Tag: jonathan arauz

Red Sox lose infielder Jonathan Araúz on waivers to Orioles

Former Red Sox infielder Jonathan Arauz has been claimed off waivers by the Orioles, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon. Boston had designated Arauz for assignment last Friday in order to create a spot on both the 26- and 40-man roster for outfielder Rob Refsnyder.

Arauz, who turns 24 in August, joined the Red Sox organization when he was acquired from the Astros in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft. The switch-hitting Panamanian batted .250/.325/.319 with one home run and nine RBIs as a rookie during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.

Over the last two seasons, Arauz was shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Worcester on a consistent basis while undertaking a utility role with the big-league club. He appeared in games at second base, third base, and shortstop while providing adequate defense at each position.

After making Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training this year, Arauz struggled to find his footing at the plate both in the major- and minor-leagues. In two separate stints and six games with the Red Sox, he went 0-for-10 with one RBI, one run scored, and three strikeouts. With the WooSox, the 23-year-old batted just .185/.242/.239 across 24 games spanning 99 plate appearances.

Originally signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 2014, Arauz does have a connection to the Orioles’ front office. When the Phillies dealt Arauz and reliever Ken Giles to the Astros in December 2015, current Baltimore general manager Mike Elias was serving as Houston’s amateur scouting director and had worked his way up to assistant general manager before leaving for the O’s in November 2018.

So, in a sense, Elias is now reunited with Arauz, whose versatility and two minor-league options likely appealed to the Orioles. He has since been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

(Picture of Jonathan Arauz: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

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Red Sox select Rob Refsnyder from Triple-A Worcester, place Garrett Whitlock on 15-day injured list in slew of roster moves

Before opening a three-game series against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Friday night, the Red Sox made a series of roster moves.

First off, outfielder Rob Refsnyder had his contract selected from Triple-A Worcester. To make room for Refsnyder on both the 26-man and 40-man roster, infielder Jonathan Arauz was designated for assignment.

Secondly, right-hander Garrett Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list with right hip inflammation, retroactive to June 9. Fellow righty Phillips Valdez was recalled from Worcester to take Whitlock’s spot on the active roster, the club announced.

Refsnyder joins the Red Sox for the second time this season after previously appearing in three games as a COVID-related substitute in late April. The right-handed hitting 31-year-old went 2-fot-5 at the plate with two doubles, one RBI, and one walk.

With the WooSox this year, Refsnyder has batted .306/.429/.524 with 14 doubles, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 31 runs scored, four stolen bases, 28 walks, and 42 strikeouts over 42 games spanning 182 plate appearances. He will hit leadoff and start in right field against the Mariners on Friday.

Arauz, meanwhile, has lost his spot on Boston’s 40-man roster after appearing in just six games with the big-league club this season. The versatile switch-hitter failed to record a hit in his 10 trips to the plate, though he did drive in and score one run.

Originally acquired from the Astros in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft, Arauz could appeal to other teams given the fact that he is still just 23 years old and has two minor-league options remaining. The Red Sox will have the next seven days to either trade, release, or sneak the Panamanian national through waivers.

Turning to the other side of these transactions, Whitlock heads to the injured list after experiencing hip issues in his last start against the Angels on Tuesday. The soon-to-be 26-year-old hurler was slated to get the ball in Sunday’s series finale with the Mariners, but the Red Sox will now have to look elsewhere for a starter.

Since his stint on the 15-day injured list was backdated to June 9, Whitlock would first be eligible to be activated on Friday, June 24. That would line him up to make his return against the Guardians in Cleveland.

With Whitlock sidelined for the time being, the Sox recalled Valdez, who was just sent down to make room on the roster for Hansel Robles on Thursday. Valdez owns a 5.84 ERA and 3.71 FIP in 10 appearances (12 1/3 innings) with Boston this season.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox place Kiké Hernández on 10-day injured list due to right hip flexor strain, recall Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox placed centerfielder Enrique Hernandez on the 10-day injured list because of a right hip flexor strain, Alex Cora announced before Wednesday’s game against the Angels.

In Hernandez’s place, infielder Jonathan Arauz has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester. Arauz, who was with the WooSox in Buffalo, was able to join the Red Sox ahead of first pitch at Angel Stadium on Wednesday night and will be available off the bench.

Cora indicated to reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) that Hernandez had been playing through his injury in recent weeks, but the team believes some down time would be more beneficial.

With the Red Sox this season, Hernandez has batted just .209/.273/.340 with 16 doubles, four home runs, 24 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 18 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 51 games spanning 238 plate appearances. The versatile 30-year-old has seen the majority of his playing time come in center field, though he has also made three appearances at shortstop.

Arauz, meanwhile, will join Boston for the second time this year after making the club’s Opening Day roster out of spring training. Occupying a bench role, the switch-hitting 23-year-old went 0-for-7 at the plate with one RBI and one run across five games before being placed on the COVID-19 related injured list on April 19.

Less than two weeks later, Arauz was sent out on a rehab assignment with Worcester and was officially optioned there on May 12. The native Panamanian has slashed .185/.242/.239 with five doubles, three RBIs, 11 runs scored, one stolen base, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts in 24 games (99 plate appearances) with the WooSox.

As noted by McCaffrey, the Red Sox went with Arauz in this scenario because they want an extra infielder on their roster for now as Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and Trevor Story will all be getting days off this week . Boston could, however, swap Arauz for outfielder Jarren Duran ahead of this weekend’s series against the Mariners in Seattle or when it opens a three-game series against the Athletics back at Fenway Park next Tuesday.

(Picture of Enrique Hernandez: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Jonathan Araúz from COVID-19 related injured list and option infielder to Triple-A Worcester; Josh Taylor transferred to 60-day injured list

The Red Sox have activated Jonathan Arauz from the COVID-19 related injured list and subsequently optioned the infielder to Triple-A Worcester. In order to make room for Arauz on the 40-man roster, left-hander Josh Taylor was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list, the club announced Thursday afternoon.

Arauz was originally placed on the COVID-related injured list on April 19 after testing positive for the virus. It was not until May 1 when the 23-year-old was cleared to begin a rehab assignment with Worcester.

Prior to getting sick, Arauz had made the Sox’ Opening Day roster out of spring training and appeared in five games for the big-league club, going 0-for-7 at the plate with one RBI, one run scored, and two strikeouts. Since returning to action with the WooSox earlier this month, the versatile switch-hitter has batted .125/.222/.167 with one double, four runs scored, three walks, and three strikeouts across seven games spanning 27 trips to the plate.

Because he is on the 40-man roster and has the ability to be shuttled between Boston and Worcester, Arauz will undoubtedly be back with the Red Sox at some point this season.

Taylor, on the other hand, began the year on the injured list due to a low back strain that began bothering him last fall and has yet to pitch at the big-league level in 2022. After making three rehab appearances between Double-A Portland and Worcester last month, the 29-year-old southpaw suffered a setback and has since been shut down from throwing.

By being transferred to the 60-day injured list, Taylor cannot be activated until the first week of June at the earliest, though according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, “the expectation is that he probably won’t be ready to be activated when he’s eligible.”

Following Thursday’s series of moves, the Red Sox now have 39 players on their 40-man roster on account of Rich Hill still being on the COVID IL himself. The expectation is that Hill will be activated this weekend, which would require the Sox to send his substitute in John Schreiber back to Worcester since he is not currently on the 40-man roster.

That being said, Schreiber has pitched well out of Boston’s bullpen and very well could remain with the team for the foreseeable future. For that to happen, though, the Sox would have to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the righty, and they would likely do so by designating another player for assignment.

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

Red Sox roster moves: Christian Vázquez, Jonathan Araúz placed on COVID-19 related injured list; Tyler Danish, Rob Refsnyder called up from Triple-A Worcester

Before opening up a three-game series against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Tuesday, the Red Sox made a series of roster moves.

First off, catcher Christian Vazquez and infielder Jonathan Arauz were both placed on the COVID-19 related injured list. Secondly, right-hander Tyler Danish was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, while outfielder Rob Refsnyder was selected to the active roster from Worcester.

Vazquez heads to the COVID-19 related injured list one day after fellow backstop Kevin Plawecki and two other unidentified staff members tested positive for the virus on Monday. With Arauz joining them, the trio could be out of action for the next 10 days.

That being said, it is not yet known if Arauz or Vazquez have tested positive for COVID-19 themselves. Under Major League Baseball’s health and safety protocols for the 2022 season, players who test positive can return in less than 10 days if they return two negative PCR tests, show no sign of a fever, and receive approval from a team medical official and MLB’s joint COVID medical committee.

Still, with Plawecki and Vazquez sidelined for the time being, Connor Wong — who was called up in place of Plawecki on Monday — is currently the only active catcher on Boston’s big-league roster. The 25-year-old will bat ninth and catch Nathan Eovaldi in Tuesday’s opener against Toronto.

While Wong remains the lone backstop on the Sox’ 28-man roster for now, top catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez was spotted at Fenway Park on Tuesday and is expected to be called up for the first time before first pitch at 7:10 p.m.. Hernandez, 24, is already on the 40-man roster but a corresponding move will still need to be made in order for the Colombian to join Wong on the major-league squad.

With the likes of Arauz and Vazquez, the Red Sox were able to clear a 40-man roster spot for Refsnyder, who originally inked a minor-league deal with the club in December. After not making Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, the 31-year-old accepted his assignment to Worcester and has thrived there thus far.

In 11 games with the WooSox, the right-handed hitting Refsnyder has batted .400/.551/.600 with four doubles, one home run, eight RBIs, 12 runs scored, one stolen base, nine walks, and eight strikeouts over 49 plate appearances. He has also seen playing time in both center and right field.

Danish, meanwhile, was already on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster after being selected to it on April 4. The 27-year-old right-hander was then optioned to Worcester to begin the 2022 campaign, but has yet to allow a run through his first three appearances (three innings pitched) out of the WooSox’ bullpen.

Following Tuesday’s series of transactions, the Red Sox now have 38 active players on their 40-man roster. Of the 28 players on Boston’s big-league roster, 16 are pitchers and 12 are position players. That composition is likely to change when Hernandez is officially promoted.

(Picture of Christian Vazquez: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox roster moves: Jarren Duran, Jonathan Araúz reinstated from COVID-19 related injured list, optioned to Triple-A Worcester; Geoff Hartlieb, Yacksel Rios designated for assignment

The Red Sox have reinstated outfielder Jarren Duran and infielder Jonathan Arauz from the COVID-19 related injured list and have optioned both of them to Triple-A Worcester.

In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Duran and Arauz, right-handers Geoff Hartlieb and Yacksel Rios were designated for assignment, the club announced on Thursday.

Though the Sox are off on Thursday, they remain active ahead of their pivotal three-game weekend series against the Yankees that begins at Fenway Park on Friday night.

Duran, who turned 25 earlier this month, was originally placed on the COVID-19 related injured list shortly before his birthday after exhibiting symptoms and testing positive for the virus on September 3.

Following a mandatory 10-day quarantine period at a Boston hotel, Duran was sent out on a rehab assignment with Worcester last Friday. The speedy outfielder went 4-for-13 (.231) at the plate with one double, one RBI, and three strikeouts over four games for the WooSox before officially being reinstated from the COVID IL.

Now that he is considered fully healthy, Duran represents an intriguing option for the Red Sox moving forward. Given how he has struggled to the tune of a .215/.241/.336 slash line at the major-league level since debuting with Boston in July, it’s unlikely the left-handed hitter could garner legitimate playing time– especially when you consider how crowded the Red Sox outfield is.

Still, one of Duran’s standout tools has always been his speed, and that speed could help the former seventh-round draft pick earn a call back up to the Sox in order to serve as a base-stealing specialist off the bench.

Arauz, meanwhile, was placed on the COVID-19 related injured list on September 10 while the Red Sox were in Chicago, though he never tested positive for the virus despite displaying symptoms.

Since he tested negative for the coronavirus on multiple occasions, Arauz’s quarantine period lasted less than 10 days, as he was sent out on a rehab assignment with Worcester this past Saturday.

In his last three games with the WooSox, the 23-year-old switch-hitter has gone 3-for-10 (.300) with a double, two runs scored, and a strikeout while primarily playing second base and third base.

With Duran and Arauz both coming off the COVID IL on Thursday, the Red Sox now have just three players sidelined on account of the virus in Phillips Valdez, Yairo Munoz, and Danny Santana.

All three of Valdez, Munoz, and Santana were present for Boston’s team picture day on Wednesday, so it appears as though they could be activated soon as well.

On the other side of this roster move, the Sox designated both Hartlieb and Rios for assignment, thus removing the pair of righties from their 40-man roster.

Hartlieb, 27, was initially claimed off waivers by the Red Sox on September 4, just two days after he had been designated by the Mets.

Promptly optioned and assigned to Worcester, Hartlieb appeared in just two games for the WooSox, allowing a total of one unearned run on two walks and two hit batsmen over two innings of work separated by nine days.

Rios, on the other hand, was originally acquired from the Mariners in exchange for cash considerations back on June 14 and was added to the active roster two days later.

In 20 relief appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen, the 28-year-old out of Puerto Rico posted a 3.70 ERA and 4.89 FIP to go along with 21 strikeouts to 14 walks over 24 1/3 total innings of work.

Boston optioned Rios to Worcester on August 14 in order to accommodate the additions of Chris Sale and Christian Vazquez to the major-league roster. He was later placed on the minor-league injured list on Aug. 22 and was held out of action for three weeks.

While with the WooSox, though, Rios put up a 3.60 ERA, a 1.77 FIP, and 7:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four outings (five innings pitched) coming into play on Thursday.

The Red Sox will now have the next seven days to either trade, release, or waive Hartlieb and Rios.

Per MLB Trade Rumors’ Anthony Franco, Hartlieb can still be optioned through the end of the 2022 season, so him getting claimed by another club is not out of the question.

As for Rios, he has the right to elect free agency if he goes unclaimed on waivers since he has previously been outrighted in his career.

(Picture of Jarren Duran: Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox roster moves: Xander Bogaerts, Darwinzon Hernandez activated; Kaleb Ort selected from Triple-A Worcester; Chris Sale, Jonathan Araúz placed on COVID-19 related injured list

Before opening up a three-game weekend series against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, the Red Sox made an extensive flurry of roster moves.

First off, shortstop Xander Bogaerts was activated from the COVID-19 related injured list, while left-handed reliever Darwinzon Hernandez was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Right-handed reliever Kaleb Ort also had his contract selected from Triple-A Worcester.

Secondly, ace left-hander Chris Sale and infielder Jonathan Arauz were both placed on the COVID-19 related injured list, while lefty reliever Austin Davis was placed on the paternity leave list.

The Red Sox made all of these transactions official earlier Friday night.

Bogaerts will return from the COVID-19 related injured list after initially testing positive for the virus while the Red Sox were taking on the Rays in St. Petersburg on August 31.

The 28-year-old was forced to exit in the second inning of that contest at Tropicana Field on account of that positive test and was immediately placed into a mandatory 10-day quarantine at the team’s hotel.

Since those 10 days are now up, Bogaerts was eligible to be activated on Friday, which winds up being the case. The three-time All-Star will be starting at shortstop and batting cleanup in the first of three against the American League Central-leading White Sox.

Joining Bogaerts on the active roster will be two relievers in the form of Hernandez and Ort.

Hernandez returns to the Boston bullpen after missing slightly more than six weeks of action due to a right oblique strain he sustained in a relief appearance against the Blue Jays back on July 29.

Placed on the 10-day injured list on July 31, the 24-year-old southpaw was sent out on a rehab assignment with Worcester this past Tuesday. He appeared in one game for the WooSox later that same day and worked a scoreless eighth inning in which he walked one and struck out another in a 5-4 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park.

Ort, on the other hand, is called up to a major-league roster for the first time in his professional career, as he will take the place of Sale on Boston’s 40-man roster for the time being.

The Red Sox originally selected Ort from the Yankees in the minor-league phase of last winter’s Rule 5 Draft — shortly after they picked up Garrett Whitlock from New York as well.

A former undrafted free agent who initially signed with the Diamondbacks in 2016 but joined the Yankees organization a year later, the 29-year-old righty has emerged as the bona fide closer for the WooSox this season.

In 40 appearances out of Worcester’s bullpen, Ort has posted a respectable 3.12 ERA and 3.56 FIP to go along with 59 strikeouts to 20 walks over 43 1/3 total innings of work. He also leads the WooSox with 18 saves on the year.

As previously mentioned, the Sox were able to call up Ort, who will wear the No. 85, without having to remove someone from their 40-man roster because of Sale being placed on the COVID-19 related injured list.

It was revealed earlier Friday that the ace left-hander had tested positive for the virus, and would subsequently be forced to miss his next scheduled start on Sunday as a result.

In testing positive for COVID-19, Sale becomes the 10th Red Sox player to do so since August 27 while also becoming the 12th player the club has had to place on the COVID IL since that date.

Boston’s starting rotation for this weekend’s series with Chicago initially had Tanner Houck starting the opener, Nick Pivetta starting the middle game, and Sale starting the finale.

Pivetta, who has been on the COVID IL since September 5 since he, too, tested positive, could be able to take Sale’s spot and start on Sunday.

Saturday’s contest, meanwhile, will likely fall to right-handed pitching prospect Connor Seabold, who — like Ort — traveled with the Sox to Chicago as part of the team’s taxi squad.

In addition to Sale, the Red Sox also placed Arauz on the COVID-19 related injured list, meaning the 23-year-old has now become the 13th player Boston has had to place on the COVID IL since their initial outbreak began in Cleveland two weeks ago.

Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the reason for Arauz being placed on the COVID IL is a precautionary one, as the Panamanian-born infielder has been exhibiting virus-like symptoms, but has tested negative “multiple times.”

Along with Sale and Arauz, the Red Sox will also be without Davis for the time being since he is headed out on paternity leave, though the timing of his absence is in sync with the return of Hernandez.

Put another way, as Boston temporarily loses one left-handed bullpen option, they get another back in the Venezuelan southpaw.

Following Friday’s series of moves, the Red Sox’ major-league roster is at full capacity (26 players), while their 40-man roster currently sits at approximately 39 players.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Red Sox mash 4 homers, hold on to 8-5 victory over Indians for third straight win

It was no simple task, but the Red Sox kicked off Labor Day weekend in style with a series-opening, 8-5 victory over the Indians at Fenway Park on Friday night to extend their winning streak to three consecutive games.

Matched up against Indians starter Cal Quantrill to begin things on Friday, the Sox received an immediate boost from leadoff man Kyle Schwarber, who crushed a 428-foot solo shot to dead center field on just the second pitch he saw in the bottom half of the first inning.

Schwarber’s 29th home run of the season, which left his bat at 106.8 mph, gave Boston an early 1-0 lead.

Kevin Plawecki doubled his side’s advantage an inning later, as he, too, took Quantrill deep by drilling a 390-foot solo homer over the Green Monster to make it a 2-0 contest.

Those two home runs took some off the pressure off Nathan Eovaldi out of the gate, and that proved to be quite beneficial.

Eovaldi, making his 27th start of the season for Boston, was — for the most part — exceptional on Friday night, allowing a total of three runs on six hits and two walks to go along with nine strikeouts over 6 1/3 solid innings of work.

The veteran right-hander began his evening by retiring nine of the first 11 Indians he faced, but saw his shutout bid come to an end when he served up a leadoff home run to the dangerous Jose Ramirez in the top of the fourth.

The Red Sox offense, however, returned the favor in the bottom half of the fourth, as Jonathan Arauz clubbed his second big fly of the year — both of which have come against the Indians — to right field off a Quantrill sinker, thus allowing his side to maintain its two-run lead.

After giving up the home run to Ramirez, Eovaldi responded by putting together another impressive run in which he strung together two more scoreless frames, but ran into some trouble with one out in the seventh.

At that point, Eovaldi had given up a one-out single to Bobby Bradley which was promptly followed by a game-tying, two-run blast off the bat of Austin Hedges moments later.

Having seen a 3-1 lead become a 3-3 stalemate, Eovaldi’s night came to a close after he yielded another base hit to Andres Gimenez, which led to him getting the hook from Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 98 (66 strikes), the 31-year-old did raise his ERA on the season to 3.73, though he did not factor into Friday’s decision.

In relief of Eovaldi, Adam Ottavino got the first call out of the Boston bullpen, and — after allowing Jimenez to steal second base — he stranded the lone runner he inherited by punching out Myles Straw and Amed Rosario back-to-back to end the inning.

While the Sox did lose hold of their lead over the Indians momentarily, they quickly got it back in their half of the seventh, and it all started when the pinch-hitting Travis Shaw drew a leadoff walk off Quantrill.

Arauz followed by lacing double to center field that put runners at second and third base with no outs for Schwarber, who greeted new Indians reliever Trevor Stephan by ripping a two-run double to the right-center field gap.

With an exit velocity of nearly 109 mph, Schwarber’s second run-scoring hit of the night put the Red Sox back in front at 5-3.

Stephan did manage to get the first two outs of the frame by punching out Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez, but Cleveland opted to intentionally walk the left-handed Alex Verdugo so that their right-handed reliever could face Hunter Renfroe.

The right-handed hitting Renfroe made the Tribe pay dearly for that decision, as he worked a nine-pitch at-bat and — on the ninth and final pitch he saw — deposited a 2-2, 84 mph slider on the outer half of the plate a nice 369 feet over everything in left field.

Renfroe’s 26th homer of the year gave the Sox a commanding 8-3 lead going into the eighth, and it gave Ryan Brasier a comfortable cushion to work with as well.

Brasier, making his 2021 debut on Friday after dealing with a plethora of injuries, got the first two outs of the eighth inning rather quickly, but allowed the next three batters he faced to reach base, with the third and final one — Bradley — lifting an RBI single to left field to cut Boston’s lead down to four runs.

That set the stage for rookie sensation Garrett Whitlock to come on in an attempt to get the final out of the eighth, and he did just that by getting Hedges to fly out to right field.

Coming back out for the ninth, Whitlock did surrender a run that made things even more interesting, but ultimately slammed the door on the Indians with two clutch strikeouts to notch his second save of the year while also securing an 8-5 victory for the Sox.

With the win, the Red Sox improve to 78-59 on the season as their lead over the Athletics for the second American League Wild Card spot increases to three games.

Brasier’s 2021 debut

Of the 21 pitchers Brasier threw in his season debut on Friday, 11 went for strikes. The right-hander turned to his four-seam fastball 71% of the time he was on the mound in the eighth inning and averaged 94.4 mph with the pitch.

Lopez’s first major-league hit

Since making his big-league debut earlier this week, infielder Jack Lopez had been hitless in eight plate appearances leading into Friday. The 28-year-old rookie came through in the second inning, though, as he picked up his first career hit — a 370-foot double — with two outs in the frame.

A first for Devers at second

After Shaw pinch-hit for Lopez to lead off the seventh inning, Danny Santana was inserted as a pinch-runner once Shaw reached base upon drawing a six-pitch walk.

As a result of that substitution, Santana took over for Bobby Dalbec at first base and Dalbec slid over to third base, leading Devers to fill in for Lopez at second base.

That being said, Friday night marked Devers’ professional debut at second base, as he had never played the position at the minor- or major-league level beforehand.

Next up: Houck vs. Morgan

The Red Sox will turn to right-hander Tanner Houck as they go for the series win over the Indians on Saturday afternoon.

The Indians, meanwhile, will hand the ball to fellow rookie righty Eli Morgan as they look to prevent that from happening.

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

(Picture of Kyle Schwarber, Alex Verdugo, and Hunter Renfroe: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Jarren Duran on COVID-19 related injured list, recall Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Worcester

Before opening up a four-game weekend series against the Blue Jays in Toronto on Friday night, the Red Sox placed rookie outfielder Jarren Duran on the COVID-19 related injured list.

In a corresponding move, infielder Jonathan Arauz was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced earlier Friday afternoon.

Duran becomes the second Boston player to be placed on the COVID-related injured list during the team’s current road trip.

All-Star closer Matt Barnes, who is vaccinated against the virus, was placed on the COVID IL on Tuesday in Detroit due to his feeling under the weather, but only missed one day of action after testing negative Tuesday night and being activated on Wednesday.

Duran, on the other hand, is experiencing COVID-like symptoms but has yet to test positive for the virus. As was the case with Barnes in Detroit, Duran is quarantining at the team’s hotel in Toronto and awaiting further testing, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

If Duran’s PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test comes back negative later Friday night, he could be activated from the COVID IL at any time.

If the 24-year-old top prospect tests positive, however, he will remain on the COVID-related injured list and additionally will be placed in mandatory quarantine for at least 10 days. That, in turn, would result in the Red Sox triggering more virus-related protocols.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox were tested for COVID-19 as a team upon arriving in Canada on Thursday night. Duran is awaiting final word.

Duran’s agent, Barrett Arthur of BJB Group, has informed The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that his client “has had multiple negative tests for COVID-19” and that “his placement on the COVID-19 injury list, as of now, is based purely on symptoms.”

Regardless, with Duran out of Boston’s lineup for Friday night’s series opener against the Blue Jays at the minimum, Enrique Hernandez will get the start in center field in the speedster’s place.

Arauz, meanwhile, is recalled from Worcester just two days after he was sent down at the time Barnes was activated from the COVID IL himself.

A member of the Sox’ taxi squad for their longest road trip of the season, Arauz is back up with Boston for the third time this year.

In his second and most recent stint with the big-league club, which spanned from July 30 through August 4, the 23-year-old appeared in three games, going 2-for-6 (.333) at the plate with one walk and two strikeouts over seven trips to the plate while playing second base and serving as a pinch-runner.

If Duran is able to return from the COVID-19 related injured list at any point this weekend, one would have to assume Arauz would once again get sent down to the WooSox in a corresponding move.

(Picture of Jarren Duran: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Matt Barnes from COVID-19 related injured list, option Jonathan Araúz to Triple-A Worcester

Before taking on the Tigers in the second game of a three-game series at Comerica Park on Wednesday night, the Red Sox reinstated closer Matt Barnes from the COVID-19 related injured list.

In a corresponding move, infielder Jonathan Arauz was optioned to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced Wednesday afternoon.

Barnes’ stay on the COVID related injured list winds up being a short one, as the right-handed reliever only missed Tuesday’s contest after his PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test came back negative Tuesday night.

Upon arriving in Detroit earlier this week, Barnes — as well as one other unidentified player — were feeling under the weather and exhibiting symptoms that run consistent with the virus, resulting in the closer having to quarantine at the team hotel.

Barnes, who is vaccinated against COVID-19, must have woke up Wednesday morning in much better spirits, as he will be available to pitch in the middle game of this three-game set against Detroit.

“He’s here, he feels good and he’s available,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Barnes. “If we get the lead, we’ll give him the ball.”

In 43 appearances out of the Boston bullpen so far this season, the first-time All-Star has posted a 2.30 ERA and 2.14 FIP to go along with 66 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 43 innings of work in which he has converted 23 of a possible 27 save opportunities.

Arauz, meanwhile, sees his second big-league stint of the season come to a close as he was sent down to Worcester in order to make room for Barnes on the 26-man roster.

In his most recent stay with the Red Sox, the 23-year-old appeared in three games, going 2-for-6 (.333) at the plate with one walk and two strikeouts over seven trips to the plate while playing second base and serving as a pinch-runner.

As he makes his return to the WooSox, Arauz carries with him a batting line of .224/.315/.355 to go along with four doubles, one triple, six home runs, 27 RBI, 24 runs scored, two stolen bases, 26 walks, and 38 strikeouts over 55 games (213 plate appearances) at the Triple-A level so far this season.

(Picture of Matt Barnes: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)