Red Sox have No. 9 farm system in baseball, per Baseball America

The Red Sox now have one of the more prominent farm systems in baseball, according to Baseball America.

In their latest midseason organizational talent rankings, Baseball America ranks Boston’s farm system as the ninth-best in Major League Baseball as things stand today.

Ranking behind the Mariners, Orioles, Royals, Pirates, Giants, Tigers, Rays, and Reds and ahead of the Blue Jays to round out the top 10, the Sox’ minor-league pipeline at present includes three of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects in first baseman Triston Casas (No. 20), outfielder Jarren Duran (No. 22), and shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 32).

“First baseman Triston Casas looks like a potential middle-of-the-order cornerstone who can hit for average and power,” BA noted of Boston’s farm system on Monday. “The addition of shortstop Marcelo Mayer with the fourth pick in the draft gave the Red Sox an immediate jolt of impact talent.”

Coming into the 2021 season, the Sox were in possession of the No. 20 farm system in baseball, which is the same exact ranking they received in the spring of 2020 as well.

What can be attributed to Boston’s rise from No. 20 to No. 9 in the span of just a little more than six months?

Well, as previously noted, selecting Mayer, who was regarded as arguably the top prep prospect going into this summer’s draft, with the fourth overall pick certainly helps.

Casas, meanwhile, made a name for himself at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, as he slashed .217/.308/.652 with a team-leading three home runs and eight RBI over six games while helping Team USA win a silver medal and being named the tournament’s best first baseman in the process of doing so.

As for Duran, the speedy outfielder came into the season as one of Boston’s more exciting prospects after what he did in spring training, then — like Casas — gained more notoriety as he helped Team USA qualify for the Olympics, but was not named to the United States’ final roster.

That being the case because the Red Sox would call up Duran from Triple-A Worcester on July 16. The 24-year-old has since hit .215/.232/.367/.599 through his first 23 games in the majors, though he is batting .282 (11-for-39) since August 3.

In addition to what Mayer, Casas, and Duran have done, the contributions from 2020 first-round pick Nick Yorke, 2017 first-round pick Tanner Houck, and international signees such as Brayan Bello, Miguel Bleis, and Wilkelman Gonzalez cannot be forgotten about, either.

All in all, as the Red Sox look to contend for an American League East title this year, they are also putting in the necessary work to ensure a promising future for the organization by bolstering an ever-improving farm system.

That is something chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has hammered home since he joined the Sox in 2019, and it appears as though his vision has netted some encouraging results less than two full years into his tenure in Boston.

(Picture of Triston Casas: KAZUHIRO FUJIHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Why the addition of Travis Shaw makes Red Sox manager Alex Cora ‘feel old’

In his heyday with the Dodgers, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was teammates with former big-league right-hander Jeff Shaw from 1998 through 2021.

On Sunday, the Red Sox claimed Shaw’s son, major-league infielder Travis Shaw, off waivers from the Brewers, meaning Cora will now be managing one of his former teammates’ children.

“I know the kid,” Cora said of the younger Shaw following Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Orioles at Fenway Park. “Actually, finally, I feel old. I played with his dad. I saw Travis running around in the clubhouse in LA. So, at one point throughout this, I’m like, ‘Hopefully it doesn’t happen, that I have to manage a teammate’s kid.’ It happened. So, when I found out, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Yeah, you feel old.”

Shaw, who was drafted by the Red Sox out of Kent State University in the ninth round of the 2011 draft, spent the first two years of his major-league career (2015-2016) in Boston prior to being dealt to the Brewers (along with prospects) in exchange for reliever Tyler Thornburg in the winter of 2016.

While Shaw initially found success in Milwaukee by hitting 31 and 32 home runs in his first two seasons with the club, he regressed in 2019, was non-tendered that December, and ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays prior to the start of the 2020 campaign.

After his one and only season with Toronto came to a close, the Sox reportedly were interested in a reunion with Shaw, but he opted to return to the Brewers on a minor-league deal with the Brewers this past February.

After making Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, the 31-year-old got off to a sluggish start at the plate in which he slashed .191/.279/.337 with just six home runs and 28 RBI across 56 games (202 plate appearances) before dislocating his left shoulder during a game against the Reds on June 9.

The Brewers placed Shaw to the 60-day injured list on June 12, but decided to designate the veteran infielder just as he was nearing a return from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville.

In designating Shaw for assignment, the Brewers accepted the fact that they could lose Shaw on waivers, and the Red Sox stepped up to the plate by claiming and adding him to their 40-man roster on Sunday.

By acquiring Shaw, the Red Sox were able to add yet another versatile player who is capable of playing around the infield while also providing power from the left side of the plate, as Cora explained on Sunday.

“He’s a good kid, he’s a good guy,” said Cora. “We’re going to use him the right way. I think he gives us more weapons to maneuver over nine innings. We can pinch-hit, we can platoon, we can do a lot of things with him. Looking forward to seeing him and start working with him.”

The reason the Red Sox were able to add Shaw, who was making $1.5 million this season, without making a corresponding 40-man roster move was on account of the fact that left-handed reliever Josh Taylor was placed on the COVID-19 related injured list earlier in the day, thus creating a spot for a new addition.

If Shaw is to join the Sox in New York on Tuesday ahead of their three-game series against the Yankees, which as of now sounds like the plan, the club would also need to make room on its 26-man major-league roster to acommodate him.

“I haven’t talked to Chaim [Bloom] about it,” Cora said when asked if Shaw will be joining the team right away. “Somebody mentioned that he’s here. So, I don’t know what the plan is, but I bet there’s a good chance he’ll be with us on Tuesday.”

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

J.D. Martinez homers in second straight game as Red Sox finish off sweep of Orioles with 6-2 win; Kyle Schwarber records first 2 hits with Boston

The Red Sox capped off one of the more memorable weekends of the 2021 season by finishing off a three-game sweep of the Orioles with a 6-2 victory at Fenway on Park on Sunday.

Eduardo Rodriguez, making his 23rd start of the year for the Sox, put together yet another solid outing, as he has done since the calendars flipped to August.

Over six innings of work against his former team, the left-hander surrendered just one unearned run while scattering three hits and three walks to go along with six strikeouts on the afternoon.

The lone Rodriguez gave up came right away in the top half of the first after he issued a one-out walk to Austin Hays that was followed by a Trey Mancini single.

Anthony Santander ripped a single to left field of his own that should have just loaded the bases, but a poor throw from J.D. Martinez allowed Hays to score all the way from second to give his side the early 1-0 lead.

Martinez’s throwing error also put a runner at third base, but Rodriguez was able to escape the jam by recording back-to-back punchouts.

Despite falling behind by a run before even taking their first at-bats, the Sox lineup was undeterred, as they were matched up against Orioles starter Keegan Akin, who came into play Sunday the owner of a 8.23 ERA on the season.

With that favorable matchup in mind, Martinez did not waste any time in making up for his defensive miscue, as he came to the plate for the first time with two outs in the first and two runners on.

On the fourth pitch he saw from Akin, a 2-1, 86 mph slider on the outer half of the plate, Martinez clobbered a three-run home run 396 feet over the Green Monster and off the National Car Rental sign to give Boston their first lead of the day at 3-1.

While Martinez’s 23rd homer of the season looked like it would set the tone for another explosive day from the Red Sox offense, they actually did not get on the board again until their half of the sixth.

Between the time the Sox scored their first and last runs of the afternoon, Rodriguez was in the midst of stringing together five consecutive scoreless frames after he got pushed around a bit in the top half of the first.

From the beginning of the second inning through the middle of the sixth, the point in which his outing came to a close, Rodriguez retired 14 of the final 17 Orioles hitters he faced to end his day on an extremely encouraging note.

Though he certainly would have liked to have pitched beyond the sixth inning, the 28-year-old hurler did finish with a final pitch count of 83 — 55 of which were strikes.

In completing six quality frames, Rodriguez was able to pick up his ninth winning decision of the year while also lowering his ERA on the season down to 4.97.

Moments after Rodriguez’s outing had concluded, the Sox lineup picked things up again in their half of the sixth inning.

There, with old friend Fernando Abad on the mound for Baltimore, Kyle Schwarber made his impact felt by leading things off with a line-drive double to deep right field, marking his first hit in a Red Sox uniform and his first of two doubles on the day.

Back-to-back one-out walks drawn by Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez filled the bases for leadoff man Enrique Hernandez, who greeted new Orioles reliever Tanner Scott by lacing an RBI single that deflected off the leg of third base umpire Will Little and brought in Schwarber while also keeping the bases loaded.

Hunter Renfroe took advantage of that by drawing a bases-loaded walk to record an RBI while bringing in Verdugo from third, and Xander Bogaerts followed by beating out a double play on a ground ball that plated Vazquez, thus giving the Sox a commanding 6-1 lead.

From the top of the seventh inning on, the Red Sox bullpen took over in relief of Rodriguez, with Adam Ottavino getting the first call to action.

Making his first appearance out of the bullpen in exactly one week, Ottavino was clearly rusty, as he plunked the first batter he faced in Pedro Severino before throwing two wild pitches that allowed Severino to move all the way up to third base.

A one-out walk of Maikel Franco put runners at the corners for Jorge Mateo, who promptly laced a 105 mph off Ottavino’s left shoulder that scored Severino and would ultimately force the veteran righty to exit, as he was later diagnosed with a left shoulder contusion.

Garrett Whitlock, who was already warming up in the Boston bullpen, was forced to enter sooner than he may have expected, but he kept Baltimore at bay by stranding Mateo at first in the seventh and striking out the side in order in the eighth to hold the opposition at two runs.

That paved the way for Matt Barnes to enter in the ninth in a non-save situation, and despite allowing two of the five batters he faced to reach base, the Red Sox closer was able to shut the door on the Orioles to preserve the 6-2 victory for his side.

With the win, not only do the Sox finish off their first series sweep of at least three games since early July, but they also improve to 69-51 on the season and move to 3 games back of the Rays for first place in the American League East.

Next up: On to the Bronx

The Red Sox will board a flight to Newark Sunday evening and enjoy a well-deserved off day in New York on Monday before opening up a three-game, two-day series against the Yankees in a split doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon.

Right-handers Nathan Eovaldi and Tanner Houck are slated to start for Boston in Tuesday’s twin bill at Yankee Stadium, though the order in which the two will pitch has not yet been determined.

The Yankees, meanwhile, will go with right-hander Luis Gil for Game 1 and left-hander Jordan Montgomery for Game 2.

First pitch of the day cap on Tuesday is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network, while the night cap will begin at approximately 7:05 p.m. ET and also be broadcasted on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and Rafael Devers: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back Travis Shaw by claiming veteran infielder off waivers from Brewers

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)

Red Sox place Josh Taylor on COVID-19 related injured list, recall Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester

Before wrapping up their three-game weekend series against the Orioles at Fenway Park on Sunday, the Red Sox placed left-handed reliever Josh Taylor on the COVID-19 related injured list.

In a corresponding move, catcher Connor Wong was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced earlier Sunday afternoon.

Taylor has proven to be one of the more consistent relievers out of the Boston bullpen this season, posting a 3.23 ERA and 2.93 FIP to go along with 51 strikeouts and 20 walks over 48 appearances spanning 39 total innings of work.

At the moment, it’s unclear if the 28-year-old has tested positive for COVID-19 or if he is just experiencing COVID-like symptoms, as has been the case with several Red Sox players (Matt Barnes, Jarren Duran, J.D. Martinez) within the last few weeks.

Taylor did, however, test positive for the virus at the onset of summer camp last year and — in addition to being forced to quarantine at a Boston hotel — opened the truncated 2020 campaign on the COVID-related IL. He did not make his season debut until August 17 as a result of all that.

If the lefty does indeed test negative for COVID-19, he could be activated as soon as Tuesday ahead of an important doubleheader against the Yankees in the Bronx.

If Taylor’s PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test comes back positive, though, he would be placed into a mandatory 10-day quarantine, which would result in the Red Sox triggering additional virus-related protocols.

Wong, meanwhile, returns to the Sox just one day after he was sent down to Worcester at the same time fellow catcher Christian Vazquez was activated from the bereavement list.

In six games spanning four separate stints with Boston, the 25-year-old rookie has gone 4-for-13 (.308) with one double, one triple, one RBI, three runs scored, one walk, and seven strikeouts over 14 total plate appearances.

It’s likely Wong will be available off the bench for the Red Sox in Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles.

(Picture of Josh Taylor: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Yairo Muñoz makes Red Sox history by extending hitting streak with Triple-A Worcester to 35 straight games

While the Red Sox welcomed Chris Sale back in grand fashion with a 16-2 romping over the Orioles at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon, Yairo Munoz was making some history approximately 45 miles away at Polar Park in Worcester.

Coming into play on Saturday, Munoz had recorded at least one base hit in 34 consecutive games for Triple-A Worcester dating back to the beginning of July.

In compiling a 34-game hitting streak, Munoz had tied Dom DiMaggio for the longest such streak in Red Sox organizational history, as DiMaggio accomplished the feat at the major-league level during the 1949 season.

Facing off against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday, it took Munoz until the eighth inning to extend his streak after he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout against opposing starter Adam Oller.

In the bottom of that eighth inning, with one out and runners at first and second in a 5-0 contest in favor of Syracuse, Munoz was matched up against Mets reliever Roel Ramirez.

On the very first pitch he saw from the right-hander following a mound visit, Munoz ripped a line-drive single to right field to advance both runners an additional 90 feet while etching his name into the record books.

At that moment, the 26-year-old received a standing ovation from the 7,166 who were on hand at Polar Park to witness some history.

Joey Meneses followed by belting a grand slam that cut Syracuse’s lead down to one run, but the WooSox’ comeback attempt fell short in the form of a 5-4 defeat.

Still, while his team may not have had the best of days, Munoz certainly had a memorable one — at least on an individual level.

“I feel really, really proud of myself and fortunate to be where I am right now, thankful to God and all the sacrifices made to be here today,” he told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison) through translator Pete Amalbert. “I’m just really fortunate to be here and have this record under my name.”

Over the course of his historic streak, Munoz has amassed 57 hits in his last 35 games and is now slashing .317/.345/.446 to go along with 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 31 RBI, 40 runs scored, 17 stolen bases, 13 walks, and 44 strikeouts across 77 total games (329 plate appearances) in his first season with the WooSox.

The Red Sox originally signed the versatile right-handed hitter to a minor-league contract last March, shortly after he was released by the St. Louis Cardinals and shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced shutdown began.

After spending the majority of last summer at Boston’s alternate training site in Pawtucket, Munoz was called up in late August and impressed in his brief stint with the club, which was ultimately cut short due to a season-ending lower back strain.

In December, the 5-foot-11, 201 pounder had his spot on the Sox’ 40-man roster taken away from him when he was designated for assignment and somewhat-surprisingly cleared waivers, resulting in him being outrighted to Worcester.

Because of that, the Red Sox were able to retain Munoz’s rights, which has paid off thus far considering what the Dominican native has accomplished at the minor-league level.

That being said, it’s no sure thing Munoz will make it back to the majors before season’s end, as he would need to be re-added to Boston’s 40-man roster, which is currently at full capacity.

Still, Munoz — a former top prospect who has proven he can hit at the major-league level (.278 hitter in parts of three seasons with the Cardinals and Red Sox from 2018-2020) while also playing multiple defensive positions — could provide value for a club looking to make a push for a division title during the final stretch of the 2021 regular season.

“One thing about Yairo, he brings energy on a daily basis,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Munoz earlier this month. “He has that bat-to-ball skill regardless of where the ball is, you know? It can be way up there or way down there and he’ll find barrel. We’re very pleased with what he’s doing. Not only because of the results, but because he’s doing the things he’s supposed to do — playing hard and doing the things that winning players do.”

“Obviously, we pay attention to everything that is going on and we’re very pleased with the way he’s going about it,” added Cora. “I’m not saying he’s on the radar or he’s not, but we are aware of what’s going on with him, and every report we get is a positive one.”

Regardless of the possibility that Munoz may or may not be on the verge of another call-up to the Red Sox, he will look to extend his hitting streak to 36 games in Worcester’s series finale against the Mets at Polar Park on Sunday afternoon.

(Picture of Yairo Munoz: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Chris Sale strikes out 8 over 5 solid innings in triumphant return to mound as Red Sox cruise past Orioles, 16-2

The Red Sox certainly made sure to give Chris Sale plenty of run support in his return to the mound at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon, as they came away with a 15-2 blowout victory over the lowly Orioles to clinch their first series win in over two weeks.

Sale, making his first major-league start in over two years and first since undergoing Tommy John surgery last March, showed flashes of what makes him so special in his 2021 debut.

Over five solid innings of work, the ace left-hander yielded just two runs — both of which were earned — on six hits and zero walks to go along with eight strikeouts on the afternoon.

Both runs Sale surrendered came by way of the home run ball, as he served up pair of back-to-back solo shots to Austin Hays and Trey Mancini with two outs in the top half of the third after retiring eight of the first nine hitters he faced.

Still, even with that tough sequence that saw Baltimore net their first and only two runs of the day, Sale was able to settle in, as he got the final out of the third before working his way around some traffic in a scoreless fourth inning.

In his fifth and final frame, Sale issued a leadoff single to Richie Martin and another single to Austin Wynns that was hit to Hunter Renfroe in right field. Renfroe, however, put his arm strength on full display by gunning down Martin at third base for his league-leading 14th outfield assist of the season.

That turned a potential situation in which there would have been runners on the corners with no outs to a situation where there was one out and just one runner on first, and Sale took full advantage of that by fittingly sitting down the final two batters he faced — Hays and Mancini — to end his outing on an extremely encouraging note.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 89 (60 strikes), the 32-year-old hurler induced 16 total swings and misses while topping out at 96 mph and averaging 93.3 mph with his four-seam fastball.

Able to pick up his first win in his first start of the year, Sale is slated to pitch again against the Rangers back at Fenway Park next Friday.

While Sale was in the process of putting together his five impressive frames in his season debut, the Red Sox lineup was busy piling it on against Sale’s counterpart in Orioles starter Jorge Lopez.

Right from the jump, the Boston bats provided Sale with a sizable cushion by compiling four runs in their half of the first inning alone.

Enrique Hernandez kicked things off with a leadoff single, while Alex Verdugo got his productive day at the plate started with a single of his own. Lopez then drilled Xander Bogaerts on the wrist to load the bases having yet to record an out.

A wild pitch from Lopez allowed Hernandez to score easily from third for his side’s first run of the contest, and Rafael Devers followed by emptying the bases on a 424-foot three-run shot to right field that left his bat at a sizzling 107.7 mph.

Devers’ team-leading 29th home run of the year gave the Sox a commanding 4-0 lead early on, and they tacked on two more an inning later with Bogaerts and Verdugo each drilling run-scoring hits to make it a 6-0 contest.

Though Baltimore cut the deficit down to four with two runs of their own in their half of third, Boston got one of those runs back an inning later when Devers greeted newly-inserted reliever Paul Fry by lacing a bases-loaded RBI single to left field.

Going up 7-2 on Devers’ base knock, the Sox offense opted to double their run total to that point in their half of the fifth.

There, moments after Sale’s evening had come to a close, Renfroe led the inning off by drawing a leadoff walk off Orioles reliever Adam Plutko, though he did not remain on first base for long since Jarren Duran promptly brought him in on an RBI triple into the triangle in center field.

Another Red Sox rookie got in on the action a few moments later, as Bobby Dalbec stayed hot and crushed a two-run big fly 373 feet over the Green Monster.

Dalbec’s first of two home runs on the day added on to the Sox’ lead and also flipped the lineup back over for Hernandez, who drew another walk, moved up to third on a Verdugo single, and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Bogaerts.

After Devers struck out for the second out of the fifth, J.D. Martinez came through by depositing a three-run blast 424 feet to left-center field.

Martinez’s 22nd homer of the year put Boston up 14-2 and also capped off an explosive seven-run inning.

Dalbec’s second homer of the afternoon in the sixth and Renfroe’s first in the eighth (off Wynns, a catcher) gave the Red Sox a 16-2 lead.

At that point, Hirokazu Sawamura, Hansel Robles, and Austin Davis already provided three scoreless innings of relief out of the Red Sox bullpen to follow up Sale’s impressive performance, and Martin Perez closed things out by shutting the door on the O’s in the ninth to preserve the 16-2 victory for his side.

With the win, the Red Sox have now won two consecutive games for the first since July 25-26 to earn the series victory over the Orioles. They also improved to 68-51 on the season to move 4 1/2 games back of the Rays for first place in the American League East.

Next up: Rodriguez vs. Akin

The Red Sox will send left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound as they go for the three-game sweep over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon. The Orioles will counter with fellow southpaw Keegan Akin as they look to prevent that from happening.

First pitch Sunday is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)

Red Sox roster moves: Chris Sale, Christian Vázquez activated; Yacksel Rios, Connor Wong optioned to Triple-A Worcester

The first Sale Day of 2021 has finally arrived.

Before taking on the Orioles in the second game of their three-game weekend series at Fenway Park on Saturday, the Red Sox made a series of roster moves.

First off, ace left-hander Chris Sale was returned from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester and activated from the 60-day injured list, while catcher Christian Vazquez was activated from the bereavement list.

Secondly, in order to make room for both Sale and Vazquez on Boston’s major-league roster, both right-hander Yacksel Rios and catcher Connor Wong were optioned to Worcester, the club announced earlier Saturday afternoon.

Sale will make his first start for the Red Sox in just over two years in Saturday’s contest against the Orioles as he makes his highly-anticipated return from Tommy John surgery.

After starting the 2021 season on the 60-day injured list on account of the fact that he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last March (on his 31st birthday), Sale was first sent out on a rehab assignment with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox in mid-July.

In five rehab outings between the FCL Red Sox, Double-A Portland, and Triple-A Worcester from July 15 through August 7, the 32-year-old hurler posted a 1.35 ERA and 1.59 FIP to go along with 35 strikeouts to just five walks over 20 total innings of work.

Because Saturday will mark Sale’s first major-league appearance in approximately 732 days, the Sox will surely look to manage the seven-time All-Star’s workload effectively so that he does not overexert himself and remains in line to make his next start against the Rangers this coming Friday.

By activating Sale from the 60-day injured list, the Red Sox were able to utilize the open spot on their 40-man roster that was created on Friday when utility man Marwin Gonzalez was designated for assignment at the same time Kyle Schwarber was activated from the 10-day IL.

Catching Sale in his season debut will be Vazquez, who makes his return to Boston’s lineup after missing three days of action while on the bereavement list.

Vazquez, who will hit out of the eight-hole on Saturday, has caught Sale on 17 previous occasions. The veteran lefty has put up a 4.61 ERA and .763 OPS against over 84 innings pitched while the 30-year-old backstop out of Puerto Rico was calling the shots behind the plate.

With both Sale and Vazquez being activated, Rios and Wong wound up getting sent down to the WooSox.

Rios, acquired from the Mariners in exchange for cash considerations on June 14, pitched to the tune of a 3.70 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 14 walks across 20 relief appearances (24 1/3 innings pitched) in his first stint with the Sox.

Wong, meanwhile, heads back to Worcester after being called up in place of Vazquez this past Wednesday.

The 25-year-old catching prospect appeared as a defensive replacement for Kevin Plawecki in the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 20-8 rout of the Rays, and he made his lone at-bat count by recording his first career triple and RBI in the blowout victory.

Through six games spanning four separate stints with the Red Sox now, Wong has gone 4-for-13 (.308) with one double, one triple, one RBI, three runs scored, one walk, and seven strikeouts over 14 total plate appearances.

—

While it’s likely both Rios and Wong will be up with the big-league club once more before season’s end, the Red Sox will be taking on the Orioles without them on Saturday afternoon.

Sale, again, will be getting the ball for Boston, while right-hander Jorge Lopez will be doing the same for Baltimore.

Here is how the Red Sox will be lining up behind Sale:

First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Chris Sale and Christian Vazquez: Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Bobby Dalbec leads the way offensively as Red Sox clobber Orioles, 8-1

The Red Sox opened a portion of their schedule on Friday that they absolutely need to take advantage of, and they got off to a strong start by kicking off the weekend with a blowout 8-1 victory over the lowly Orioles at Fenway Park.

Matched up against O’s rookie starter Spenser Watkins to begin things on Friday, the Sox lineup — after being held to one run on Thursday — broke out for four runs alone in the bottom of the second inning, and the rally started with a leadoff single off the bat of Hunter Renfroe.

Kyle Schwarber, making his Red Sox debut Friday, followed by drawing a six-pitch walk off Watkins, while Kevin Plawecki advanced both runners an additional 90 feet to fill the bases with no outs.

That set the stage for a pair of rookies to take over, and they did just that, as Jarren Duran plated his side’s first run on an RBI single and Bobby Dalbec got a productive night at the plate started by lacing a two-run double off the top of the scoreboard at the base of the Green Monster.

Dalbec’s laser, which had an exit velocity of 113.3 mph, made it a 3-0 game and flipped the lineup for leadoff hitter Enrique Hernandez, who proceeded to rip a sacrifice fly that was hit deep enough to left field to bring in Duran from third.

Boston’s four-run second proved to be a comfortable cushion for Nick Pivetta, who put together his second straight quality outing in what was his 23rd start of the season.

Over six quality innings of work, the right-hander yielded just one earned run while scattering three hits and two walks to go along with eight strikeouts on the night.

The lone run Pivetta surrendered to the Orioles came by way of the home run ball, as he served up a 320-foot solo shot to Richie Martin that just snuck past Pesky’s Pole in right field to lead things off in the top of the third inning.

Martin’s homer cut the Sox’ deficit down to three runs, but they got that run right back in the home half of the frame when Schwarber and Plawecki each drew two-out walks and Duran plated Schwarber on another RBI double to right field.

Xander Bogaerts tacked on another run in the fourth, with the star shortstop clubbing his 18th home run of the season that just snuck over the Monster and put the Sox up 6-1.

Given another sizable lead to work with, Pivetta was able to keep the O’s off the board over his final three innings on the mound and retired nine of the final 11 hitters he faced with Renfroe robbing DJ Stewart of a home run in the top of the fourth in the process of doing so.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 93 (63 strikes) the 28-year-old hurler was able to pick up his ninth winning decision of the season while also lowering his ERA on the year down to 4.20.

While Pivetta’s night was done after six innings, the Sox offense was not finished yet, as Dalbec mashed his 12th home run of the season (a 411-foot solo shot to dead center field) in the bottom half of the sixth and Renfroe followed by crushing his 20th big fly of the season (a 423-foot solo shot over everything in left field) in the bottom half of the seventh.

Those two mammoth homers gave the Red Sox an 8-1 advantage, and Garrett Richards — working in relief of Pivetta and out of the bullpen for the first time this season — closed things out with three scoreless innings from the seventh through the ninth to secure the 8-1 victory and earn his first save of the year.

All in all, Renfroe, Plawecki, Duran, and Dalbec (Boston’s 5, 7, 8, and 9 hitters) combined to go 9-for-15 (.600) at the plate on Friday with two homers, six RBI, and five runs scored.

Schwarber went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks, two runs scored, and a strikeout in his Sox debut.

With the win, the Red Sox improve to 67-51 on the season, though they remain five games back of the Rays for first place in the American League East.

Next up: Sale Day on Saturday

For the first time in just over two years, ace left-hander Chris Sale will make his return from Tommy John surgery and take the mound for the Red Sox in the middle game of this three-game weekend series on Saturday afternoon.

Sale is scheduled to face off against Orioles right-hander Jorge Lopez.

First pitch Saturday is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Enrique Hernandez and Bobby Dalbec: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Alex Verdugo from paternity leave list, option Tanner Houck to Triple-A Worcester

In addition to activating first baseman/outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the injured list and designating utility man Marwin Gonzalez for assignment, the Red Sox also activated outfielder Alex Verdugo from the paternity leave list ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park.

In order to make room for Verdugo on the 26-man roster, right-hander Tanner Houck, as expected, has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester, Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) earlier Friday afternoon.

Verdugo had been held out of action since last Sunday on account of being placed on the paternity list while the Red Sox were in Toronto.

The 25-year-old flew to Los Angeles for the birth of his son, A.J., and returned to Boston on Thursday night, though the Sox were forced to move him to the restricted list since he was away from the club for more than three days.

At the time he left the Red Sox to be with his family in Southern California, Verdugo was heating up at the plate, slashing a scorching .500/.500/.833 with three doubles, one home run, two RBI, and two runs scored over his last five games (20 plate appearances) dating back to August 4.

On the 2021 campaign — his second with the Sox — as a whole, the 6-foot, 192 pound left-handed hitter has posted a .278/.344/.428 slash line to go along with 24 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 41 RBI, 66 runs scored, five stolen bases, 38 walks, and 65 strikeouts across 105 total games (439 plate appearances) in which he has played all three outfield positions.

As he makes his return to the Red Sox for the first of three games against the Orioles, Verdugo will be starting in left field and batting out of the two-hole Friday night.

Houck, meanwhile, was optioned to Worcester to make room for Verdugo on the major-league roster, though his stay with the WooSox is expected to be temporary.

This is the case because, as Cora explained on Thursday, Houck will be back with the big-league club “soon.”

Put another way, the 25-year-old hurler made his last start for Boston in Thursday’s loss to the Rays. Assuming he remains on a normal schedule, he would be in line to pitch again on Tuesday, when the Red Sox will be taking on the Yankees in a split doubleheader against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

By optioning Houck to Worcester now, the Sox will be able to call him up as the 27th man for Tuesday’s twin bill in the Bronx and start him on regular rest.

Through eight appearances (six starts) across five stints with Boston so far this season, Houck has pitched to the tune of a 2.93 ERA and 1.84 FIP to go along with 44 strikeouts and just seven walks over 30 2/3 total innings of work dating back to April 3.

Tuesday would mark the third time this year Houck has served as the club’s 27th man for a doubleheader, as he previously started one of two games against the White Sox on April 18 and one of two games against the Blue Jays on August 7.

Update: The roster moves have been made official.

(Picture of Alex Verdugo: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)