Tag: alex cora

Yolmer Sánchez batting eighth and starting at second base in Red Sox debut on Wednesday

Yolmer Sanchez will bat eighth and start at second base in his Red Sox debut against the Blue Jays on Wednesday night. Sanchez joined the club in Toronto earlier this week and was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Monday to take the place of Jarren Duran, who was placed on the restricted list due to his vaccination status.

This will mark Sanchez’s first big-league action since 2020, and it just so happens to come on his 30th birthday. After spending the first seven years of his major-league career (2014-2020) with the White Sox and all of 2021 with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, the native Venezuelan signed a minor-league deal back in February.

Serving as experienced infield depth with Triple-A Worcester, the switch-hitting Sanchez batted a respectable .253/.381/.424 (120 wRC+) with 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 29 RBIs, 32 runs scored, four stolen bases, 44 walks, and 60 strikeouts in his first 68 games (265 plate appearances) with the WooSox.

The versatile 5-foot-11, 200 pounder also saw playing time at third base, shortstop, and second base, where he won an American League Gold Glove award while with the White Sox in 2019.

With Sanchez starting at second base in Wednesday’s series finale against the Jays, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has subsequently given Trevor Story the night off. This was the plan all along so that Story could get off his feet for two days since Boston will be enjoying an off day in Chicago on Thursday.

While Sanchez — who is out of minor-league options — is likely to be taken off Boston’s major-league roster following Wednesday’s contest at Rogers Centre, the Sox will not have to expose the veteran infielder to waivers since he is filling in for Duran as a COVID-related substitute.

In other words, when the Red Sox arrive in Chicago on Thursday ahead of their series against the Cubs, they will presumably activate Duran from the restricted list and return Sanchez to Worcester.

That said, Sanchez — donning the No. 47 — will become the 20th different position player to appear in a game for the Sox this season as they look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays on Wednesday. First pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Yolmer Sanchez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox comeback attempt falls short as bullpen blows late lead in 6-5 loss to Blue Jays

For the first time this month, the Red Sox have lost consecutive games. After dropping Monday’s series opener to the Blue Jays, Boston nearly bounced back with a come-from-behind win but were instead walked off by Toronto in a crushing 6-5 loss.

It was nearly a come-from-behind win because the Sox found themselves trailing by three runs after just one inning. Michael Wacha, making his 13th start of the season, ran into some early trouble as he walked two of the first three batters he faced before giving up an RBI double to Teoscar Hernandez. One batter later, Matt Chapman followed with a two-run double that plated both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Hernandez.

Despite facing an early 3-0 hole, the Boston bats quickly responded in the second inning when Trevor Story laced a 375-foot solo shot to left field off Toronto starter Ross Stripling. Story’s 12th home run of the season left his bat at a blistering 113.4 mph, making it the hardest-hit batted ball of his career.

With his team only trailing by two runs now, Wacha was able to settle in a bit. The right-hander yielded one more run on a Santiago Espinal single in the third but retired five of the final six Blue Jays he faced from the middle of the fourth inning up until the end of the fifth.

Moments before Wacha tossed a scoreless fifth inning, the Sox cut into the Jays’ lead a little more in their half of the fifth. Christian Vazquez and Franchy Cordero led off with a single and double to put runners at second and third with no outs. Rob Refsnyder then drove in Vazquez on an RBI groundout to make it a 4-2 contest in favor of Toronto.

Upon recording the final out of the fifth, Wacha had thrown 90 pitches (57 strikes). The 30-year-old hurler wound up giving up four earned runs on seven hits, three walks, and two strikeouts over five innings of work. His ERA on the season now sits at 2.69.

In relief of Wacha, Ryan Brasier was first dispatched out of the bullpen by the Red Sox. The righty maneuvered his way around a pair of two-out singles to hold the Jays at four runs heading into the seventh.

Now matched up against Blue Jays reliever Trent Thornton, Christian Arroyo reached base with two outs to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the form of Refsnyder. Already 1-for-3 on the night, Refsnyder delivered in the clutch yet again with a game-tying two-run home run that came on a 1-0, 96 mph fastball down the heart of the plate.

Refsnyder made it a 4-4 game with his second homer of the season. After John Schreiber took care of business in the latter half of the seventh, Vazquez gave his side its first lead of the night a half-inning later on a go-ahead RBI single off Tim Mayza.

The Sox then loaded the bases with one out when the pinch-hitting Bobby Dalbec drew a six-pitch walk off new reliever Matt Gage. But Arroyo followed by lining into an inning-ending double play.

Taking a newfound 5-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth, Tyler Danish sat down the side in order on 15 pitches. With closer Tanner Houck unavailable due to his vaccination status, though, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was forced to get creative and he turned to Danish for a second inning in the ninth.

That decision did not pan out, as Danish gave up a single and issued a walk to lead off the inning. He was then given the hook in favor of Hansel Robles, who proceeded to surrender a game-tying single to Bo Bichette that was followed by a walk-off hit off the bat of Guerrero Jr.

Danish was charged with the loss, Robles with the blown save, and the Red Sox fell to 2-7 against the Blue Jays this season. They now sport an overall record of 42-33 on the year.

Next up: Pivetta vs. Manoah in finale

Having already seen their streak of consecutive series wins snapped at seven, the Red Sox will look to snap their two-game losing streak against the Blue Jays on Wednesday night. Canadian-born right-hander Nick Pivetta will get the start for Boston while fellow righty Alek Manoah will do the same for Toronto.

First pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

Connor Seabold gets hit hard as Red Sox see 7-game winning streak come to an end in 7-2 loss to Blue Jays

The Red Sox saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end against the Blue Jays on Monday night. Boston went down quietly in a 7-2 loss to Toronto to fall to 42-32 on the season.

With Garrett Whitlock still on the injured list, the Sox recalled Connor Seabold from Triple-A Worcester to make the second start of his major-league career in Monday’s series opener.

Seabold, who last pitched an inning for the WooSox on Friday, had a tough go of things in his first outing north of the border. The right-hander got rocked for seven earned runs on nine hits, one walk, and one hit batsman to go along with seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of work.

After issuing a leadoff walk to the very first batter he faced in George Springer, Seabold gave up an RBI double to Bo Bichette. He then stranded Bichette at third base and retired the side in order in the second, making it seem as though he was about to settle in.

That was not the case, however, as Seabold served up a 422-foot solo shot to Springer and a 414-foot two-run blast to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom of the third. On the heels of a scoreless fourth inning, he put runners at first and third with one out in the fifth. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drove in one of those runners on an RBI groundout, then Matt Chapman plated two more on a 362-foot two-run homer to left field.

Chapman would prove to be the last Blue Jay Seabold would face. The 26-year-old was given the hook after throwing 86 pitches (54 strikes). While the results were not all that positive, he did induce 21 total swings-and-misses with his four-seam fastball, changeup, and slider. The 21 whiffs are the most recorded by a Red Sox pitcher in a game this season.

In relief of Seabold, Tyler Danish received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. Danish, making his first appearance in six days, retired the only batter he faced to end the fifth inning. From there, Austin Davis and Hirokazu Sawamura each worked a pair of scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh while Hansel Robles did the same in the eighth.

To that point in the contest, the Jarren Duran-less Red Sox lineup had been thoroughly held in check by Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman. It took until the third inning for Boston to get its first hit off Gausman. That happened when Bobby Dalbec reached base via a two-out single. Dalbec then stole second base, but was left there after Rafael Devers grounded out to extinguish the threat.

In the sixth, Devers laced a 90 mph double that deflected off the second-base bag and put a runner in scoring position with one out. Xander Bogaerts then drew a two-out walk, but Alex Verdugo followed by flying out to Springer in center field.

Christian Vazquez made it up to second base with two outs in the seventh. Gausman did not allow him to advance any further than that by fanning the last batter he faced in Dalbec. In three starts against the Red Sox this year, Gausman has allowed one two runs (one earned) over 21 innings. That is good for an ERA of 0.43.

David Phelps kept Toronto’s hopes of a shutout alive in the eighth, but former Red Sox pitching prospect Shaun Anderson did just the opposite in the ninth. Anderson, who was pitching against the team that drafted him for just the second time in his big-league career, made things a bit interesting.

Back-to-back singles from Bogaerts and Verdugo to lead off the inning put runners on the corners for Trevor Story, who scored his side’s first run on a sacrifice fly.

Verdugo moved up to third on a Vazquez single and scored from there on a Dalbec RBI single that deflected off Anderson. Rob Refsnyder then wrapped up a hitless night by flying out to center field to end the game.

All told, the Red Sox went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Monday and left eight runners on base as a team. They are now 2-6 against the Blue Jays so far this season.

Next up: Wacha vs. Stripling

The Red Sox will look to bounce back and keep their hopes of a series win alive in the middle game of this three-game set with the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Michael Wacha will get the start for Boston while fellow right-hander Ross Stripling will do the same for Toronto.

First pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Tanner Houck, Jarren Duran on restricted list, call up Connor Seabold, Yolmer Sánchez from Triple-A Worcester

Before opening a three-game series against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Monday, the Red Sox placed closer Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran on the restricted list.

To take their place on the major-league roster, right-hander Connor Seabold and infielder Yolmer Sanchez were called up from Triple-A Worcester, the team announced.

Neither Houck or Duran are vaccinated against COVID-19 and therefore cannot travel to Canada. They will not receive pay or service time for the next three days and will instead work out at Fenway Park before rejoining the Red Sox in Chicago later this week.

Seabold, meanwhile, will make the second start of his big-league career at Rogers Centre on Monday night while filling in for the injured Garrett Whitlock. The 26-year-old made his major-league debut in a spot start against the White Sox last September and allowed two runs in three innings at Guaranteed Rate Field.

In 11 starts for the WooSox this season, Seabold has posted a 2.09 ERA and 2.99 FIP with 51 strikeouts to 14 walks over 51 2/3 innings of work. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound hurler works with a fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Unlike Seabold, Sanchez is not on Boston’s 40-man roster. That said, the Red Sox will be able to return the 29-year-old to Worcester without having to expose him to waivers following the conclusion of their series in Toronto.

Sanchez, who actually turns 30 on Wednesday, originally signed a minor-league deal with Boston back in February. The Venezuela native spent the first seven years of his major-league career with the White Sox and won the American League Gold Glove Award for second baseman in 2019.

In 68 games (265 plate appearances) with the WooSox this season, the switch-hitting Sanchez has batted .253/.381/.424 (120 wRC+) with 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 29 RBIs, 32 runs scored, four stolen bases, 44 walks, and 60 strikeouts while seeing playing time at every infield position besides first base.

On Sunday, manager Alex Cora said that Sanchez will likely make his first start for the Red Sox at second base on Wednesday so that Trevor Story can get off his feet for two days as Boston is off on Thursday.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Connor Seabold will start for Red Sox in Monday’s series opener against Blue Jays

In addition to Yolmer Sanchez, the Red Sox will also be calling up right-hander Connor Seabold from Triple-A Worcester ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto, according to manager Alex Cora.

Seabold, who joined the Red Sox in Cleveland as a member of their taxi squad, will make the second start of his major-league career opposite Blue Jays hurler Kevin Gausman at Rogers Centre on Monday night.

While Sanchez is expected to take the place of outfielder Jarren Duran on Boston’s roster, it’s likely that Seabold will take the place of fellow right-hander Tanner Houck, who will also be placed on the restricted list since he, too, is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and therefore cannot travel to Canada.

The Red Sox originally hoped that Garrett Whitlock (right hip inflammation) would be able to return from the 15-day injured list in time to start on Monday. That is no longer the case as that responsibility will now fall to a rookie in Seabold.

In 11 starts for the WooSox this season, the 26-year-old has posted a 2.09 ERA and 2.99 FIP with 51 strikeouts to 14 walks over 51 2/3 innings of work. He was limited to just one inning in his most-recent outing at Polar Park on Friday so that he would be ready to go in case the Red Sox needed him.

Originally acquired from the Phillies with Nick Pivetta in exchange for relievers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree in August 2020, Seabold is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

Last September, Seabold made big-league debut against the White Sox under somewhat similar COVID-related circumstances. The California-born righty allowed two runs in three innings at Guaranted Rate Field on Sept. 11 and was optioned back down to Worcester the following day.

Since he pitched in the Arizona Fall League last year, it is already known that Seabold is vaccinated against COVID-19. The 6-foot-3, 200 pounder is already on Boston’s 40-man roster as well. On the mound, he works with a four-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball, a mid-80s slider, a low-80s changeup, and a mid-70s curveball.

Seabold will become the 10th (9th if you exclude Austin Davis) different pitcher to start a game for the Red Sox this season. He will be followed by Michael Wacha on Tuesday and Nick Pivetta on Wednesday.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Yolmer Sánchez expected to take Jarren Duran’s spot on Red Sox’ roster for upcoming series in Toronto

The Red Sox are going to call up infielder Yolmer Sanchez from Triple-A Worcester ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Sanchez will take the roster spot of outfielder Jarren Duran, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and will therefore be placed on the restricted list since he cannot travel to Canada.

While Sanchez is not on Boston’s 40-man roster, the club can still add him to the big-league roster in place of Duran for the next three days and then return him to Worcester without exposing him to waivers following Wednesday’s series finale at Rogers Centre.

A veteran of seven major-league seasons (2014-2020) with the White Sox, Sanchez originally signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox back in February. In 68 games with the WooSox this season, the versatile switch-hitter has batted .253/.381/.424 (120 wRC+) with 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 29 RBIs, 32 runs scored, four stolen bases, 44 walks, and 60 strikeouts over 265 trips to the plate. He has also seen playing time at every infield position besides first base.

At the big-league level, Sanchez owns a career .245/.300/.360 slash line to go along with 32 home runs and 215 RBIs across 657 games with Chicago. The Venezuela native took home the American League Gold Glove Award for second baseman in 2019.

According to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Sanchez will likely make his first start of the year on Wednesday, which is also his 30th birthday. The plan is for him to start at second base in place of Trevor Story, who would have the chance to get off his feet for two days since Boston is off on Thursday.

(Picture of Yolmer Sanchez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox collect 15 hits in 8-3 win to finish off sweep of Guardians

The Red Sox wrapped up the first leg of their three-city road trip by finishing off a three-game sweep of the Guardians on Sunday night. Boston defeated Cleveland by a final score of 8-3 at Progressive Field to improve to 19-4 in the month of June and 42-31 on the season.

Matched up against Northeastern University’s own Aaron Civale to begin things on Sunday, the Sox threatened in both the first and second innings before finally getting on the board in the top of the third.

Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers reached base via a pair of hard-hit singles to lead off the inning. With runners on first and second and no outs, J.D. Martinez nearly grounded into a 5-4-3 double play. Instead, Guardians second baseman committed a throwing error after getting the force out at second. That allowed Duran to score from third and give his side an early 1-0 lead.

An inning later, Franchy Cordero and Christian Vazquez led the fourth off with back-to-back doubles off Civale and switched places by doing so. Duran then moved Vazquez up to third on a two-base hit of his own while Martinez drove him in on an RBI force out.

Fast forward to the sixth, and Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Alex Verdugo all reached with two outs against Guardians reliever Sam Hentges to fill the bases for Trevor Story, who plated two on a softly-hit, bloop single to left field that was just out of the reach of a sprawling Ernie Clement.

To that point in the contest, Rich Hill was in the midst of his 14th start of the season for the Red Sox. After working his way into and out of trouble through the first five innings Sunday, the veteran left-hander got tagged for one run in his sixth and final frame on an RBI groundout off the bat of Oscar Gonzalez.

Hill did retire each of the final three batters he faced and wound up allowing just the one run on five hits and four walks to go along with five strikeouts over six strong innings of work. The 42-year-old southpaw finished with a final pitch count of 83 (51 strikes) and induced five of his eight swings-and-misses with his curveball, a pitch he threw 38 times. His ERA on the season now sits at 4.09.

Shortly after Hill’s day came to a close, Boston and Cleveland traded runs in the seventh inning. Devers pushed across Vazquez on a 105.8 mph RBI single in the top half, then committed a throwing error in the bottom half that ultimately allowed Ernie Clement to score off Ryan Brasier.

In relief of Brasier, Hansel Robles got the next call out of the Sox bullpen from manager Alex Cora. Making his first appearance since June 18, Robles yielded a leadoff double to Jose Ramirez that was followed by a two-out run-scoring single from Jimenez.

Taking a 6-3 lead into the ninth, the Red Sox proceeded to break it open. A one-out walk drawn by Jackie Bradley Jr. and two-out single from Devers put runners at first and second for Martinez. Martinez scored Bradley Jr. and allowed Devers to advance to third on a 334-foot double off Tanner Tully. Devers then scored from third on a wild pitch that put Boston ahead by five runs at 8-3.

Tanner Houck was used for the third time in this series and closed it out in 1-2-3 fashion to extend Boston’s winning streak to seven consecutive games.

In Sunday’s win, Duran went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored, Devers went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk, Martinez went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, one run scored, and one walk, Verdugo went 2-for-3 with three walks, Story went 2-for-6 with a stolen base and the 499th and 500th RBIs of his career, and Vazquez went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a walk.

Next up: On to Toronto

The Red Sox will head north of the border for the second time this season to take on the 40-32 Blue Jays in a three-game series. Connor Seabold, who just recently joined the team in Cleveland, is expected to make his second career start for Boston. Fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman will take the mound for Toronto.

First pitch from Rogers Centre on Monday is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Alex Verdugo comes through with go-ahead 3-run home run as Red Sox top Guardians, 4-2, for seventh straight series win

The Red Sox clinched their seventh straight series victory on Saturday with their second straight win over the Guardians at Progressive Field. Boston defeated Cleveland by a final score of 4-2 to extend its winning streak to six consecutive games and improve to 41-31 on the season.

Josh Winckowski, who was born in nearby Toledo, made his fourth start of the season for the Sox. The rookie right-hander allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk to go along with four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings of work.

Both runs Winckowski gave up to Cleveland came in the bottom of the third. There, Steven Kwan led off by drawing a seven-pitch walk and immediately scoring from first on an RBI triple from Amed Rosario. Rosario then scored on a Jose Ramirez sacrifice fly to give his side an early 2-0 lead.

Fast forward to the top of the sixth, and the Red Sox lineup finally got something going against Guardians ace Shane Bieber. Held to just two hits up until that point in the contest, J.D. Martinez came to the plate with two outs and ripped a line-drive single to left field. Xander Bogaerts followed with a hard-hit single of his own to put runners at first and second for Alex Verdugo.

On the third pitch he saw from Bieber, Verdugo deposited a 2-0, 81 mph knuckle-curveball on the inner half of the plate 447 feet into the left field seats to give Boston its first lead of the night at 3-2. Verdugo’s fifth home run of the season was his longest of his career to this point. The ball left his bat at a blistering 108.8 mph.

Winckowski, meanwhile, recorded the first out of the bottom of the sixth before yielding a one-out single to Franmil Reyes. Reyes would prove to be the final batter Winckowski would face as he was relieved by Jakie Diekman.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 77 (52 strikes), Winckowski induced all five of his swings-and-misses with a slider, a pitch he threw 29 times. The 23-year-old hurler also topped out at 96 mph with his sinker, a pitch he threw 36 times. His ERA on the season now sits at 3.60.

In relief of Winckowski, Diekman received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. The veteran left-hander stranded the lone runner he inherited by getting the final two outs of the sixth.

The seventh inning was a different story, however, as Diekman allowed two of the four Guardians he faced to reach base to put runners at first and second with two outs. John Schreiber was then summoned to face Rosario, and he won that matchup by fanning the former Met on three straight strikes to retire the side and strand two more base runners.

After the Sox blew multiple scoring chances and Matt Strahm navigated his way around some trouble in the eighth, Jarren Duran provided some insurance in the top of the ninth with an RBI single that plated Bobby Dalbec.

Taking a 4-2 lead into the latter half of the ninth, Tanner Houck made quick work of the Guardians to preserve the win and notch his sixth save of the season.

With the win, the Red Sox move to 18-4 in the month of June and into sole possession of second place in the American League East. Duran went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Kevin Plawecki went 2-for-4 with a double.

Next up: Hill vs. Civale

The Red Sox will go for the weekend sweep of the Guardians on Sunday afternoon. Veteran left-hander Rich Hill will get the start for Boston while former Northeastern University right-hander Aaron Civale will do the same for Cleveland.

First pitch from Progressive Field is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Alex Verdugo: Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale strikes out 6 in second start of rehab assignment

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale made the second start of his rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Saturday morning.

After throwing just one inning in his first rehab outing on Monday, Sale pitched deeper into his start this time around. Matched up against the Twins’ FCL affiliate at JetBlue Park, the veteran southpaw scattered three hits and no walks to go along with six strikeouts over 2 2/3 scoreless innings of work. He also hit one of the 12 batters he faced.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, Sale sat between 92-96 mph with his fastball on Saturday while mixing in a slider in the 91-94 mph range and a changeup in the 85-87 mph range.

Sale will likely need to make two more rehab starts in order to get stretched out to five innings. When speaking with reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) prior to Saturday’s game against the Guardians, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Sale will throw a bullpen session in Fort Myers and will then make his next start for Double-A Portland.

That will presumably come on Thursday, as Sale will be able to pitch on regular rest while the Sea Dogs host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field. The 33-year-old could then make his fourth rehab start for Triple-A Worcester the following week as the WooSox will be hosting the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park.

So, in all likelihood, Sale could very well make his 2022 debut for the Red Sox during their penultimate series before the All-Star break against the Rays at Tropicana Field from July 11-14.

There are still a number of hurdles to clear, but Sale’s return would certainly be a welcomed one. The seven-time All-Star began the season on the 60-day injured list due to a right rib stress fracture he sustained in late February. His recovery was then slowed down in May because of a non-baseball health concern related to his family’s medical history.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Christian Arroyo on second bout with COVID-19, rehab assignment with WooSox, adjusting to the outfield, and more

WORCESTER — With the Red Sox optioning Jeter Downs to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, the expectation is that Christian Arroyo will be activated from the COVID-19 related injured list ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Guardians in Cleveland.

Arroyo, who is vaccinated, has been on the COVID-related IL since June 15 after testing positive for the virus in Boston. He previously tested positive for it last August and spent more than three weeks on the COVID-related IL as a result.

This time around, the 27-year-old utility man says COVID did not hit him as hard. He had one really bad day, but it was being stuck in his house due to virus-related protocols that was more frustrating than anything.

“It’s six days in my house and another week of not doing anything,” Arroyo said at Polar Park on Wednesday. “Not playing, it sucks.”

Arroyo began a rehab assignment with the WooSox on Tuesday. The right-handed hitter got into two games and went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts. All three of those punchouts came while he played five innings at shortstop in Wednesday’s 4-0 win over the Charlotte Knights.

“Obviously, the results I had tonight aren’t necessarily me as a player or what I can do as a player,” said Arroyo. “But the most important thing is that I feel fine, I feel good. I try not to stress too much on the results stuff. Obviously, tonight was a tough night. But that’s baseball. You’re going to have tough nights. It is what it is.”

After dealing with a plethora of injuries — including a left hand contusion, right knee contusion, and left hamstring strain — last season, Arroyo took note of the fact that it took less time for him to get up to speed coming off his second bout with COVID.

“It was a quick turnaround for me this time,” he said. “Last year, I had some physical injuries. Hand, knee, hamstring stuff, which was a little different. It’s a little different protocol. But with the COVID stuff, it’s a lot easier this time around.”

One thing that may have helped Arroyo on his road to recovery is a tea recipe sent to him by Red Sox manager Alex Cora. As Cora, who tested positive for COVID back in April, explained to reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) last week, it’s a family recipe that consists of honey, ginger, onion, and pineapple, among other ingredients.

“It was good, it tasted good,” Arroyo said, smiling. “My wife (Jessica) made it for me and it was solid. So we’ll be using that one again.”

As Arroyo prepares to rejoin the Red Sox, he will once again be returning to his role as one of the club’s most versatile players. Prior to testing positive for COVID, he had appeared in two games at first base, six games at second base, one game at third base, eight games at shortstop, and 15 games in right field.

Arroyo had never played the outfield professionally before the 2022 season began. He has learned how to become an outfielder on the fly with the help of his teammates and bench coach, who is a former big-league outfielder himself.

“It hasn’t been bad, it’s been fine,” Arroyo said of his acclimation to the outfield. “Definitely is an adjustment. It’s a lot tougher of a position than people like Jackie Bradley Jr. make it look. But I’ve obviously got a good staff in the big-leagues. Will (Venable) has helped me out a lot, Jackie’s helped me out a lot, Kiké (Hernández) has helped me out a lot. Even talking to Dugie (Alex Verdugo), it’s been good.”

(Picture of Christian Arroyo: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)