Tag: roster moves

Red Sox place Kevin Plawecki on COVID-19 related injured list, recall Connor Wong From Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have placed catcher Kevin Plawecki on the COVID-19 related injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow backstop Connor Wong was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced prior to Monday’s game against the Rays.

It is unclear if Plawecki, who is vaccinated, has tested positive for COVID-19. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the 31-year-old is exhibiting COVID-like symptoms and is currently awaiting test results. He was previously sidelined from April 18-25 after testing positive for the virus.

By placing Plawecki on the COVID-related injured list, the Red Sox have cleared a spot on their 40-man roster, which now sits at 39 players. As noted by Cotillo, that is significant since it means they will not have to create an opening when they activate left-hander Chris Sale from the 60-day injured list ahead of his 2022 debut on Tuesday.

Boston will, however, need to make room on its 40-man roster for Plawecki once he is cleared to return to action. Plawecki came into play Monday slashing .156/.267/.221 with one home run and five RBIs in 30 games (91 plate appearances) this season.

Wong, meanwhile, will serve as the Sox’ backup catcher while Plawecki is out. He is active for Monday’s series opener at Tropicana Field.

This will mark Wong’s second stint of the season with the big-league club. The 26-year-old appeared in two games back in April and went 1-for-6 with an RBI. In 57 games with the WooSox this season, the right-handed hitting Wong has batted .267/.340/.404 (101 wRC+) to go along with 13 doubles, six home runs, 20 RBIs, 29 runs scored, and seven stolen bases across 250 trips to the plate.

By recalling Wong, the Red Sox now have all three players they acquired from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts trade on their major-league roster. Wong joins the likes of Alex Verdugo and Jeter Downs in Tampa Bay.

(Picture of Kevin Plawecki: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox call up Jeter Downs, Phillips Valdez from Triple-A Worcester, place Christian Arroyo, Connor Seabold on injured list

The Red Sox have placed right-hander Connor Seabold on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm extensor strain. They also placed utility man Christian Arroyo on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain.

To take their place on the roster, right-handed reliever Phillips Valdez and infielder Jeter Downs have been recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the team announced prior to Saturday’s game against the Yankees.

Seabold was removed in the third inning of his most-recent start on Friday night after experiencing arm tightness on a slider he threw. The 26-year-old told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) after the game that he was not too concerned about it, though he did miss a considerable amount of time with the WooSox last season due to elbow inflammation.

Arroyo, meanwhile, left Friday’s game in the top of the eighth inning due to a tight groin and was replaced in right field by Rob Refsnyder. The 27-year-old previously missed time this season after testing positive for COVID-19 in June.

Per manager Alex Cora, the Red Sox are still awaiting test results on Seabold’s arm. Arroyo’s injury, on the other hand, is not believed to be too serious, but serious enough where he will be sidelined for the next 10 days at minimum.

Seabold and Arroyo become the 11th and 12th players on the injured list for Boston, as they join the likes of Matt Barnes, Tyler Danish, Nathan Eovaldi, Rich Hill, James Paxton (60-day), Chris Sale (60-day), Josh Taylor (60-day), Michael Wacha, Garrett Whitlock, and Enrique Hernandez.

With Seabold being shelved for the time being, Valdez has been summoned from Worcester for the fourth time already this season. The 30-year-old hurler owns a 5.40 ERA in 11 appearances (13 1/3 innings) at the big-league level in 2022.

As for Downs, this will mark his second stint in the majors this season after he made his highly-anticipated debut at Fenway Park on June 22. Since returning to Worcester the following day, the right-handed hitter has batted a scorching .370/.500/.783 (.231 wRC+) with five home runs and 11 RBIs in his last 14 games (58 plate appearances) for the WooSox.

In addition to homering in each of his last three games, Downs was scratched from Worcester’s lineup on Saturday in anticipation of this move happening. With Rafael Devers dealing with back soreness, it seems likely that Downs could see some playing time against the Yankees this weekend.

As was reported earlier in the day, the Red Sox also announced that righty reliever Kaleb Ort had his contract selected from Worcester while fellow reliever Michael Feliz had been designated for assignment.

Ort, who will wear the No. 61, has taken Feliz’s spot on Boston’s 40-man roster, which is now at full capacity.

(Picture of Jeter Downs: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox release Hansel Robles

The Red Sox have released veteran reliever Hansel Robles, the team announced earlier Saturday afternoon.

Robles was designated for assignment on Wednesday so that top pitching prospect Brayan Bello could be added to the big-league roster ahead of his big-league debut. The move also created a space on the 40-man roster for the addition of Michael Feliz, who has since been designated for assignment himself.

Originally acquired from the Twins at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Alex Scherff, Robles quickly became one of Alex Cora’s most trusted relievers during the latter half of the 2021 season. After making 14 straight scoreless appearances in September and being heavily relied upon during the playoffs, Robles was brought back on a minor-league contract in March.

It was therefore no surprise that the 31-year-old right-hander made Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, thus locking him into a guaranteed salary of $2.25 million for the 2022 campaign.

Robles got his first full season in a Red Sox uniform off to a solid start, allowing just one earned run across nine April appearances. Things began to take a turn for the worst in May, though, and those struggles were compounded by a trip to the injured list (back spasms) that lasted about two weeks.

Upon returning from the IL on June 9, Robles gave up runs in five of his next 10 outings, bringing his ERA on the season up to 5.84 and his FIP up to 5.74. During this rough stretch, Robles’ fastball velocity was down from where it usually was. He lost his spot on the 40-man roster after giving up a run in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s 8-4 loss to the Rays at Fenway Park.

Given the fact that any team that claimed Robles would be on the hook for the rest of his 2022 salary, it was not surprising to see that the Dominican-born righty cleared waivers. Since he has accrued enough major-league service time, he exercised his right to reject an outright assignment to the minor-leagues in favor of free agency.

Now free to sign with whichever club he chooses, Robles will still be collecting from the Red Sox until the end the season.

(Picture of Hansel Robles: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Kaleb Ort from Triple-A Worcester, designate Michael Feliz for assignment

The Red Sox have selected the contract of right-handed reliever Kaleb Ort from Triple-A Worcester. In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Michael Feliz has been designated for assignment, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Ort is expected to be activated ahead of Saturday’s game against the Yankees at Fenway Park. The 30-year-old made his major-league debut for Boston last September, appearing in one game as a COVID-related substitute while the club was in Seattle.

Originally acquired from the Yankees in the minor-league phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, Ort has spent the vast majority of the last two seasons with the WooSox. This year alone, the Michigan-born righty has posted a 3.12 ERA and 2.62 FIP with 47 strikeouts to 16 walks over 33 relief appearances spanning 34 2/3 innings of work.

Undrafted out of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Ort initially signed with the Diamondbacks out of independent ball in 2016 but was released the following spring. He then latched on with the Yankees in May 2017 and spent the next three-plus years in the organization before getting scooped up by the Red Sox in December 2020.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Ort may not be much of a prospect at this point, but he has still proven to be an effective weapon out of Worcester’s bullpen the last two seasons thanks to a two-pitch mix that consists of a high-90s fastball and whiff-inducing slider.

Feliz, meanwhile, was added to Boston’s 40-man roster on Thursday and made his 2022 debut in Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Yankees. The 29-year-old relieved starter Connor Seabold and allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit, two walks, and four strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. Thirty-four of the 57 pitches he threw went for strikes.

The Sox will now have the next seven days to either trade, release, or waive Feliz, who has accrued enough service time to reject an outright assignment to the minor-leagues in favor of free agency.

(Picture of Kaleb Ort: Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Michael Wacha on 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, recall Connor Seabold from Triple-A Worcester

Before taking on the Yankees at Fenway Park on Friday night, the Red Sox placed right-hander Michael Wacha on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to July 5. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Connor Seabold has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced.

Wacha heads to the injured list after dealing with a “heavy arm” for the last week or so. The 31-year-old was slated to start against the Rays on Monday but was scratched from that outing. The Red Sox were hopeful that Wacha would be able to go against the Yankees on Friday, but the righty did not bounce back as the team hoped he would.

“He hasn’t been able to bounce back from his bullpens or playing catch,” manager Alex Cora said of Wacha on Thursday. “Nothing structural. We actually tested him, an MRI and all that. Everything looks clean. It’s just, right now, he hasn’t been able to bounce back.”

In 13 starts for Boston this season, Wacha has posted a 2.69 ERA and 3.96 FIP with 50 strikeouts to 22 walks over 70 1/3 innings of work. Since his stint on the injured list was backdated by three days, the veteran hurler will be eligible to return to action July 22, which is the Red Sox’ first game after the All-Star break.

Seabold, meanwhile, will make his third start of the season for the Sox on Friday, which will also be his first-ever appearance at Fenway Park. The 26-year-old made two starts on the road last week, allowing a total of eight earned runs on 15 hits, three walks, and 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 combined innings against the Blue Jays and Cubs.

With Wacha out through the All-Star break, Seabold could remain in Boston’s starting rotation for its next series against the Rays in Tampa Bay next week. On Friday, Seabold will be opposed by Yankees left-hander Nestor Cortes as he takes the Fenway mound for the first time in his big-league career.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Tyler Danish on 15-day injured list, select Michael Feliz from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have placed right-handed reliever Tyler Danish on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Michael Feliz was selected from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced prior to Thursday’s game against the Yankees.

Danish had made a pair of two-inning relief appearances in the Sox’ last two games against the Rays at Fenway Park, allowing one run on four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts on 64 total pitches. On the 2022 season as a whole, the 27-year-old has posted a 4.02 ERA and 4.74 FIP to go along with 25 strikeouts to eight walks over 26 outings spanning 31 1/3 innings of work.

Feliz, meanwhile, joins the Red Sox for the first time this season after making four appearances for the club in 2021. The 29-year-old signed a minor-league deal with Boston in December and broke camp with Worcester this spring.

In 18 appearances (three starts) for the WooSox this season, Feliz has produced a 3.28 ERA and 2.85 FIP with 28 strikeouts to nine walks across 24 2/3 innings pitched. He works with a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup.

The Sox were able to add Feliz to their 40-man roster without making a corresponding move since they designated Hansel Robles for assignment on Wednesday.

On that note, Feliz is out of minor-league options, so Boston would need to designate him for assignment if they intended on removing him from the major-league roster anytime soon. And since he has more than three years of big-league service time, Feliz has the ability to reject an outright assignment to the minor-leagues in favor of free agency if he were to clear waivers.

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

Red Sox promote pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted pitching prospect Tyler Uberstine from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, per the team’s minor-league transactions log.

Uberstine, 23, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 38 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking 16th among pitchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally selected the right-hander in the 19th round of last year’s draft out of Northwestern University and signed him for $97,500.

After pitching in the MLB Draft League and rookie-level Florida Complex League last summer, Uberstine began his first full season in pro ball with Salem. In 14 starts (eight appearances) for the Red Sox, the California native posted a 4.63 ERA — but much more respectable 3.87 FIP — to go along with 66 strikeouts to 21 walks over 58 1/3 innings of work.

Among Carolina League pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings to this point in the season, Ubserstine ranks 18th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.18), 14th in walks per nine innings (3.24), 15th in walk rate (8.4%), 18th in swinging strike rate (14%), 12th in groundball rate (49.1%), 16th in FIP, and eighth in xFIP (3.53), per FanGraphs.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Uberstine throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, a changeup, and a slider, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Uberstine becomes the latest member of Boston’s 2021 draft class to get called up to Greenville, joining the likes of Wyatt Olds, Jacob Webb, Nathan Hickey, Niko Kavadas, Tyler McDonough, and Phillip Sikes.

In order to make room on the roster for Uberstine, the Drive transferred fellow righty Chih-Jung Liu to the development list.

(Picture of Tyler Uberstine: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Red Sox officially call up Brayan Bello ahead of top prospect’s MLB debut, designate Hansel Robles for assignment

The Red Sox have officially called up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello from Triple-A Worcester. In order to make room for Bello on the 26-man roster, veteran reliever Hansel Robles was designated for assignment, the club announced Wednesday.

Bello will make his major-league debut in Wednesday night’s series finale against the Rays at Fenway Park. He will become the second Red Sox pitching prospect to make his first career start this season, joining fellow right-hander Josh Winckowski in doing so.

Regarded by Baseball America as the No. 1 pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 44 prospect in all of baseball, Bello has posted a 2.33 ERA and 2.88 FIP to go along with 114 strikeouts to 33 walks over 15 appearances (14 starts) and 85 innings between Double-A Portland and Worcester this season.

The 23-year-old out of the Dominican Republic works with a four- and two-seam fastball, a devastating changeup, and a slider. He will wear the No. 66 and become the first Red Sox player to do so since Brandon Brennan last year.

To put it simply, there is plenty of hype surrounding Bello’s debut. That being said, it seems likely that his first stint in the majors will be a short one, as he could be optioned back down to the WooSox immediately following Wednesday’s contest with the Rays.

As for Robles, his designation was first reported by the Boston Sports Journal’s Sean McAdam on Tuesday night. The 31-year-old righty lost his spot on Boston’s roster after pitching to a 5.84 ERA (5.75 FIP) with 21 strikeouts to 14 walks across 26 appearances (24 2/3 innings) in his first full season with the club.

The Sox now have the next seven days to either trade, release, or waive Robles, who has the right to refuse an outright assignment to the minor-leagues in favor of free agency if he clears waivers. In that scenario, the Red Sox would then be on the hook for the rest of Robles’ 2022 salary.

By designating Robles for assignment, not only did the Red Sox open a spot on their 26-man roster for Bello, but they also cleared a spot on their 40-man roster — which now sits at 39 players — as well.

That open spot will eventually be needed when Chris Sale is activated from the 60-day injured list, though Boston could do something else with it in the meantime.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox designate Hansel Robles for assignment

The Red Sox have designated veteran reliever Hansel Robles for assignment, according to Sean McAdam of the Boston Sports Journal.

By designating Robles for assignment, Boston has created an opening on its 26-man roster for top pitching prospect Brayan Bello, who will be called up from Triple-A Worcester and make his major-league debut against the Rays on Wednesday.

The move also creates an opening on the Sox’ 40-man roster, which now sits at 39 players. They could opt to save that spot for Chris Sale, who is currently on the 60-day injured list but is expected to be activated next week, or they could use it on a non-40-man player in the meantime.

As for Robles, the 31-year-old right-hander originally joined the Red Sox after coming over from the Twins at last year’s trade deadline. He quickly earned the trust of manager Alex Cora during Boston’s postseason run and re-joined the club on a minor-league deal back in March.

By making the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster out of spring training, Robles ensured that he would earn $2.25 million in guaranteed money this year. The Dominican-born hurler got his first full season in Boston off to a solid start by posting a 0.93 ERA in April.

Since the calendar flipped to May, however, Robles began to struggle while seeing his fastball velocity dip. He allowed one run in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s loss to Tampa Bay and now owns a 5.84 ERA over 26 appearances (24 2/3 innings) this season.

The Sox will have the next seven days to either trade, waive, or release Robles. If claimed by another club, that team would then be on the hook for the remainder of his 2022 salary. If he goes unclaimed, Robles would then be able to refuse an outright assignment to the minor-leagues and become a free-agent instead.

At that point, another team could sign Robles for the rest of the season for league minimum while the Red Sox would still be responsible for the rest of his salary. Either way you look at it, it appears that Robles’ time with Boston has come to an end.

(Picture of Hansel Robles: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Rich Hill on 15-day injured list due to left knee sprain, recall Phillips Valdez from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have placed left-hander Rich Hill on the 15-day injured list due to a left knee sprain, the club announced prior to taking on the Cubs on Saturday. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Phillips Valdez has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Hill made his 15th start of the season for the Sox at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon. The veteran southpaw was cruising through four scoreless innings before things took a turn for the worst in the bottom half of the fifth. After allowing two runs and two of the first four batters he faced in the frame to reach base, Hill issued a four-pitch walk to Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras.

On the very first pitch he threw to Contreras, Hill said he felt his left knee pop. He remained in the game, but quickly exited after filling the bases on that walk of Contreras, a single, and a hit batsman. The 42-year-old was later diagnosed with a left knee sprain that will now keep him sidelined for the next 15 days at the very least.

In his 15 starts for Boston this year, Hill has posted a 4.20 ERA with 58 strikeouts to 23 walks over 70 2/3 innings of work. The Milton, Mass. native becomes the latest Red Sox starter to hit the injured list, joining the likes of Garrett Whitlock (who will likely return as a reliever) and Nathan Eovaldi.

It remains to be seen who will take Hill’s spot in the Sox’ starting rotation while the lefty is out of action. When speaking with reporters (including WEEI’s Rob Bradford) on Saturday, manager Alex Cora indicated that a top prospect such as Brayan Bello — who started for Triple-A Worcester on Friday — could be in play.

“There’s a lot of guys in the mix for a lot of stuff here, now,” Cora said. “All of a sudden, there’s a lot of stuff health-wise that is going on. We’ve been talking about those guys the whole season. Let’s see what happens in the upcoming days.”

Valdez, meanwhile, joins the Red Sox for the fourth time this season and will provide the club with a fresh bullpen arm for Saturday’s bout with the Cubs. With Connor Seabold slated to start Sunday’s series finale, the Sox will have to make another move in order to add the rookie hurler to the active roster.

(Picture of Rich Hill: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)