Tag: roster moves

Red Sox add 5 prospects, including Ceddanne Rafaela and Brandon Walter, to 40-man roster to protect them from Rule 5 Draft

The Red Sox have selected five prospects to their 40-man roster in order to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft, the club announced earlier Tuesday evening.

Left-handers Chris Murphy and Brandon Walter, super-utility player Ceddanne Rafaela, outfielder Wilyer Abreu, and infielder David Hamilton were all added. In order to make room for these five on the 40-man roster, which sat at 37 players coming into Tuesday’s deadline, right-hander Jake Reed and catcher Caleb Hamilton were both designated for assignment.

Murphy, 24, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking third among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally selected the Californian-born southpaw in the sixth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the University of San Diego.

In 15 appearances (13 starts) with Double-A Portland to begin the 2022 minor-league season, Murphy posted a 2.58 ERA and 3.35 FIP with 91 strikeouts to 31 walks over 76 2/3 innings of work. He was promoted to Triple-A Worcester in late June and pitched to a 5.50 ERA (5.26 FIP) with 58 strikeouts to 41 walks in 15 starts (75 1/3 innings) for the WooSox.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Murphy operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96-97 mph, an 83-85 mph changeup, a 73-76 mph curveball, and an 80-84 mph slider.

Walter, 26, is ranked right behind Murphy as Baseball America’s No. 9 Red Sox prospect. The University of Delaware product was taken by Boston in the 26th round of the 2019 draft and burst onto the scene last year. He began the 2022 campaign in Portland and produced a 2.88 ERA (2.73 FIP) with 68 strikeouts to just three walks in his first nine starts (50 innings) with the Sea Dogs.

That level of performance netted Walter a promotion to Worcester in late May. But the 6-foot-2, 200-pound lefty made just two starts for the WooSox before a bulging cervical disk prematurely ended his season in early June. Walter works with a 90-93 mph heater that tops out at 95 mph, an 80-83 mph changeup, and an 80-83 mph slider. If healthy, he could provide the Red Sox with starting rotation depth next season.

Rafaela is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 78 prospect in all of baseball. The Red Sox originally signed the versatile 22-year-old for just $10,000 as an international free agent in July 2017. He has since emerged as one of the organization’s brightest prospects and was alone in representing the Sox at this year’s All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles.

After earning Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year honors for the first time in 2021, Rafaela could have been added to Boston’s 40-man roster but was instead left off. The major-league phase of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft was then cancelled as a result of the ongoing lockout, meaning other teams would not have the opportunity to pry Rafaela away from the Red Sox.

Rafaela broke minor-league camp with High-A Greenville this spring. The right-handed hitter batted .330/.368/.594 with 17 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 36 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 45 games (209 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Upon making the jump from High-A to Double-A in early June, Rafaela proceeded to slash .278/.324/.500 with 15 doubles, six triples, 12 homers, 50 runs driven in, 45 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 16 walks, and 62 strikeouts over 71 games (313 plate appearances). Though his production at the plate dipped with the Sea Dogs, Rafaela still led all Red Sox minor-leaguers with 63 extra-base hits and was the only member of the organization to put together a 20-20 season.

On the other side of the ball, Rafaela saw the majority of his playing time in Portland come in center field. The 5-foot-8, 152-pounder logged 498 2/3 innings and recorded three outfield assists in center while also logging 103 innings at shortstop.

“I truly believe this: You put him in the big leagues right now, he wins the Gold Glove as an outfielder,” Red Sox infield coordinator Darren Fenster said of Rafaela, who was named the organization’s Defensive Player of the Year for a second time back in September. “He’s not there yet as an infielder, but talent-wise and with some more reps and some more polish, he has Gold Glove potential as a shortstop as well. It’s wild the talent that this kid has.”

Abreu, 23, was one of two prospects the Red Sox acquired from the Astros in the August trade that sent Christian Vazquez to Houston. The other prospect from that deal (Enmanuel Valdez) was added to the 40-man roster last Thursday so that he would not become a minor-league free agent.

As for Abreu, Baseball America currently ranks the native Venezuelan as the No. 22 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The left-handed hitting outfielder closed out the 2022 season by batting .242/.399/.375 with five doubles, four home runs, 19 RBIs, 25 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 36 walks, and 45 strikeouts across 40 games (168 plate appearances) with Portland. He also played in the Arizona Fall League and made appearances at both corner outfield spots for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Hamilton is undoubtedly the most surprising addition listed here. The 25-year-old was acquired from the Brewers alongside Alex Binelas and Jackie Bradley Jr. in last December’s Hunter Renfroe trade. He spent the entirety of his first season in the Red Sox organization in Portland.

With the Sea Dogs, the left-handed hitting Hamilton batted .251/.338/.402 with 16 doubles, nine triples, 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, 81 runs scored, a franchise-record 70 stolen bases, 56 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 119 games spanning 531 trips to the plate. He is capable of playing adequate defense at either second base or shortstop.

Given that his speed is his standout tool, Hamilton’s addition to the 40-man roster may have something to do with the rule changes that are coming to Major League Baseball. Larger bases, a pitch timer, limiting throws to first base, and limits on defensive shifts certainly make speedsters such as Hamilton more appealing moving forward.

Following Tuesday’s series of moves, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is at full capacity. That will likely change between now and the non-tender deadline on Friday.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox open roster spot by trading Easton McGee to Mariners for cash considerations

The Red Sox have traded right-hander Easton McGee to the Mariners in exchange for cash considerations, the club announced earlier Wednesday afternoon.

McGee, who turns 25 next month, was claimed off waivers from the Rays on the final day of the regular season. The 24-year-old righty had just made his major-league debut against the Astros on October 2, but was designated for assignment the following day.

In his lone big-league relief appearance of the year, McGee allowed one unearned run on four hits and zero walks to go along with one strikeout over three innings of work in a losing effort at Minute Maid Park. He threw 46 pitches (31 strikes) while mixing in 19 sliders, 15 sinkers, six cutters, three changeups, two curveballs, and one 91.5 mph four-seam fastball, per Baseball Savant.

The Rays originally selected McGee in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Hopkinsville High School in Kentucky. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound hurler posted a 5.43 ERA and 5.72 FIP with 82 strikeouts to 20 walks across 27 appearances (22 starts) and 107 2/3 innings pitched at Triple-A Durham this season. His 4.3 percent walk rate ranked second among International League pitchers who threw at least 100 innings this year and he was recognized by Triple-A managers for having the best control in that league as a result.

In McGee, the Mariners acquire a controllable pitcher who is not arbitration-eligible until 2026 and has three minor-league options remaining. By trading McGee away to Seattle, the Red Sox have cleared a spot on their 40-man roster, which now sits at 32 players officially.

Tommy Pham, who reportedly had his mutual option declined on Monday, still counts towards that total. If you take him away, Boston has 31 players on its 40-man roster. That does not include the five players (Tanner Houck, James Paxton, Chris Sale, Josh Taylor, and Franchy Cordero) who are currently listed on the 60-day injured list.

The Red Sox have until next Tuesday to activate these players, at which point they will count against the 40-man roster. November 15 is also the deadline for clubs to protect eligible minor-leaguers from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to the 40-man.

In theory, the Sox could create additional space on their 40-man roster by exploring more trades. They also have the option of not tendering contracts to certain arbitration and pre-arbitration eligible players by next Friday’s non-tender deadline. Those players would then become free agents and would therefore not count against Boston’s big-league roster.

To put it simply, the Red Sox have some interesting decisions to make in the coming days and weeks. Dealing McGee to the Mariners could just be the tip of the iceberg in that regard.

(Picture of Easton McGee: Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Red Sox offseason: Tyler Danish elects free agency after clearing waivers

The Red Sox have outrighted right-hander Tyler Danish off the 40-man roster, the club announced on Monday. Rather than accepting a minor-league assignment, Danish has elected to become a free agent.

Danish, 28, signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox this past February after spending the majority of the 2021 campaign in the Angels organization. The righty reliever was added to Boston’s 40-man roster in the final week of spring training and begin the year at Triple-A Worcester.

On April 19, Danish was recalled from the WooSox. He made his Red Sox debut the following day, marking his first big-league action since August 2018. In 32 relief appearances for Boston, Danish posted a 5.13 ERA and 4.97 FIP with 32 strikeouts to 12 walks over a career-high 40 1/3 innings of work.

A right forearm strain kept Danish on the injured list from July 7 until August 28. Prior to that lengthy IL stint, he had pitched to a 4.02 ERA in 31 1/3 innings out of the Boston bullpen. After the fact, he surrendered nine earned runs in six September appearances before being optioned to Worcester on the first of October.

Though no formal announcement was made, the Red Sox placed Danish on waivers in recent days. The Florida native has previously been outrighted in his career, so he had the right to become a free agent as soon as he cleared waivers, which is what happened on Monday.

It should be interesting to see how many teams reach out to Danish this winter. The 6-foot, 200-pound hurler held opponents to a .175 batting average against with his curveball — his most frequently-used pitch — this season. He also averaged 91.2 with his four-seam fastball while mixing in a sinker and changeup.

A former second-round draft pick of the White Sox out of Durant High School in 2013, Danish first broke in with Chicago in 2016. He appeared in just 11 games in parts of three major-league seasons with the South Siders before being released in Oct. 2018.

From there, Danish spent part of the 2019 campaign with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma. He was then cut loose by Seattle that May and spent the rest of the year with the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League. After another stint in indy ball with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association in 2020, Danish inked a minors pact with the Angels in last May.

All told, Danish owns a lifetime 5.06 ERA at the major-league level, a 3.65 ERA in indy ball, and a 5.51 ERA in 107 outings (39 starts) at the Triple-A level. He is out of minor-league options, so that could impact the way clubs view him moving forward.

By outrighting Danish, the Red Sox created an opening on their 40-man roster, which now sits at 39 players. That is noteworthy when considering the fact that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. will need to activate five players from the 60-day injured list once the offseason officially begins. They are also slated to see seven players (including Xander Bogaerts) file for free agency in the coming weeks.

(Picture of Tyler Danish: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox offseason: Eduard Bazardo elects free agency after clearing waivers

Eduard Bazardo has cleared waivers and was outrighted off the Red Sox’ major-league roster, the club announced earlier Monday afternoon. Rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A Worcester, Bazardo has elected to become a free agent.

Bazardo, 27, was designated for assignment on Thursday after fellow reliever Jake Reed was claimed off waivers from the Orioles. Because he had previously been outrighted in his career, the right-hander had the ability to reject a minor-league assignment in favor of free agency if he went unclaimed.

Originally signed out of Venezuela for just $8,000 in July 2014, Bazardo first burst onto the scene in the wake of the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Although there was no Minor League Baseball in 2020, the Maracay native impressed at fall instructs in Fort Myers and was ultimately added to the Sox’ 40-man roster that November in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

The following April, Bazardo made his big-league debut in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Twins at Target Field. He tossed a scoreless seventh inning and was sent back down to Worcester. His only other appearance of the 2021 season came on May 12, when he tossed two scoreless frames of relief against the Athletics while filling in for a sick Nick Pivetta.

Shortly after returning to the WooSox, Bazardo suffered a right lat strain that resulted in him being sidelined for nearly three months. The Red Sox placed him on the 60-day injured list last July and did not activate him until mid-September.

On the heels of an up-and-down debut season, Bazardo came into spring training this year with a chance to earn a spot in Boston’s Opening Day bullpen. But the righty was optioned on April 2 and was designated for assignment five days later.

After clearing waivers for the first time, Bazardo was outrighted to Worcester. He spent the majority of the 2022 campaign with the WooSox before having his contract selected again last month. In his second go-around with the Red Sox, the 6-foot, 165-pound hurler posted a 2.76 ERA and 6.05 FIP to go along with 11 strikeouts to four walks over 12 relief appearances spanning 16 1/3 innings of work.

While the ERA is encouraging, the peripherals certainly say otherwise and likely played a role in Bazardo losing his 40-man roster spot to Reed last week.

Given that he does not turn 28 until next September, though, it seems likely that Bazardo will have plenty of suitors (the Red Sox included) this winter if he is willing to entertain minor-league offers. He has, after all, produced a 4.33 ERA across 48 appearances (four starts) and 68 2/3 innings in parts of the last two seasons with the WooSox.

(Picture of Eduard Bazardo: Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox offseason: Abraham Almonte, Jaylin Davis elect free agency

Two veterans who provided the Red Sox with outfield depth this season have recently opted for free agency.

Abraham Almonte, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday, cleared waivers on Saturday and was outrighted off Boston’s major-league roster. Rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A Worcester, the 33-year-old elected to become a free agent.

Fellow outfielder Jaylin Davis was designated for assignment in September and spent the rest of the 2022 campaign with the WooSox after clearing waivers. The 28-year-old became a minor-league free agent last Thursday.

Almonte was acquired from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations in late July. The switch-hitter appeared in 32 games for Worcester before being selected to the major-league roster on September 7. He then proceeded to bat .257/.297/.400 with one home run, two RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and 12 strikeouts in 15 games (37 plate appearances) with Boston while seeing playing time at all three outfield positions.

Now a veteran of 10 big-league seasons, Almonte was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn $900,000 in arbitration next year. The native Dominican is now free to sign with whichever team he chooses. Considering that he posted a .951 OPS in 80 Triple-A contests last season, Almonte could be of interest to clubs looking to add experienced outfielders on minor-league deals this winter.

Davis, meanwhile, was originally claimed off waivers from the Giants in late April. He appeared in two games for the Red Sox right out of the gate before being optioned to Worcester when rosters shrunk from 28 to 26 players in size. Less than two weeks later, he was designated for assignment.

After going unclaimed, Davis spent the next two months with the WooSox. The North Carolina native had his contract selected from Worcester on July 23 and remained with the big-league club before being optioned again on August 15.

Exactly four weeks later, the Red Sox claimed infielder Yu Chang off waivers from the Rays. They needed to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Chang, and they did so by designating Davis, who yet again cleared waivers.

All told, Davis went 8-for-24 (.333) with one double, two RBIs, four runs scored, three walks, and 11 strikeouts in 12 games with the Sox this season. Like Almonte, he played all three outfield positions during his two stints in Boston. With the WooSox, the right-handed hitter slashed .203/.312/.335 with 12 doubles, three triples, seven homers, 24 runs driven in, 43 runs scored, one stolen base, 43 walks, and 107 strikeouts across 88 games spanning 346 trips to the plate.

Almonte and Davis will soon be joined on the open market by other minor-leaguers who spent the 2022 season in the Red Sox organization. Johan Mieses, Christin Stewart, and Izzy Wilson are among the outfielders who are expected to become free agents.

With that being said, it should be interesting to see how the Sox go about addressing their upper-minors outfield depth in the coming weeks and months.

(Picture of Abraham Almonte: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images0

Red Sox claim Jake Reed off waivers from Orioles, designate Eduard Bazardo for assignment

The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Jake Reed off waivers from the Orioles. In order to create space for Reed on the 40-man roster, fellow righty Eduard Bazardo was designated for assignment, per the team’s transactions log.

Reed, 30, was designated for assignment by the O’s on Tuesday after they claimed veteran outfielder Jake Cave off waivers from the Twins.

Interestingly enough, Reed was originally selected by Minnesota in the fifth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of the University of Oregon. The Arizona native did not make his major-league debut until last July with the Dodgers and has since pitched for two different clubs in the Mets and Orioles.

In 10 appearances (one start) between Los Angeles and New York last season, Reed allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits, two walks, and 10 strikeouts over 10 innings of work. That is good for an ERA of 3.60 and FIP of 3.07.

While those numbers are certainly respectable, it was more of a struggle for Reed this year. In the process of bouncing around between the Mets, Dodgers, and Orioles, he surrendered 15 runs (13 earned) on 17 hits, eight walks, and 13 strikeouts across 16 2/3 innings. That translates to a 7.02 ERA and 5.09 FIP.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Reed primarily operates with a sinker and slider, though he also mixes in a four-seam fastball and changeup from time to time.

Given that he still has one minor-league option remaining, Reed has the ability to be shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Worcester for one more season. For his minor-league career, he owns a lifetime 3.84 ERA in 150 outings (215 2/3 innings) at the Triple-A level.

Bazardo, meanwhile, has now been designated for assignment on two separate occasions this year. After clearing waivers in April, the 27-year-old hurler spent the majority of the season with the WooSox before having his contract selected in September.

Upon returning to the big-league club, Bazardo pitched to a 2.76 ERA and 6.05 FIP to go along with 11 strikeouts to four walks over 12 relief appearances spanning 16 1/3 innings of work. He owns a 2.33 ERA since breaking in with Boston last April.

Unlike Reed, Bazardo has two minor-league options remaining, which could make him more appealing to other teams. Should he clear waivers in the coming days, the native Venezuelan will have the ability to reject an outright assignment to the minors in favor of free agency since he has previously been outrighted.

By effectively swapping Reed for Bazardo, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster remains at full capacity. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has been plenty busy this month, as Easton McGee was claimed from the Rays last Wednesday and Caleb Hamilton was claimed from the Twins on Tuesday.

Since this particular transaction took place during a postseason game, it will not be officially announced until Friday morning.

(Picture of Jake Reed: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Red Sox claim Caleb Hamilton off waivers from Twins, designate Abraham Almonte for assignment

The Red Sox have claimed catcher Caleb Hamilton off waivers from the Twins. In order to create space for Hamilton on the 40-man roster, outfielder Abraham Almonte was designated for assignment, per the team’s transactions log.

It is not clear when Hamilton was removed from the Twins’ 40-man roster. The 27-year-old was originally selected by Minnesota in the 23rd round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Oregon State University. He made his major-league debut in August and went 1-for-18 with one home run, one RBI, five runs scored, four walks, and 14 strikeouts over 22 games.

From behind the plate, Hamilton logged 38 innings at catcher and did not throw out any of the six baserunners who attempted to steal off him. The 6-foot, 185-pounder also made six appearances at first base and has experience at every other defensive position in the minor-leagues.

At the Triple-A level this season, Hamilton appeared in 62 games for the St. Paul Saints. The right-handed hitter batted .233/.367/.442 with 10 doubles, 11 homers, 43 runs driven in, 34 runs scored, one stolen base, 43 walks, and 67 strikeouts across 251 trips to the plate. He made 29 starts at catcher and threw out six of 32 base stealers.

Hamilton, who turns 28 in February, has two minor-league options remaining. The Washington state native becomes the fourth catcher on Boston’s 40-man roster, joining the likes of Reese McGuire, Connor Wong, and Ronaldo Hernandez.

During the team’s end-of-season press conference at Fenway Park earlier this month, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom indicated that catcher would be one position group the club explores making external addition at over the winter.

“This is one of the areas I fully expect that we’re going to explore additions,” Bloom said. “It’s nice to know that we have two guys (McGuire and Wong) that are familiar with how we do things, that showed a lot of good things. But we owe it to ourselves and everybody who cares about this team to look to get better and catcher is certainly not going to be an exception to that.”

It is no sure thing that Hamilton will stick on the Sox’ 40-man roster through the off-season, but the fact that he is versatile and posted a 1.027 OPS against left-handed pitching at Triple-A this season certainly makes him intriguing if he is given an opportunity to fight for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster in the spring.

Almonte, meanwhile, was acquired from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations towards the end of July. The well-travelled 33-year-old appeared in 32 games for Triple-A Worcester before having his contract selected on September 7.

In 15 games with the Red Sox, the switch-hitting Almonte slashed .257/.297/.400 to go along with two doubles, one home run, two RBIs, seven runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and 12 strikeouts over 37 plate appearances. He saw playing time at all three outfield positions.

If Almonte goes unclaimed and clears waivers in the coming days, the native Dominican has the ability to refuse an outright assignment to the minor-leagues since he has already accrued more than five years of big-league service time.

Following Tuesday’s series of moves, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is back at full capacity. Expect the team to make an announcement on Wednesday morning since they are not allowed to do so during postseason games.

Red Sox claim Easton McGee off waivers from Rays

The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Easton McGee off waivers from the Rays, the club announced Wednesday afternoon. They did not need to make a corresponding move since they had a vacancy on their 40-man roster.

McGee, 24, was designated for assignment by the Rays on Monday after making his major-league debut against the Astros on Sunday. The native Kentuckian allowed one unearned run on four hits and zero walks to go along with one strikeout over three innings of relief in a losing effort at Minute Maid Park.

Despite that relatively strong performance, McGee lost his spot on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster when fellow righty Kevin Herget had his contract selected from Triple-A Durham earlier this week. Herget has since been designated for assignment himself.

The Rays originally selected McGee in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft out of Hopkinsville High School. He forwent his commitment to the University of Kentucky by signing with Tampa Bay for $673,700. At that time, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom served as the Rays’ vice president of baseball operations, so there could be a connection there.

Before debuting for the Rays on Monday, McGee had spent the entirety of the 2022 minor-league season with Durham. In 27 appearances (22 starts) for the Bulls, he posted a 5.43 ERA and 5.72 FIP with 82 strikeouts to 20 walks across 107 2/3 innings of work. His 4.3% walk rate ranked second among International League pitchers who accrued at least 100 innings this year, per FanGraphs.

In a “Best Scouting Tools” survey conducted by Baseball America in late August, McGee was recognized by Triple-A managers for having the best control in the International League.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, McGee works with a slider, a sinker, a cutter, a changeup, a curveball, and a four-seam fastball. Against the Astros on Sunday, he induced all three of his swings-and-misses with his slider — a pitch he threw 19 times — and topped out at 93.9 mph with his sinker — a pitch he threw 15 times.

McGee, who turns 25 in December, comes with club control since he has three minor-league option years remaining. It should be interesting to see what the Red Sox do with him this off-season, as they could designate him again in hopes that he clears waivers and can be retained as a non-40-man player.

(Picture of Easton McGee: Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Eric Hosmer, place Rob Refsnyder on injured list in series of roster moves

Before opening a three-game series against the Rays at Fenway Park on Monday, the Red Sox made a series of roster moves.

First off, left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Worcester and first baseman Eric Hosmer was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Secondly, right-hander Josh Winckowski was optioned following Sunday’s loss to the Blue Jays while outfielder Rob Refsnyder was placed on the 10-day injured list due to low back spasms, the club announced.

Hernandez returns to Boston for his third big-league stint of the season. The 25-year-old southpaw has appeared in just seven games for the Sox and has allowed 17 runs (16 earned) on 14 hits, eight walks, and nine strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings of relief. That is good for an ERA of 21.60 and a FIP of 12.71.

With Hernandez back in the fold, he will join Matt Strahm as lefties the Red Sox will have available out of the bullpen for their final three games of the season.

Hosmer, meanwhile, returns after originally being placed on the injured list with low back inflammation on August 21. Although he has missed each of the Red Sox’ last 38 games, the 32-year-old was not able to go out on a rehab assignment since the minor-league season is already over. He instead spent his weekend hitting off a high-tech pitching simulator at Fenway Park.

“We’ve got this machine down there, it’s like a simulator or whatever,” manager Alex Cora said on Sunday. “What comes out is pretty similar to the stuff [of MLB pitchers]. You put, for example, Gerrit Cole, and the machine actually calibers the stuff based on his last start. So he’s been facing some good big-league pitching the past few days.”

The Red Sox acquired Hosmer and minor-leaguers Corey Rosier and Max Ferguson from the Padres at the trade deadline in exchange for pitching prospect Jay Groome. Hosmer, who turns 33 later this month and is under team control for three more years, has been limited to just 12 games since going from San Diego to Boston.

In those 12 games, the left-handed hitter has batted .225/.311/.300 with three doubles, four RBIs, six runs scored, four walks, and nine strikeouts across 45 trips to the plate.

Winckowski, like Hernandez, was a member of the Sox’ taxi squad for their last series in Toronto. The 24-year-old righty was added to the active roster on Saturday to provide Boston with some length out of the bullpen. He made the first relief appearance of his big-league career at Rogers Centre and yielded three runs over three innings of work in 10-o loss to the Jays.

On the 2022 season as a whole, Winckowski — who debuted back in May — posted a 5.89 ERA and 4.95 FIP to go along with 44 strikeouts to 27 walks over 15 appearances (14 starts) spanning 70 1/3 innings pitched.

Refsnyder being placed on the injured list at this stage means that his season is over. The 31-year-old journeyman originally signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox last December. He first joined the big-league club as a COVID-related substitute in April before having his contract selected on a full-time basis in June.

When healthy, Refsnyder proved to be a key contributor off the bench who could play all three outfield positions and do his fair share of damage off left-handed pitching. All told, the right-handed hitter slashed .307/.384/.497 with 11 doubles, six home runs, 21 RBIs, 25 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 46 strikeouts over 57 games (177 plate appearances) in his first season with the Sox.

Following Monday’s flurry of moves, the Red Sox now have 14 pitchers and 14 position players on their 28-man roster.

(Picture of Eric Hosmer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox likely to activate Eric Hosmer from injured list on Monday

The Red Sox are going to activate first baseman Eric Hosmer from the injured list on Monday, manager Alex Cora said prior to Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Hosmer, who has been sidelined with low back inflammation since August 22, will be available for the team’s final series of the season against the Rays in Boston.

With the minor-league season already completed, Hosmer was unable to go out on a rehab assignment in order to get at-bats. He instead spent his weekend hitting off a high-tech pitching simulator at Fenway Park. According to Cora, this machine is expensive and is only owned by five big-league organizations.

“We’ve got this machine down there, it’s like a simulator or whatever,” Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne). “What comes out is pretty similar to the stuff [of MLB pitchers]. You put, for example, Gerrit Cole, and the machine actually calibers the stuff based on his last start. So he’s been facing some good big-league pitching the past few days.”

Cora also indicated that Hosmer would make one start against the Rays in order to get fellow first baseman Triston Casas off his feet for a day.

“Give him a start. Give [Casas] a day off,” Cora said (via MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “But we’ll use him. It’s good that he wanted to do it. He put himself in this situation and we’ll use him.”

Hosmer, who turns 33 later this month, has appeared in just 12 games with the Red Sox since being acquired from the Padres at the trade deadline. Boston also received minor-leaguers Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier and cash considerations in the deal while San Diego picked up pitching prospect Jay Groome.

In those 12 games with the Sox, the left-handed hitting Hosmer batted .225/.311/.300 with three doubles, four RBIs, six runs scored, four walks, and nine strikeouts across 45 trips to the plate before being placed on the injured list.

Given that his contract runs through 2025, it should be interesting to see what the Red Sox decide to do with Hosmer this winter. When the trade was made two months ago, the Padres agreed to pay the remainder of Hosmer’s deal down to the league minimum. This means that the Sox are only responsible for a mere fraction of the $39 million owed to the former All-Star over the next three years.

Taking that into consideration, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. could possibly entertain trade offers for Hosmer since Casas — who also hits from the left side of the plate — appears to be Boston’s first baseman of the future.

While a Casas-Hosmer platoon would prove to be redundant, the Sox could still hold on to Hosmer since veteran slugger J.D. Martinez is about to hit free agency. If the club elects to move on from Martinez, Hosmer could potentially fill in at designated hitter next season.

(Picture of Eric Hosmer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)