Tag: kevin plawecki

Red Sox place Christian Vázquez on bereavement list, recall Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester

Before taking on the Rays at Fenway Park on Wednesday night, the Red Sox placed catcher Christian Vazquez on the bereavement list.

In a corresponding move, fellow catcher Connor Wong was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Vazquez’s place on the major-league roster, the club announced.

Per MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, “it’s unclear how much time Vázquez will miss” on account of the fact that “the announcement was made approximately an hour before Wednesday’s game.”

Vazquez was not in Boston’s starting lineup for Wednesday’s contest against the Rays, as Kevin Plawecki will catch right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and bat out of the six-hole.

Plawecki has been hot at the plate as of late. The 30-year-old backstop is slashing a sizzling .448/.500/.552 over his last 10 games (eight starts) and 32 plate appearances dating back to July 24.

Wong, meanwhile, is back up with the Red Sox for a fourth time this season after previously being used as a COVID fill-in over the weekend in Toronto.

Across his three prior stints with the big-league club, the 25-year-old rookie has gone 3-for-12 at the plate (.250) with one double, two runs scored, one walk, and seven strikeouts over five games, three of which were starts.

(Picture of Christian Vazquez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox storm back with 5-run 8th inning to take series from Yankees in dramatic 5-4 victory

After figuratively getting their hearts ripped out in a 4-3 loss on Saturday, it appeared as though the Red Sox were well on their way to dropping their second straight to the Yankees at Fenway Park on Sunday.

Yankees starter Domingo German absolutely dominated the Sox lineup through the first seven innings of Sunday’s contest, as he failed to yield a single hit while only allowing a pair of base runners on a walk and passed ball on a strikeout.

In addition to not being able to get anything done offensively, Boston found themselves in a four-run hole through the first 7 1/2 innings in their series finale against New York.

Red Sox starter Martin Perez had pitched well enough opposite German, giving up three runs on six hits, two walks, and six strikeouts over six solid innings of work thanks to a pair of double plays.

In relief of Perez, however, Yacksel Rios came on in the seventh and struggled mightily with his control, as he walked two batters and plunked another to load the bases before Josh Taylor was deployed and got through the rest of the innins unscathed.

Brandon Workman, meanwhile, saw the Yankees’ three-run lead increase to four in the eighth by serving up a leadoff triple to Gary Sanchez that was followed by an RBI single off the bat of Gleyber Torres.

So, there the Red Sox were, trailing by four runs with just nine more outs to work with against an opposing pitcher they had yet to record a hit off of.

Somehow, someway, Boston’s fortunes changed in their half of the eighth, as Alex Verdugo led things off with a hard-hit double to right field that saw German’s no-hit bid end and his day subsequently come to a close.

Matched up against Yankees reliever Jonathan Loaisiga now, Hunter Renfroe put an end to New York’s attempt at a shutout, as he laced another line-drive double that brought in Verdugo from second to make it a 4-1 game.

Christian Vazquez kept the line moving, plating Renfroe on an RBI single to right field and moving into scoring position on another base hit courtesy of Franchy Cordero.

Following a brief mound visit as the Boston lineup flipped back over, Kiké Hernández got ahead in the count against Loaisiga at 2-0 and took full advantage of that by ripping a run-scoring double down the left field line that drove in Vazquez, cutting the deficit down to one run at 4-3.

With the Yankees opting to go with left-hander Zack Britton out of the bullpen in place of Loaisiga, Red Sox manager Alex Cora countered by pinch-hitting Kevin Plawecki for the left-handed hitting Jarren Duran.

Plawecki answered the call accordingly, scoring Cordero from third on a game-tying RBI groundout that also advanced Hernández up to third base, though he did not stay there long.

Yes, with a sacrifice fly hit just deep enough to right field, Xander Bogaerts was able to drive in a sliding Hernández from third to give his side their first lead of the afternoon at 5-4.

Given the fact that there was now a one-run lead to protect, Matt Barnes got the call for the ninth inning and promptly slammed the door on the Yankees to seal the comeback 5-4 victory for the Red Sox as well as his 21st save of the season.

With the win, their 32nd of the come-from-behind variety, the Red Sox secured a series victory and the season series with the Yankees to improve to 61-39 on the season. They also regained a one-game lead over the Rays for first place in the American League East.

Next up: Bring on the Blue Jays

The Red Sox will next welcome the Blue Jays into town for a four-game series that begins on Monday night.

Canadian-born right-hander Nick Pivetta is slated to get the ball for Boston in the opener, while Toronto has yet to name a starter.

First pitch Monday is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and ESPN.

(Picture of Kiké Hernández and Rafael Devers: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox roster moves: Kevin Plawecki activated from injured list, Connor Wong optioned to Triple-A Worcester; Danny Santana placed on IL, Michael Chavis recalled

Before opening up a three-game series against the Phillies at Fenway Park on Friday night, the Red sox made a series of roster moves.

First off, backup catcher Kevin Plawecki was activated from the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, catching prospect Connor Wong was optioned to Triple-A Worcester following Wednesday’s game against the Angels.

Secondly, utility man Danny Santana was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain. Santana’s stint on the IL was backdated to July 7. To fill Santana’s spot on the active roster, infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis was called up from Triple-A Worcester.

The Red Sox made all these transactions official earlier Friday afternoon.

Plawecki returns from the injured list after missing nearly three weeks of action on account of a left hamstring strain he sustained while chasing down an errant throw in Kansas City on June 20.

The 30-year-old backstop did not require a rehab assignment after traveling and working out with the team during their six-game West Coast road trip. He will be available off the bench if needed on Friday with Christian Vazquez getting the start behind the plate.

Coming into play on Friday, Plawecki has hit .254/.319/.349 with one home run, three doubles, three RBI, seven runs scored, five walks, and 12 strikeouts over 26 games (70 plate appearances) so far this season.

Wong, meanwhile, heads back down to Worcester after a rather successful first major-league stint with the Red Sox.

One of three players acquired from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts/David Price trade, Wong was called up from Triple-A on June 22 and went 3-for-11 (.273) at the plate with one double, two runs scored, zero walks, and seven strikeouts across four games.

The 25-year-old, who is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 catching prospect in Boston’s farm system, made his major-league debut as a pinch-runner against the Rays on June 22 and wound up scoring the winning run in a 9-5 victory. He then caught Nathan Eovaldi on three separate occasions on June 26, July 1, and July 6, and drew praise from both the right-hander and Sox manager Alex Cora while doing so.

As he makes his return to the WooSox, Wong will take what he learned in Boston and look to apply that to his game while getting more consistent playing time.

Through 16 games (64 plate appearances) with the WooSox this season, the Houston-area native is slashing just .148/.188/.246, though he did miss some time due to a hamstring injury of his own.

—

Turning to the next roster move now, veteran utility man Danny Santana was placed on the 10-day injured list because of a left quad strain suffered in Anaheim earlier this week.

Santana sustained the injury late in Tuesday’s loss to the Angels, and while he was available in an emergency on Wednesday, he ultimately lands on the IL because of it.

The speedy 30-year-old attempted to beat out a throw to first base while running out a ground ball hit to second in the seventh inning on Tuesday, but came up limp after the out was recorded.

While Red Sox manager Alex Cora had been cautiously optimistic that Santana might be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, he was also aware that the switch-hitter had a history when it cane to issues pertaining to his left quad.

That being the case because Santana missed a significant portion of the 2017 season with the Braves due to a left quadriceps strain that ultimately required a stay on the 60-day IL.

“With him, obviously, speed is part of his game, and moving in the outfield and all that,” Cora said Tuesday night. “So we’re going to be very careful. He has past history with that.”

With Santana’s stint on the injured list being backdated to July 7, the soonest the versatile Dominican can be activated is July 17, though it remains to be seen if he will require more than the minimum 10 days.

As for Michael Chavis, the 25-year-old is back with the Red Sox for a fifth time this season after being optioned to Worcester on July 5.

Chavis did not appear in a game for the WooSox in the four days he was there, but he is slashing .207/.230/.328 to go along with one homer, four RBI, one walk, and 22 strikeouts across 20 games (61 plate appearances) with the Red Sox so far this year while seeing time at both first and second base.

He, like Kevin Plawecki, will be available off the bench for Cora in Friday’s series opener against the Phillies. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

—

Also, Marwin Gonzalez, who dealt with tightness in his right hamstring earlier this week, appears to be a full-go now that he faces no restrictions, per Cora.

(Picture of Kevin Plawecki: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Danny Santana removed from Tuesday’s game against Angels due to left quad injury: ‘We’re going to be very careful,’ Alex Cora says

Red Sox utility man Danny Santana was forced to exit Tuesday night’s game against the Angels in the seventh inning due to a left quad injury, manager Alex Cora said.

Santana, who started at first base for Boston in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to Los Angeles, sustained the injury while running out a ground ball he hit to second base off Angels starter Shohei Ohtani.

In the process of trying to beat the throw to first, however, Santana came up limp, resulting in Bobby Dalbec taking over for him at first base.

When asked about how the veteran utility man was holding up during his postgame media availability, Cora hinted that a stint on the injured list could be possible.

“It’s his left quad, you saw him limping towards the end,” Cora said over Zoom. “Hopefully, he slowed down enough that it wasn’t that bad. Obviously, he’s getting treatment. It will come back tomorrow and see how he feels.”

Santana, who came into play Tuesday hitting .286 (8-for-28)/.310/.429 over his last seven games, is known for his speed, as evidenced by his 74 career stolen bases at the major-league level.

The 30-year-old switch-hitter also has a history when it comes to issues pertaining to his left quad, as he missed a significant portion of the 2017 season with the Braves due to a left quadriceps strain that ultimately required a stay on the 60-day IL.

“With him, obviously, speed is part of his game, and moving in the outfield and all that,” said Cora. “So we’re going to be very careful. He has past history with that. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow and we’ll decide what we do.”

Santana being removed from Tuesday’s game because of injury comes one day after fellow utility man Marwin Gonzalez was forced to leave Monday’s contest at Angel Stadium on account of right hamstring tightness.

Cora had been hopeful that Gonzalez would be ready to return to action for Wednesday’s series finale against the Angels, but the possibility that he is not would put the Sox in a tough position with a short bench.

Calling up someone — like Michael Chavis or Franchy Cordero, for instance –from Triple-A Worcester would be a feasible option in this scenario were it not for the fact that the WooSox are currently taking on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Allentown, Pa., which is approximately 2,690 miles Northeast of Anaheim.

“That’s what we were talking about,” Cora said. “There’s not too many bodies around here, and I don’t think they’re going to make it on time if we have to bring in somebody from outside.”

Backup catcher Kevin Plawecki, who has been on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain since June 22, has been traveling and working out with the team during this West Coast road trip.

With that in mind, the 30-year-old backstop could be activated off the IL before Wednesday’s game in the event that Boston would need a fresh body available off the bench in place of Santana and/or Gonzalez.

“Kevin is probably available,” said Cora. “If that’s the case, maybe. He ran the bases today, he’s been hitting. Tomorrow, he was going to have a heavy load of workouts behind the plate, throwing the bases and all that. If that goes well and we have to make a move, most likely it’s going to be Kevin. To have a body with Connor (Wong), who we can move around and Christian (Arroyo), too. So we feel comfortable if that’s the case.”

The Red Sox close out their three-game series against the Angels on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4:07 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Danny Santana: Theoron W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Red Sox injuries: Christian Arroyo (knee contusion) could rejoin team in Anaheim, Kevin Plawecki (hamstring strain) ‘feeling better,’ Alex Cora says

Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo was sent out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Thursday and went 0-for-1 with a strikeout in Game 2 of a rain-shortened doubleheader while starting at designated hitter against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees affiliate) at Polar Park.

Arroyo was also slated to start at second base and bat out of the two-hole for the WooSox on Friday night, but that game wound up getting rained out due to wet conditions in the Worcester-area.

The 26-year-old has been held out of action since he sustained a right shin bone bruise after colliding with center fielder Enrique Hernandez in Kansas City on June 20.

Later placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right knee contusion on June 24, Arroyo’s stint on the IL was backdated to June 21, meaning he could have been activated as soon as Thursday.

With that being said, though, it would appear that the Red Sox would like Arroyo to get more at-bats before he is cleared to rejoin the big-league club. Just ask manager Alex Cora.

“He’ll be there tonight, most likely tomorrow,” Cora said of Arroyo prior to Friday’s contest against the Athletics in Oakland. “I think the weather over there is not great, I guess, right? We’ll make a decision tomorrow. But most likely, he’ll be there Monday with us if everything goes accordingly.”

The Red Sox are in Oakland for a three-game weekend series against the A’s that concludes Sunday afternoon. They will then travel south to take on the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim in another three-game set that begins on Monday and wraps up on Wednesday.

Kevin Plawecki, meanwhile, is with the Sox in the Bay Area and is traveling with the team despite currently being on the 10-day injured list like Arroyo.

The 30-year-old catcher was originally placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain on June 22, which came as a result of him chasing down an errant throw in that same series against the Royals Arroyo got hurt in.

Cora had said that Plawecki suffered a setback in his recovery earlier this week, but his outlook regarding the veteran backstop seemed more optimistic as of Friday afternoon.

“He’s feeling better. Not quite there yet,” said Cora. “I feel like having him here — if something happens and he feels OK, then we can plug him into the roster, right? With all the traveling and how far we are from the East Coast, it would become difficult. He feels like he’s making progress. He’s catching bullpens, he caught (Chris) Sale the other day. So, he’s getting closer.”

Unlike Arroyo, Boston does not feel as though Plawecki would require a rehab assignment since he only plays once every six or seven days and has not lost much in terms of his timing at the plate.

“We’ll play it by year,” Cora said. “We’ll see how the rest of the week goes and we’ll make decisions from there.”

While Arroyo and Plawecki have been sidelined with their respective injuries, the Red Sox have had infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis and catching prospect Connor Wong up in their place.

(Picture of Christian Arroyo: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox injuries: Bobby Dalbec (hamstring tightness) out of Wednesday’s lineup, Christian Arroyo (knee contusion) set for rehab assignment with WooSox, Tanner Houck sharp in latest start

Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided injury updates pertaining to Bobby Dalbec, Christian Arroyo, and Tanner Houck prior to Wednesday’s game against the Royals at Fenway Park.

Dalbec, who experienced right hamstring tightness that forced him to exit in the sixth inning of Tuesday night’s win over Kansas City, is out of Boston’s starting lineup for Wednesday’s contest.

“Bobby’s OK,” Cora said earlier Wednesday afternoon. “He’s still tight. He’s going to get treatment. I don’t know if we’re going to try to make him run today. But better than yesterday, but not 100%.”

While it certainly looks like Dalbec, who actually turned 26 on Tuesday, will avoid a trip to the injured list and should be considered day-to-day, Michael Chavis will start in his place at first base and bat ninth on Wednesday.

Arroyo slated to begin rehab assignment with WooSox

Christian Arroyo, meanwhile, has been on the 10-day injured list since June 24 (backdated to June 21) due to a right knee contusion that was originally diagnosed as a right shin bone bruise after he collided with Enrique Hernandez in Kansas City two weekends ago.

Because his stint on the IL was backdated to June 21, Arroyo is eligible to be activated on Thursday, July 1. That said, the Red Sox would like the 26-year-old infielder to get some at-bats in with Triple-A Worcester before that happens.

“Most likely he’ll go to Worcester and he’ll DH tomorrow,” Cora said of Arroyo. “He faced Chris [Sale] today. I think he had two at-bats against him. But there’s not too much going on the field today as far as batting practice and all that. But that was the plan last night. Probably after the game we’ll let you guys know, but that seems to be what he’s going to do.

Arroyo himself expects to head out to Polar Park on Thursday to DH for the WooSox before rejoining the big-league club for their upcoming West Coast road trip.

Houck feeling good after third start back for WooSox

Red Sox pitching prospect Tanner Houck woke up Wednesday morning with no ill effects from his latest start with the WooSox at Polar Park on Tuesday night, Cora said.

In his third start back off the injured list after missing more than a month with flexor muscle soreness, Houck allowed two earned runs on three hits, zero walks, and two hit batsmen to go along with four strikeouts over four innings of work.

It was the right-hander’s longest outing (67 pitches, 40 of which were strikes) since he returned to the mound on June 17.

“Everything went well,” Cora said when asked about Houck, who turned 25 on Tuesday. “I actually texted with [WooSox pitching coach Paul Abbott] this morning, he felt like [Houck] was really good. Command was good, the intent was good, very aggressive. Everything went well. Obviously, let’s see how he shows up today and if there’s any red flags. We don’t expect red flags, so it was a good one for him.”

As he continues to build up his arm strength, Houck could make his return to the Sox’ starting rotation out of the All-Star break if the club opts to add a sixth starter to the mix out of the gate in late July.

—

Also, for what it’s worth, Cora did not provide an update on backup catcher Kevin Plawecki, who has been on the injured list with a left hamstring strain since June 22 but suffered an apparent minor setback on Monday.

(Picture of Bobby Dalbec: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Red Sox injuries: Christian Arroyo (knee contusion) likely to begin rehab assignment this week, Kevin Plawecki (hamstring strain) suffers minor setback, Alex Cora says

Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Royals at Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided updates on a pair of key injured position players in Christian Arroyo and Kevin Plawecki.

Arroyo, who has been held out of action since June 20 and on the 10-day injured list with a right knee contusion since June 24, appears to be on the verge of starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester — who are at home through July 4 — before rejoining the Sox ahead of their West Coast road trip that begins later this week.

The 26-year-old second baseman sustained a right shin bone bruise last Sunday in Kansas City after colliding with center fielder Enrique Hernandez while going after a fly ball.

At the time, Arroyo was hitting .264/.324/.432 with nine doubles, four home runs, 17 runs scored, 19 RBI, one stolen base, five walks, and 38 strikeouts through his first 42 games of the season.

Because his stint on the IL was backdated to June 21, the soonest Arroyo could be activated would be this coming Thursday, July 1. That said, it seems as though the Sox would like the right-handed hitter to get some playing time in with the WooSox before he is back in the big-league lineup once again.

In terms of proximity to a return date, Arroyo is in better shape than Plawecki. That being the case because the Sox’ backup catcher suffered somewhat of a setback in regards to his hamstring injury while working out at Fenway on Monday.

Plawecki was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 22, two days after straining his left hamstring while chasing down an errant throw last weekend in Kansas City.

Like Arroyo, Plawecki’s stint on the IL was backdated to June 21, but it looks like the 30-year-old backstop will require more than the minimum 10 days.

“Yeah, Arroyo is going to run the bases,” Cora told reporters (including NESN.com’s Alexandra Francisco) earlier Tuesday afternoon. “Kevin, he didn’t feel great throughout the day yesterday. He is going to get treatment. It’s not a big setback, but it’s probably going to slow him down a little bit. If I can guess, it feels like Christian, he’ll be back when he has to, he’ll be OK.

“Probably will send him to Worcester to a rehab assignment to get a few at-bats, and then he should be ready to go for the West Coast trip,” added Cora. “And Kevin, now we have to wait a little bit, I’ll see how he feels today. Nothing major, but like I told him, I said, ‘This is not about this week or next week, this is about the whole season, and we need you, you know? So just make sure you’re patient enough and we’ll see where it takes us.’”

While Arroyo and Plawecki have been sidelined, the Red Sox have had infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis and catching prospect Connor Wong up in their place.

After wrapping up their four-game series with Kansas City on Thursday, Boston will set out to Oakland for the start of a two-city, six-game road trip against the Athletics and Angels that begins on Friday and concludes on Wednesday, June 7 in Anaheim.

(Picture of Kevin Plawecki: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Red Sox injuries: Christian Arroyo (knee contusion), Kevin Plawecki (hamstring strain) ‘progressing well’ and could rejoin team ‘sooner rather than later,’ Alex Cora says

Christian Arroyo and Kevin Plawecki are both progressing well from their respective injuries and could be ready to return to the Red Sox within the coming days, manager Alex Cora said prior to Monday’s game against the Royals at Fenway Park.

Arroyo has been out of action since June 20, when he collided with center fielder Enrique Hernandez while going after a fly ball in the fifth inning of last Sunday’s loss to the Royals in Kansas City.

Later diagnosed with a right shin bone bruise, the infielder was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 24 with what the Red Sox called a right knee contusion.

Because Arroyo’s stint on the IL was backdated to June 21, the soonest the 26-year-old could be activated is this Thursday, July 1.

Plawecki, meanwhile, suffered a left hamstring strain in Kansas City last weekend while chasing after an errant throw from Hernandez.

The veteran catcher was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 22, though, like Arroyo, the move was made retroactive to June 21, meaning he could be activated as soon as Thursday.

While Arroyo and Plawecki have been on the shelf, they have been able to take part in baseball activities, as both were involved in Chris Sale’s live batting practice session at Fenway Park on Saturday.

Taking that into consideration, Cora is hopeful the Sox can get both players back potentially by the end of the week. Infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis and catching prospect Connor Wong have been up with the big-league club in the interim.

“They’re progressing well, both of them,” Cora said earlier Monday afternoon. “Kevin, as you guys saw, he caught Chris [Sale’s] live BP. Christian and Kevin, they should be hitting right now outside. So they’re moving well, they’re feeling better. So they seem like this is going to be something short and they should be with us sooner rather than later.”

The Red Sox will wrap up their seven-game homestand against the Royals on Thursday afternoon before departing for the west coast for the start of a two-city, six-game road trip on Friday. That may be something to keep in mind in regards to upcoming roster moves.

(Picture of Christian Arroyo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Red Sox call up top catching prospect Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester, place Kevin Plawecki on injured list with left hamstring strain

Before opening up a three-game series against the Rays in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, the Red Sox placed backup catcher Kevin Plawecki on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.

In a corresponding move, catching prospect Connor Wong has been called up from Triple-A Worcester, the team announced earlier Tuesday afternoon.

Plawecki suffered a hamstring strain in the third inning of Sunday’s loss to the Royals after chasing down an errant throw from center fielder Enrique Hernandez.

The 30-year-old backstop was able to remain in the game for the remainder of the inning, but was pinch-hit for by Christian Vazquez in Boston’s half of the fourth before later being diagnosed with left hamstring tightness.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora did make it seem as though Plawecki could be headed towards a stint on the injured list when speaking with reporters following Sunday’s contest, and that winds up being the case.

Since his stay on the IL was backdated to Monday, the earliest Plawecki could be activated is Thursday, July 1, when the Sox are slated to take on the Royals at Fenway Park.

As of this moment, the amount of time Plawecki will need to miss while recovering from his hamstring injury is unknown.

Wong, meanwhile, is one of three players the Red Sox acquired from the Dodgers last February in the blockbuster trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles.

A former third-round pick of the Dodgers out of the University of Houston in 2017, the 25-year-old opened the 2021 minor-league season with Triple-A Worcester as the No. 2 catching prospect in Boston’s farm system according to Baseball America.

Due to a hamstring injury, however, Wong has been limited to just 16 games with the WooSox thus far and has posted a .148/.188/.245 slash line to go along with three doubles, one home run, seven RBI, five runs scored, three walks, and 19 strikeouts over his first 64 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. He has also spent some time on the Sox’ taxi squad.

Outside of Vazquez and Plawecki, the 6-foot-1, 181 pound backstop is one of two catchers on Boston’s 40-man roster alongside fellow prospect Ronaldo Hernandez, who is currently at Double-A Portland.

Because of this, it would appear that the Red Sox ultimately opted to go with Wong as opposed to a veteran with big-league experience — such as Chris Herrmann or Jett Bandy — in place of Plawecki so they would not need to make any additional room on their 40-man roster.

The expectation seems to be that Wong will be up with the Sox only for as long as Plawecki is on the injured list.

MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo was the first to report that the Red Sox would be calling up Wong and placing Plawecki on the IL.

(Picture of Connor Wong: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Red Sox injuries: Christian Arroyo (bone bruise), Kevin Plawecki (hamstring tightness) removed from Sunday’s series finale against Royals

The Red Sox received two potentially serious blows to their roster makeup in the process of falling to the Royals by a final score of 7-3 at Kauffmann Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In the bottom of the fifth inning on a steamy day in Kansas City, Christian Arroyo needed to be removed from the game after colliding with center fielder Kiké Hernández while the two were going after a fly ball off the bat of Hunter Dozier that wound up going for a double.

In the process of trying to make an over-the-shoulder catch with his back towards the infield, the second baseman inadvertently bumped knees with Hernandez as he slid into the outfield grass.

As a result of the contact he made with Hernandez, Arroyo — who was in visible pain and seemingly could not put a ton of weight on his right knee — needed to be taken out and was replaced by Marwin Gonzalez at second base for the remainder of the contest.

Later diagnosed with a right shin bone bruise, X-rays on the 26-year-old’s knee did come back negative.

“Christian is sore,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “It’s right below the patellar. So he’ll be sore for a little bit. He had X-rays. Everything’s good. They moved his knee around. It seems like he’ll be OK. Obviously let’s see how it goes on the plane and when we get to Tampa.”

As noted by The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, the Sox were planning on batting Arroyo leadoff for all three of their upcoming games against the Rays this week with left-handers on the mound for Tampa Bay, so this bone bruise certainly puts those plans in jeopardy.

Hernandez, meanwhile, was able to remain in the game after the fifth-inning collision, and he later described what happened on the play from his point of view.

“The collision happened after the ball dropped. I was coming in for the ball. He was still going back for the ball,” he said. “I wasn’t able to get out of the way because I was trying to keep up with the ball. We just happened to hit each other.”

Plawecki exits in fourth inning

Two innings before the collision that forced Arroyo out of this contest early, Hernandez was also somewhat involved in another Red Sox injury.

With one out and a runner at second base in the bottom half of the third, Hernandez fielded a line-drive single off the bat of Salvador Perez and attempted to gun down the runner — Whit Merrifield — at home.

Hernandez’s throw was errant, however, and it forced backup catcher Kevin Plawecki to leave his post and chase after the ball before it hit the backstop. He came up limping in the process of doing so.

Able to remain in the game for the remainder of the inning, Plawecki was ultimately pinch-hit for by Christian Vazquez in the top half of the fourth and was later ruled out with left hamstring tightness.

Based off what Cora told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) during his postgame media availability, it seems as though the Sox are optimistic that Arroyo will avoid a stint on the injured list; though the same cannot be said for Plawecki.

“With Kevin, we’ll wait a little bit,” Cora said of the 30-year-old backstop. “He wanted to grind it out. We’ll know more [Monday]. I talked to [athletic trainer] Brandon [Henry] and he feels like with that one, we should wait to see where we’re at during the week.”

The Red Sox have Monday off as they prepare to open a three-game series against the Rays in St. Petersburg.

If Plawecki’s status is still uncertain after that, then it’s likely Boston would need to place him on the injured list and, in turn, call up another catcher.

Besides Vazquez and Plawecki, prospects Connor Wong and Ronaldo Hernandez are the only other catchers on the Sox’ 40-man roster and neither have any big-league experience.

Veterans with major-league experience such as Chris Herrmann and Jett Bandy, however, are currently playing for the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, so that would likely be the move.

That being said, neither Bandy nor Herrmann are currently on Boston’s 40-man roster, so a corresponding transaction would need to be made in order for one of the two to be added to the big-league roster.

(Picture of Alex Cora and Christian Arroyo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)