victory.

(Picture of Phillips Valdez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back José Peraza on minor-league deal

The Red Sox brought back infielder Jose Peraza on a minor-league contract over the weekend. The 28-year-old was assigned to Triple-A Worcester’s roster on Friday and appeared in two games during its series in Buffalo, going 4-for-7 with a double and two runs scored.

Peraza originally signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in December 2019 after spending the first five years of his major-league career with the Dodgers and Reds. The native Venezuelan was Boston’s Opening Day second baseman in 2020, but batted just .225/.275/.342 with one home run, eight RBIs, 13 runs scored, and one stolen base across 34 games (120 plate appearances) before being optioned to the alternate training site in early September.

Following the conclusion of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, Peraza became a free-agent once again before latching on with the Mets. The right-handed hitter appeared in 64 games for New York last year, slashing .204/.266/.380 with six homers, 20 RBIs, 21 runs scored, and one stolen base over 154 trips to the plate.

Last November, Peraza inked a minors pact with the Yankees. Though he did not make the team out of spring training, he remained with the organization and reported to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this spring. As a member of the RailRiders, Peraza batted .239/.293/.368 with five home runs, 29 RBIs, 20 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 63 games (229 plate appearances). He became a free-agent on July 15 by exercising one of the opt-outs in his contract.

It did not take Peraza too long to land back on his feet and re-join an organization he is surely familiar with. The Red Sox had a need for a versatile veteran such as Peraza given how many players the club has had to call up from Worcester in recent weeks to fill in for injured players.

That being said, Peraza has major-league experience at every infield position besides first base as well as all three outfield positions. He should provide the WooSox with seasoned depth across the diamond, particularly up the middle of the infield.

(Picture of Jose Peraza: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Xander Bogaerts delivers with go-ahead 3-run home run as Red Sox hold on for 4-2 win over Guardians to salvage series split

The Red Sox salvaged a series split with the Guardians at Fenway Park on Thursday night. Boston defeated Cleveland by a final score of 4-2 to improve to an even 50-50 on the season.

Kutter Crawford, making his sixth start of the season for the Sox, was solid yet again. The rookie right-hander allowed just one earned run on three hits and zero walks to go along with two strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of work.

The lone run Crawford gave up came in the top half of the fourth. With one out in the inning, Jose Ramirez belted a 413-foot solo shot down the right field line that managed to stay to the left of Pesky’s Pole and in fair territory. The play was reviewed, but the call was upheld and the Guardians had themselves a 1-0 lead.

Besides that one blip, though, Crawford rebounded by retiring seven of the final nine batters he faced. He was pulled with two outs in the fifth inning as the left-handed hitting Josh Naylor was due to hit next for Cleveland.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 69 (49 strikes), Crawford induced a total of eight swings-and-misses while topping out at 95.7 mph with his four-seam fastball, a pitch he threw 23 times. Although the 26-year-old did not factor into Thursday’s decision, he did lower his ERA on the season to 4.15.

In relief of Crawford, Jake Diekman received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. The veteran left-hander did what he was called upon to do by getting Naylor to ground out to end the inning.

To that point in the contest, the Red Sox lineup had been completely held in check by Guardians starter Triston McKenzie, who did not give up his first hit until the fourth and took a shutout bid into the sixth.

After Jarren Duran switched places with Jeter Downs while recording the first out of the inning, Alex Verdugo moved the speedster up to second base with a line-drive single. Xander Bogaerts followed by taking a hanging 0-2 slider from McKenzie and crushing it 412 feet over the Green Monster for a go-ahead three-run blast.

Bogaerts’ eighth home run of the season left his bat at 105 mph. It also gave the Red Sox their first lead of the night at 3-1. Bobby Dalbec provided some insurance in the seventh by plating Franchy Cordero on a 103 mph RBI single to left field.

Following a scoreless seventh inning from Diekman in which he struck out two of the three Guardians he faced, Garrett Whitlock came on with the hopes of recording a six-out save.

Whitlock, working on two days of rest, yielded one run on one hit and one walk in the eighth. As the rain began to fall harder in the ninth, the righty maneuvered his way around a Naylor double to slam the door on the Guardians and pick up his third save of the year.

Next up: Bring on the Brewers

Exactly 100 games into the 2022 season, the Red Sox are a .500 team. They will next welcome the Milwaukee Brewers into town for a three-game weekend series at Fenway Park. The Brewers last visited Fenway in April 2014.

In Friday’s series opener, it will be rookie right-hander Brayan Bello getting the ball for Boston and fellow righty Brandon Woodruff doing the same for Milwaukee.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story still dealing with discomfort in right hand

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story is still dealing with some discomfort stemming from the right hand contusion he suffered earlier this month, manager Alex Cora said Thursday.

Story, who took an 89 mph sinker from Rays starter Corey Kluber off his right hand on an awkward swing at Tropicana Field on July 12, has been on the 10-day injured list for the last two weeks.

While X-rays on Story’s hand came back negative, it took until this past Sunday for the 29-year-old to start swinging a bat again. He took more swings on Wednesday, but did not do so before Thursday’s game against the Guardians at Fenway Park.

“He’s doing OK. He swung the bat yesterday. Today, nothing,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “So we’ll see how it goes over the weekend. Hopefully, he keeps trending in the right direction and we go from there.”

Given that he swings from the right side of the plate, Story has had some issues when it comes to gripping and swinging the bat with his top (right) hand.

“Where it got him, it was in a tough spot,” said Cora. “The swinging part of it, the top hand, has kind of been hard for him to feel comfortable with it. (If) he doesn’t feel comfortable to go out there and compete with his swing where he’s at, then there’s nothing we can do.”

At the time he got injured, Story was batting .221/.289/.423 (93 wRC+) with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, 49 runs scored, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts through 81 games (342 plate appearances) this season. The two-time All-Star has also posted eight defensive runs saved, the most among American League second baseman.

That quality of defense, according to Cora, is something the Red Sox have missed dearly while Story has been sidelined.

“He had become the rock of the infield,” Cora said.

On Sunday, Cora did not give a definitive answer when asked if Story will require a rehab assignment. That could soon change the longer Story remains out.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox relief prospect Ryan Fernandez has struck out 40 percent of the batters he has faced since earning promotion to Double-A Portland

Red Sox relief prospect Ryan Fernandez needed just 24 pitches — 19 of which were strikes — to toss two scoreless innings and wrap up a 9-4 win for the Portland Sea Dogs over the Hartford Yard Goats at Dunkin’ Donuts Park on Wednesday night.

Since earning a promotion from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland on July 3, Fernandez has made eight relief appearances for the Sea Dogs. The right-hander has posted a 3.60 ERA and 3.43 FIP with 16 strikeouts to just two walks over 10 innings of work in those outings.

Prior to making the jump to Double-A, Fernandez began the 2022 season in Greenville and pitched to a 4.00 ERA (but more respectable 3.19 FIP) with 40 punchouts to nine walks across 25 appearances spanning 27 innings of relief for the Drive.

So, between the two levels to this point in the season, the 24-year-old has produced a 3.89 ERA and 3.25 FIP while recording 56 strikeouts and issuing 11 walks over 33 relief appearances (37 total innings). He has also converted 10 of a possible 13 save opportunities.

To put that all into perspective: Among the 57 pitchers in the Red Sox farm system who have thrown at least 30 innings coming into play on Thursday, Fernandez ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (13.62), 12th in walks per nine innings (2.68), first in strikeout rate (35.9%), third in swinging strike rate (20.8%), 12th in walk rate (7.1%), 10th in groundball rate (52.3%), 13th in FIP, and third in xFIP (2.74), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally selected Fernandez in the 23rd round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Hillsborough Community College in Plant City, Fla. The Tampa native signed with the club for $125,000 and made his professional debut in the Gulf Coast League.

Despite the amount of success he has enjoyed so far this season, Fernandez has not yet caught the attention of any industry publications to the point where is ranked as one of the top 30 or so prospects in Boston’s farm system.

Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 6-foot, 170-pound hurler throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 96-98 mph fastball that tops out at 99 mph, a 90-92 mph cutter with a high spin rate, and an 87-89 mph slider.

Fernandez, who does not turn 25 until next June, can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is left off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster in November. With that being said, it would not be too surprising if Boston has Fernandez pitch in the Arizona Fall League later this year so that it may further evaluate him.

Having Fernandez pitch in Arizona this fall would also give other clubs the opportunity to see the Florida-born righty in-person.

(Picture of Ryan Fernandez: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox bring back Danny Santana on minor-league deal

The Red Sox have brought back veteran utility man Danny Santana on a minor-league deal, according to the team’s transactions log. Santana, who has not played in any capacity this season after receiving an 80-game suspension for a positive PED test, will report to Boston’s rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate in Fort Myers.

The 31-year-old Santana originally signed a minors pact with the Sox last March before having his contract selected in May. The versatile switch-hitter appeared in 38 games for Boston, batting just .181/.252/.345 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, 15 runs scored, and four stolen bases while seeing playing time at first base, left field, and center field. He was also included on the club’s ALDS and ALCS rosters.

After electing free agency in November, Santana tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone, which resulted in the aforementioned 80-game ban that was handed down to him in April.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Santana is a veteran of eight major-league seasons between the Twins, Braves, Rangers, and Red Sox. He originally broke in with Minnesota in 2014 and was named Texas’ Player of the Year in 2019.

In addition to his versatility, Santana is also known for his speed. And while he will begin his second stint with the Red Sox in Fort Myers, the expectation is that Santana will work his way up to Triple-A Worcester before long and provide the club with experienced depth at numerous positions there.

As a member of the WooSox last season, Santana slashed .300/.404/.575 to go along with five doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, seven walks, and nine strikeouts across 12 games spanning 47 trips to the plate.

(Picture of Danny Santana: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Yankees acquire former Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Royals

The Yankees have acquired former Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Royals in exchange for three pitching prospects, the clubs announced late Wednesday night.

Benintendi, 28, was viewed as an appealing target ahead of the August 2 trade deadline given the fact that he is slated to become a free-agent at the end of the season and was playing for a 39-59 Royals team that is not contending for anything.

A first-time All-Star in his second year in Kansas City, the left-handed hitting Benintendi is currently batting .320/.387/.398 with 14 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 39 RBIs, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 39 walks, and 52 strikeouts over 93 games (390 plate appearances) this season.

Defensively, Benintendi is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he took home the Gold Glove Award for American League left fielders. The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder has yet to commit an error at the position this season while posting an ultimate zone rating of 7.1 across 766 innings.

While Benintendi’s on-field performance has been solid, there were some concerns about his unwillingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after missing the Royals’ four-game series in Toronto earlier this month. It remains to be seen if he has changed his stance and will get vaccinated now that he is on a contender, but the Yankees only have to play three more regular season games north of the border (from September 26-28), anyway.

In return for Benintendi, the Royals are receiving right-handers Chandler Champlain and Beck Way and left-hander T.J. Sikkema from the Yankees. Champlain, selected in the ninth round of last year’s draft, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in New York’s farm system. Way, selected in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 13 prospect in New York’s farm system. Sikkema, selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in New York’s farm system.

Interestingly enough, the Royals are slated to open a four-game series against the first-place Yankees in the Bronx on Thursday, so Benintendi will not need to travel far to join his new team.

Benintendi, who spent the first five years of his major-league career (and won a World Series title with) the Red Sox, will get to experience baseball’s greatest rivalry from the other side when the Yankees come to Boston for a three-game series at Fenway park next month.

(Picture of Andrew Benintendi: Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)

Franchy Cordero commits 3 errors as Red Sox blow late lead and fall to Guardians, 7-6, to drop below .500

For the first time since June 4, the Red Sox are under .500. Boston blew a late lead and ultimately fell to the Guardians by a final score of 7-6 on Wednesday night to drop to 49-50 on the season.

Nathan Eovaldi, making his second start since returning from the injured list on July 15, allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits and zero walks to go along with one strikeout over six innings of work.

Three of those five Cleveland runs came in the top half of the second inning. Franmil Reyes led off with a ground-rule double and moved up to third base on an Owen Miller single. Following a mound visit from pitching coach Dave Bush, Eovaldi got Nolan Jones to chop a groundball in the direction of Franchy Cordero at first base.

Cordero, while running to his right, attempted to corral the ball with his glove but picked it off the ground barehanded. With his momentum carrying him in the opposite direction, he made an awkward throw to Eovaldi, who was covering the first-base bag. Said, throw, however, was nowhere near Eovaldi and instead rolled into the Red Sox dugout. So not only did Reyes score on the play, but Miller advanced to third while Jones reached base safely.

The Guardians took full advantage of Cordero’s fielding and throwing errors, as Austin Hedges plated Miller on an RBI groundout and Straw drove in Jones on a run-scoring double to give his side an early 3-0 advantage.

The Red Sox, matched up against right-hander Cal Quantrill, responded by scoring two runs of their own in the bottom of the second. After Cordero drew a two-out walk, Bobby Dalbec crushed a 410-foot two-run home run over the Green Monster to cut the deficit to one at 3-2.

Eovaldi, meanwhile ran into more trouble in the fourth, when Jones led off with a sharply-hit double and moved up to third on a successful sacrifice bunt laid down by Hedges. Straw fanned on four pitches for the second out, but Steven Kwan and Amed Rosario kept the inning alive by stringing together back-to-back run-scoring hits.

Once more, the Sox kept the pressure on by answering with two runs in the latter half of the fourth. Christian Vazquez reached on a one-out single and then scored all the way from first on an RBI double off the bat of Cordero that neither Kawan or Rosario could handle cleanly. As a result, Cordero advanced up to third base and easily scored on a Dalbec sacrifice fly.

At the very least, Eovaldi was able to settle down a bit from there. The 32-year-old right-hander retired eight of the final nine batters he faced leading into the middle of the sixth inning. Of the 95 pitches he wound up throwing, 67 went for strikes. His ERA on the season now sits at 4.32.

The Cordero-Dalbec combo struck again in the bottom of the sixth. Moments after the former reached base on a force out, the latter followed by clubbing his second home run of the night. Dalbec’s 10th homer of the season left his bat at 107.1 mph and traveled 397 feet to dead center field. It also gave the Red Sox their first lead of the contest at 6-5.

That newfound lead would not last long, though. After John Schreiber worked a scoreless seventh inning in relief of Eovaldi, the righty was called upon again to take the mound in the eighth. He begin the frame by giving up an infield single to Jones, but the Guardians rookie was able to take second base as well thanks to another Cordero throwing error.

Schreiber then surrendered a game-tying RBI double to Straw. An inning later, Tanner Houck served up a go-ahead solo homer to Josh Naylor that put Cleveland back up, 6-5.

Emmanuel Clase came on to close things out in the ninth for the second straight night and did just that by making quick work of Jackie Bradley Jr., Yolmer Sanchez, and Rob Refsnyder.

With the loss, Boston has now dropped seven of its last eight games to fall to a dismal 6-17 in the month of July. It is also 31-41 against teams with winning records and 13-16 in one-run games this season.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Cordero is the first Red Sox first baseman to commit three errors in a single game since Mo Vaughn did so in 1993.

Dalbec, on the other hand, has four hits in his last seven games. Three of those have left the yard.

Next up: Crawford vs. McKenzie

The Red Sox will look to settle for a four-game series split in Thursday’s finale with the Guardians. In a starting pitching matchup featuring a pair of right-handers who went to high school in Florida, Kutter Crawford will get the ball for Boston while Triston McKenzie will do the same for Cleveland.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Franchy Cordero: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Rafael Devers (right hamstring inflammation) expected to come off injured list when first eligible

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers has been on the 10-day injured list because of right hamstring inflammation since July 23, meaning he is eligible to be activated as soon as August 2.

Devers took groundballs and hit in the batting cage ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Guardians at Fenway Park. When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) earlier Wednesday afternoon, Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated that the two-time All-Star could return from the injured list without needing to go out on a rehab assignment.

“He’s moving better,” Cora said of Devers. “He’s progressing. I think Raffy will be OK right away.”

Devers, 25, is batting .324/.379/.602 with 29 doubles, one triple, 22 home runs, 55 RBIs, 62 runs scored, two stolen bases, 26 walks, and 69 strikeouts over 87 games (380 plate appearances) so far this season.

In their last four games without Devers, the Red Sox are 1-3 and have averaged just 2.75 runs per game. Bobby Dalbec will start at the hot corner for Boston on Wednesday.

If Devers does indeed come off the injured list when first eligible, that would come when the Red Sox take on the Astros at Minute Maid Park next Tuesday.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Stagnant Red Sox fall into last place in American League East following 8-3 loss to Guardians

Even with new Hall of Famer David Ortiz in the house, the Red Sox lost to the Guardians at Fenway Park on Tuesday night. Boston fell to Cleveland by a final score of 8-3 to drop back down to 49-49 on the season.

In Baltimore, the Orioles defeated the Rays, 5-3, to improve to 49-48, meaning the Red Sox now sit alone in the basement of the American League East for the first time in over two months.

Josh Winckowski returned to the mound on Tuesday after missing the last two weeks on the COVID-19 related injured list. Making his eighth start of the season for Boston, the rookie right-hander allowed five earned runs on six hits, one walk, and one hit batsman to go along with one strikeout over just three innings of work.

Command seemed to be an issue for Winckowski, as only 47 of the 73 pitches he threw went for strikes. Cleveland got to him right away in the first inning, with Jose Ramirez drawing a two-out walk and scoring from second base on an RBI single from Owen Miller.

An inning later, Winckowski grooved a 1-0, 92 mph sinker to Austin Hedges, who deposited it 387 feet over the Green Monster to give the Guardians a 2-0 lead. Nolan Jones broke it open with two outs in the third by crushing a 408-foot, three-run blast off Winckowski to make it a 5-0 game.

The Red Sox were at the very least able to get two of those runs back in their half of the third. Jaylin Davis led things off with a 284-foot double off Guardians opener Bryan Shaw. Rob Refsnyder was hit by a pitch and Alex Verdugo grounded into a force out to put runners at the corners with one out for Xander Bogaerts, who promptly ripped a 106.9 mph RBI single to score Davis and get his side on the board.

Following a Cleveland pitching change, newly-inserted reliever Nick Sandlin plunked the very first batter he faced in J.D. Martinez to fill the bases for Christian Vazquez, who kept the line moving with another run-scoring single. With only one out and the bases still full, Kevin Plawecki lined out to Jones in right field. Bogaerts attempted to tag up from third on the play, but was instead gunned down at home by Jones for the third and final out of the inning. Boston challenged the call on the field, but it was upheld and the rally was over.

At that point in the contest, Red Sox manager Alex Cora elected to go to his bullpen, pulling Winckowski in favor of Austin Davis. Winckowski, who was ultimately took the loss, now owns an ERA of 5.18 this season. Davis, on the other hand, loaded the bases with one out in the fourth before getting Josh Naylor to hit a 66.9 mph groundball in the direction of Yolmer Sanchez at second base.

With his momentum carrying him towards left field, Sanchez attempted to make a behind-the-back toss to Bogaerts, who was covering the second-base bag. Sanchez’s toss, however, was inaccurate and was nowhere near Bogaerts, which allowed two more Guardians runs to cross the plate as Sanchez was charged with a throwing error.

Davis managed to escape the fourth inning without giving anything else up, but the damage had already been done with the Guardians in possession of a 7-2 lead.

While Hirokazu Sawamura and Jake Diekman combined for three scoreless frames of relief of the bullpen, the Red Sox lineup was held hitless from the bottom of the third inning up until the bottom of the seventh, when Rob Refsnyder reached base via a two-out single.

After Tanner Houck, who was making his first appearance since Saturday, surrendered one run in the top of the eighth, Plawecki plated Bogaerts on an RBI double off the Green Monster in the latter half of the inning.

Kaleb Ort retired the side in order in the top of the ninth. In the bottom half, All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase did the very same to end the ballgame.

By losing on Tuesday, the Red Sox are now 6-1 in their yellow City Connect uniforms. Overall, they have dropped eight of their last 10 and their run differential now sits at negative-15 on the year.

Next up: Quantrill vs. Eovaldi

The Red Sox will look to bounce back on Wednesday night by sending right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to the mound for his 15th start of the season. The Guardians will counter with fellow righty Cal Quantrill.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)