Tag: travis shaw

Former Red Sox infielder Travis Shaw announces retirement from baseball

Former Red Sox infielder Travis Shaw is calling it a career. The 32-year-old took to Twitter on Monday evening to officially announce his retirement from baseball.

“For the last eight years, I’ve been blessed with to live my childhood dreams of playing Major League Baseball,” Shaw wrote. “But today, that dream comes to an end! 12 years ago, being a 9th-round pick, I would never have imagined what this game provided me. The memories will last a lifetime. To everyone that made an impact on my career (the list is endlessly long), I will forever be indebted to you! As this chapter closes, the only two words that come to mind is THANK YOU!”

The son of longtime reliever Jeff Shaw, Travis was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2011 amateur draft out of Kent State. While the Ohio native was not heralded as a premier prospect, he gradually worked his way through Boston’s farm system and made his major-league debut at the age of 25 in May 2015.

Shaw proceeded to put together a solid rookie campaign, as he batted .270/.327/.487 with 10 doubles, 13 home runs, and 36 RBIs in his first 65 games (248 plate appearances) with the Red Sox. While being dubbed “The Mayor of Ding Dong City” by fans, Shaw slashed .242/.306/.421 with 34 doubles, 16 home runs, and 71 RBIs in 145 games (530 plate appearances) the following year.

That September, however, there was a falling out of sorts between Shaw and then-Red Sox manager John Farrell following the promotion of top prospect Yoan Moncada, who cut into Shaw’s playing time. Three months later, Shaw and two others were traded to the Brewers in exchange for reliever Tyler Thornburg.

Thornburg was marred by injuries and appeared in just 41 games in three seasons with the Red Sox. Shaw, on the other, hand broke out in Milwaukee by clubbing 31 homer runs in 2017 and putting up a career-best 32-homer campaign in 2018 as the Brewers’ everyday third baseman.

Beginning in 2019, though, Shaw’s production began to dip. The left-handed hitter was limited to just 86 games due in part to a right wrist strain and struggled to the tune of a .157/.281/.270 slash line before being non-tendered by Milwaukee that December.

After spending the COVID-shortened 2020 season with the Blue Jays, Shaw returned to the Brewers in 2021. He got off to another tough start and was placed on release waivers that August. The Red Sox then claimed Shaw, who provided the club with a bit of a spark off the bench. He most notably hit a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning of an 8-4 win over the Rangers on Aug. 23.

Shaw got into five games during Boston’s run to the American League Championship Series that October. He spent four months on the open market before returning to the Red Sox on a minor-league deal last March and making the Opening Day roster out of spring training.

To start the 2022 season, Shaw went 0-for-19 with zero walks and seven strikeouts in his first seven games. He was designated for assignment on April 29 and went unclaimed on waivers, thus becoming a free agent again. After not landing with another team last year, Shaw has ultimately decided to hang up his cleats.

All told, Shaw was a lifetime .237/.319/437 hitter with 127 doubles, three triples, 114 home runs, 366 RBIs, 310 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases in 733 career games (2,690 plate appearances) between the Red Sox, Brewers, and Blue Jays. He saw playing time at first base, second base, third base, and left field as part of an eight-year tenure in the big-leagues.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

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Travis Shaw elects free agency after Red Sox outright him off 40-man roster

Three days after designating him for assignment, the Red Sox outrighted veteran infielder Travis Shaw for assignment on Sunday. Shaw, however, rejected the assignment and elected free agency instead.

After being claimed off waivers by the Red Sox from the Brewers last August, Shaw enjoyed a resurgence in his second stint with Boston in 2021. The left-handed hitter batted .238/.319/.524 with three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs, and six runs scored over 28 games while also making the team’s Wild Card Game, Division Series, and Championship Series rosters in October.

On the other side of the lockout, Shaw inked a minor-league deal to remain with the Red Sox in March. While the 32-year-old did not perform particularly well in spring training, he still made Boston’s Opening Day roster as a left-handed bench bat who could platoon with Bobby Dalbec at first base.

That said, Shaw’s spring struggled carried over into the early stages of the regular season as he started out 0-for-19 at the plate with seven strikeouts. With Dalbec experiencing his fair share of offensive struggles as well, the Sox opted to remove Shaw from the 40-man roster so that they could call up Franchy Cordero in his place.

Now that he has cleared waivers and has become a free agent, Shaw is free to sign wherever he may choose. The Ohio native was originally selected by Boston in the ninth round of the 2011 amateur draft out of Kent State University and has 114 career home runs across 733 games between the Red Sox (2015-2016, 2021-2022), Brewers (2017-2019, 2021) and Blue Jays (2020). It will certainly be interesting to see if he can land with another team.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox designate Travis Shaw for assignment, call up Franchy Cordero from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have designated corner infielder Travis Shaw for assignment, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. In Shaw’s place, first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero is expected to be called up from Triple-A Worcester.

Shaw, who turned 32 earlier this month, signed a minor-league deal with Boston during spring training after spending the latter half of the 2021 campaign with the club. The left-handed hitter made the Sox’ Opening Day roster but got off to a dreadful start in which he went 0-for-19 at the plate with seven strikeouts over seven games.

Between Shaw and Bobby Dalbec, Red Sox first baseman have struggled to the tune of a .357 OPS so far this season, which ranks dead last in the major-leagues.

Although Cordero is a natural outfielder, the 27-year-old began making the transition to first base last year and made back-to-back starts at the position for the WooSox this week ahead of his impending promotion.

Cordero lost his spot on Boston’s 40-man roster back in October but will now fill the void left behind by Shaw, who will either be traded, waived, or released by the Sox within the next seven days.

With Worcester this season, Cordero has batted a stout .296/.378/.535 with eight doubles, three home runs, 24 RBIs, 13 runs scored, one stolen base, 10 walks, and 23 strikeouts over 19 games spanning 82 trips to the plate. Last year, the left-handed slugger appeared in 48 games for Boston and mustered just a .497 OPS with one homer and 51 strikeouts across 136 plate appearances.

In addition to swapping Cordero for Shaw, the Red Sox have other moves to make ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Orioles as well. Right-handers Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck both need to be activated from the restricted list and it is not yet clear which two players will be sent down to make room for them.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back Travis Shaw on minor-league deal for 2022 season

The Red Sox have brought back corner infielder Travis Shaw on a minor-league deal for the 2022 season, the club announced on Friday morning. If Shaw is added to the big-league roster, he will earn $1.5 million, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Shaw, who turns 32 next month, spent the latter half of the 2021 season with the Red Sox after being claimed off waivers from the Brewers in August. In the process of reuniting with the team he began his big-league career with, the left-handed hitter slashed .238/.319/.524 with three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs, six runs scored, five walks, and 17 strikeouts over 28 games spanning 48 plate appearances. He was used strictly as a pinch-hitter in the postseason.

“Obviously, he did a good job for us,” Sox manager Alex Cora said of Shaw when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) on Friday. “You never know what can happen from here to the start of the season. It’s somebody that, the way he went about it last year with limited at-bats, the quality of the at-bats and we know he can play good defense. He looks in good shape. He made some adjustments in the off-season. We’ll give him at-bats and see where it takes us.”

A former ninth-round selection of the Red Sox out of Kent State University in 2012, Shaw debuted for Boston in 2015 and crushed 29 home runs over the next two seasons before being traded to Milwaukee for reliever Tyler Thornburg in December 2016.

While Thornburg disappointed in his time with the Sox, Shaw got off to a hot start with the Brewers. He crushed a total of 63 home runs from 2017-2018, but struggled in 2019 and was ultimately released by Milwaukee that December. The Ohio native spent the 2020 campaign with the Blue Jays and returned to the Brewers in 2021 before re-joining the Red Sox last summer.

With Shaw back in the picture, Boston has added a left-handed hitting infielder who could complement the right-handed hitting Bobby Dalbec at first base this year, though he must earn a spot on the major-league roster first.

In addition to Shaw, the Red Sox also announced on Friday that catcher Deivy Grullon has been added to the spring training roster as a non-roster invitee. Boston now has 25 non-roster invitees on their spring training roster.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Kyle Schwarber bounces back with clutch 3-run double off bench as Red Sox top Mariners, 8-4

There was a point in time where it looked like a key defensive miscue would once again cost the Red Sox dearly in their matchup against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday, but they were able to overcome their mistakes this time around.

In what was a close contest for most of the night, Boston used a five-run eighth inning to best Seattle, 8-4, and put an end to their two-game losing streak.

Nathan Eovaldi, making his 29th start of the season for the Sox, put together yet another solid outing, as he has consistently been doing over the past month-plus.

Over five innings of work, Eovaldi surrendered just two runs — only one of which was earned — on five hits and one walk to go along with nine strikeouts on the night.

After issuing a leadoff single to J.P. Crawford to begin things in the first, the veteran right-hander proceeded to settle into a nice groove, retiring the next nine batters he faced in order going into the top of the fourth.

Things were still scoreless at that point in time, but Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez quickly changed that by clubbing a 414-foot solo shot off Mariners starter Tyler Anderson to give his side an early 1-0 lead on his 28th home run of the season.

That one-run lead did not last long, however, as the M’s answered with two runs of their own in their half of the fourth, though Eovaldi certainly cannot be dealt all the blame.

Following a softly-hit single from Mitch Haniger and an infield single from Kyle Seager, Ty France blooped a 228-foot RBI single to shallow center field that landed in front of Enrique Hernandez and brought in Haniger to tie things up at one run apiece.

Eovaldi then get Abraham Toro to lift a 358-foot fly ball to right field that should have gone for the second out of the inning, but was instead misplayed by Hunter Renfroe when the right fielder quite simply dropped the ball.

Seattle was able to load the bases on Renfroe’s 11th later of the year, and they took advantage of that by jumping out to a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jake Fraley.

Still, all things considered, Eovaldi did manage to escape the fourth without giving anything else up, and he ended his day by getting out of another jam in what would turn out to be a scoreless fifth inning as well.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 95 (66 strikes), the 31-year-old hurler did not factor into Tuesday’s decision, though he did lower his ERA on the season down to 3.52.

As soon as Eovaldi’s evening had officially ended, the Red Sox made sure to het the All-Star off the hook, as Seattle-area native Bobby Dalbec greeted new Mariners reliever Anthony Misiewicz by crushing a game-tying, 367-foot solo homer off him with two outs in the sixth.

Dalbec’s 22nd big fly of the season made it a 2-2 game entering the later stages, and while Darwinzon Hernandez (1 2/3 scoreless innings) and Adam Ottavino (1/3 scoreless innings) proved effective out of the Boston bullpen, the bats broke this one open in the eighth.

Following a hard-hit leadoff triple from Xander Bogaerts that prompted the Mariners to turn to Drew Steckenrider out of their bullpen, Rafael Devers drew a hard-fought eight-pitch walk, Martinez advanced Devers into scoring position on a groundout, and then it was in the hands of the bench.

Even after Dalbec homered in his previous at-bat, Red Sox manager Alex Cora opted to have the left-handed hitting Travis Shaw pinch-hit for him, and that move paid off since Shaw loaded the bases on a walk of his own.

Next up was Kyle Schwarber, pinch-hitting for Kevin Plawecki, and coming off one his more forgettable performances in his brief Red Sox career on Monday.

With redemption on his mind, Schwarber promptly unloaded the bases by drilling a 108 mph three-run double to the right-center field gap, allowing all three of Bogaerts, Devers, and Shaw to score to give the Sox their largest lead of the night at 5-2.

Schwarber’s heroics would not mark the end of the line for the Boston rally, though, as Alex Verdugo followed by mashing a two-run home run 348 feet over the left field fence to cap off a five-run inning and put his side ahead 7-2.

From there, Michael Feliz maneuvered his way around a leadoff walk in an otherwise clean bottom of the eighth and Martinez provided some much-needed insurance by ripping an RBI single off former teammate Matt Andriese in the top of the ninth.

Now working with an 8-2 lead, Hirokazu Sawamura was only able to record the first out of the bottom of the ninth while also loading the bases.

Austin Davis, meanwhile, took over for Sawamura, allowed two of the three base runners he inherited to score on a sacrifice fly and base hit, but ultimately closed things out to preserve an 8-4 victory for the Sox.

With the win, not only do the Red Sox snap a two-game skid to improve to 82-65 on the season, but they also move into a virtual three-way tie with the Yankees and Blue Jays for the top American League Wild Card spot.

Next up: Houck vs. Gonzales

Right-hander Tanner Houck will get the ball for the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon as they look to secure a series victory over the Mariners, who will counter with left-hander Marco Gonzales.

First pitch Wednesday is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Nathan Eovaldi: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

J.D. Martinez remains out of Red Sox lineup due to back tightness; Xander Bogaerts gets day off in series finale against White Sox

The Red Sox will once again be without J.D. Martinez as they go for a series win over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon.

Martinez, who has been dealing with back tightness throughout the weekend, had been scratched from Boston’s lineup each of the last two days before the same thing essentially happened on Sunday.

As was the case on Friday and Saturday, the veteran slugger went through batting practice earlier Sunday morning before being ruled out for the rubber match of this three-game weekend set.

Following Saturday night’s thrilling 9-8 win over the White Sox, Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed optimism that Martinez would be back at full strength ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Mariners in Seattle, telling reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) that he rather lose the 34-year-old for three days as opposed to a whole week.

With Martinez out of the lineup, Travis Shaw — the hero of Saturday’s comeback win — will get the start at designated hitter while batting out of the seven-hole.

In addition to being without Martinez, the Sox will also be without shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who will be getting his first day off since returning from the COVID-19 related injured list on Friday.

Veteran infielder Jose Iglesias will start at shortstop in Bogaerts’ place batting ninth behind catcher Kevin Plawecki.

Here is how the rest of the Red Sox will be lining up behind right-hander Nick Pivetta, who was just activated from the COVID-19 related injured list, as they go up against White Sox righty Lance Lynn to close out the weekend.

First pitch Sunday is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and TBS.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts: Ron Vesely/Getty Images)

Travis Shaw delivers with 3-run homer, game-winning hit as Red Sox battle back to defeat White Sox, 9-8, in extras

The Red Sox have seemingly made a habit of blowing sizable leads as of late and nearly let that trend continue against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday.

After grabbing an early five-run lead, Boston later fell behind by a run in the middle stages of the game, but battled back for a 9-8 win over Chicago in 10 innings.

Connor Seabold, making his major-league debut and first career start for the Sox on Saturday, was the beneficiary of some significant run support.

In just three innings of work, Seabold allowed two runs — both of which were earned — on three hits and two walks to go along with zero strikeouts on the night.

Both runs the right-hander gave up came on one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second, as he yielded a one-out single to Yasmani Grandal before serving up a monstrous two-run shot to Leury Garcia.

The Red Sox fell behind, 2-0, on Seabold’s miscue, but they quickly responded in their half of the third while still matched up against White Sox starter Dylan Cease.

Enrique Hernandez proved to be the catalyst for the rally by ripping a one-out single to center field, then Cease issued two straight walks to Kyle Schwarber and Xander Bogaerts to fill the bases for Rafael Devers, who drew a free pass himself to bring in Hernandez from third for his side’s first run of the evening.

Alex Verdugo kept the train moving by lacing a two-run single to left-center field that brought in Schwarber and Bogaerts, while Bobby Dalbec plated Devers from second on an RBI single of his own.

Travis Shaw, who wasn’t even in Boston’s original starting lineup, promptly ended Cease’s outing by driving in both Verdugo and Dalbec on a towering, 372-foot three-run blast to right field.

Shaw’s ninth home run of the season gave the Sox a commanding 7-2 lead while also knocking Cease out of this game, but the Boston bats were unable to score again in the third despite getting two hits off White Sox reliever Ryan Burr.

Seabold, meanwhile, escaped one final jam in his third and final inning by getting the dangerous Jose Abreu to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, thus ending his night with a final pitch count of 43 (27 strikes). The 25-year-old did not factor into Saturday’s decision.

In relief of Seabold got the first call from Red Sox manager Alex Cora out of the Boston bullpen to begin the fourth, and he ran into some trouble when he issued a one-out walk to Grandal.

Richards nearly got Garcia to ground into another inning-ending twin killing, but Devers committed a fielding error by misplaying Garcia’s grounder before failing to field a chopper off the bat of Romy Gonzalez cleanly.

That sequence loaded the bases for the White Sox, and Richards followed suit by walking Brian Goodwin on five pitches to bring in one run before surrendering a bases-clearing, three-run double to Luis Robert with two outs in the inning.

Ryan Brasier took over for Richards after Chicago had trimmed their deficit down to one run at 7-6, but former Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada knotted things up at seven runs apiece by lacing a game-tying, run-scoring double to left field.

Brasier’s woes rolled on in the fifth, as he got taken deep to right field by Grandal, who gave the White Sox their first lead since the second inning with his 20th big fly of the season.

Fast forward to the eighth, when the Sox were down to their final six outs, former Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel was unable to keep his old team off the scoreboard as he had done the night before.

Christian Vazquez drilled a one-out double to center field off Kimbrel to put the potential tying run in scoring position. The recently called-up Jack Lopez pinch-ran for Vazquez at second base and quickly advanced up to third on a wild pitch.

A sacrifice fly from Hernandez was hit deep enough (357 feet) to center field to allow Lopez to coast in from third, and that tied things up once again at 9-9.

After Liam Hendriks and Garrett Whitlock kept things that way for their respective teams in the ninth inning, this one headed into extras.

There, in the 10th, Verdugo assumed his role as the runner at second base after recording the final out of the previous inning.

A groundout off the bat of Dalbec allowed Verdugo to move up to third, and Shaw brought him in on an 85 mph RBI single off White Sox reliever Mike Wright.

Given a one-run lead to protect going into the latter half of the 10th, Josh Taylor was dispatched to get the three most important outs of the night.

Despite giving up a leadoff single to the first man he faced in Grandal which also put the potential tying run (Eloy Jimenez) at third base, Taylor did just that.

The left-hander punched out Garcia on three straight strikes, fanned the pinch-hitting Joey Mendick, and got Goodwin to ground out to second base to slam the door on the White Sox, preserve the 9-8 victory, and notch the first save of his big-league career.

With the win, the Red Sox improve to 81-63 on the season to maintain their one-game lead over both the Yankees and Blue Jays for the top American League Wild Card spot.

Next up: Pivetta vs. Lynn

The Red Sox will activate right-hander Nick Pivetta from the COVID-19 related injured list and have him make his return to the mound in Sunday’s series finale against the White Sox, who will counter with fellow righty Lance Lynn.

First pitch of Sunday’s rubber match is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and TBS.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

J.D. Martinez scratched from Red Sox lineup for second straight day due to back tightness

J.D. Martinez was once again scratched from the Red Sox lineup on Saturday due to back tightness.

After he was slated to start at designated hitter and bat out of the three-hole in Friday’s series opener against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, Martinez was removed from the lineup on account of back spasms shortly before first pitch.

The same thing essentially happened on Saturday, as the veteran slugger was penciled in to DH and bat fifth against White Sox starter Dylan Cease, but was pulled from the lineup by Red Sox manager Alex Cora in favor of Travis Shaw at approximately 6:15 p.m. eastern time.

With Martinez’s removal from Boston’s starting lineup, right fielder Hunter Renfroe moved up from seventh to fifth in the batting order, while first baseman Bobby Dalbec slid into the seven-hole and Shaw — the new designated hitter — was inserted as the Sox’ No. 8 hitter in front of Christian Vazquez.

So far this season, the Red Sox are 72-59 in games Martinez plays in, meaning they are are 8-4 in games he is absent from.

The 34-year-old All-Star came into play Saturday having posted a .286/.349/.517 slash line (128 wRC+) to go along with 37 doubles, three triples, 25 home runs, 89 RBI, 84 runs scored, 50 walks, and 133 strikeouts over 131 games (567 plate appearances) this year.

(Picture of J.D. Martinez: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Red Sox add Travis Shaw to major-league roster, option Franchy Cordero and Connor Wong to Triple-A Worcester, release Marwin Gonzalez

Ahead of their three-game series against the Yankees that begins in the Bronx on Tuesday, the Red Sox made a series of roster moves during their day off on Monday.

First off, infielder Travis Shaw was added to Boston’s major-league roster, while both outfielder Franchy Cordero and catcher Connor Wong were optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

Secondly, utility man Marwin Gonzalez was released after he was designated for assignment on Friday, the club announced earlier Monday night.

Shaw was claimed off outright waivers by the Sox from the Brewers on Sunday and was promptly added to Boston’s 40-man roster since they had an open spot after placing left-handed reliever Josh Taylor on the COVID-19 related injured list that same day.

The Red Sox originally selected Shaw in the ninth round of the 2011 amateur draft out of Kent State University, and the left-handed hitter spent the first two seasons of his major-league career (2015-2016) with Boston before being traded to Milwaukee in December 2016.

After bouncing around between the Brewers, Blue Jays, and Brewers again, Shaw was ultimately placed on outright waivers by Milwaukee this past weekend.

The left-handed hitter had slashed .191/.279/.337 with eight doubles, six home runs, 28 RBI, 14 runs scored, 19 walks, and 51 strikeouts across 56 games (202 plate appearances) with the Brewers this season prior to dislocating his left shoulder in early June.

Sent out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on July 27, Shaw hit .273/.415/.485 with two home runs and eight RBI over 11 games (41 plate appearances) with the Sounds before losing his spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster.

In claiming the 31-year-old off waivers, the Red Sox add another left-handed power bat to the mix that has proven capable of playing first base, second base, and third base over the course of his big-league career.

“He’s a good kid, he’s a good guy,” Sox manager Alex Cora said of Shaw on Sunday. “We’re going to use him the right way. I think he gives us more weapons to maneuver over nine innings. We can pinch-hit, we can platoon, we can do a lot of things with him. Looking forward to seeing him and start working with him.”

A noted fan of former Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, Shaw — a native of Ohio — will don the No. 23 in his second stint with the Red Sox.

In order to make room for Shaw on the major-league roster, Boston only had to send down one player, but instead optioned two in Cordero and Wong.

Cordero, who was recalled from Worcester on July 22, appeared in 13 games during his second stint of the season with the Sox. Over the course of those 13 games in which he made starts at first base and in left field, the 26-year-old went 7-for-32 (.219) at the plate with seven singles, three runs scored, two walks, and 14 strikeouts.

Wong, meanwhile, was recalled from the WooSox on Sunday as part of the same series of moves that saw Taylor head to the COVID-19 related injured list.

The fact that Boston optioned the 25-year-old backstop back down to Worcester — and thus trimmed down their big-league roster to 25 players for the time being — would seem to indicate that they are hopeful that Taylor will be cleared to return to action on Tuesday, though that is no sure thing.

If Taylor were to be activated before Tuesday’s doubleheader, though, the Red Sox would need to clear a 40-man roster spot in order for him to be added back to the major-league squad.

In addition to the possibility of Boston getting Taylor back this week, they will also be adding right-hander Tanner Houck as the 27th man for Tuesday’s twin bill at Yankee Stadium.

Though Cora has yet to officially name starters for the upcoming doubleheader, the expectation seems to be that Houck will start one game while fellow righty Nathan Eovaldi will start the other.

Finally, we arrive at Gonzalez, who was released three days after being designated for assignment on Friday — at the same time Kyle Schwarber was activated from the injured list.

The versatile 32-year-old initially signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Sox back in late February, but never really found his footing at the plate with his new club.

Despite providing value as a switch-hitter who could play multiple defensive positions, Gonzalez hit just .202/.281/.285 with two home runs and 20 RBI in 77 games (271 plate appearances) with Boston prior to losing his roster spot.

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Why the addition of Travis Shaw makes Red Sox manager Alex Cora ‘feel old’

In his heyday with the Dodgers, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was teammates with former big-league right-hander Jeff Shaw from 1998 through 2021.

On Sunday, the Red Sox claimed Shaw’s son, major-league infielder Travis Shaw, off waivers from the Brewers, meaning Cora will now be managing one of his former teammates’ children.

“I know the kid,” Cora said of the younger Shaw following Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Orioles at Fenway Park. “Actually, finally, I feel old. I played with his dad. I saw Travis running around in the clubhouse in LA. So, at one point throughout this, I’m like, ‘Hopefully it doesn’t happen, that I have to manage a teammate’s kid.’ It happened. So, when I found out, I was like, ‘Wow.’ Yeah, you feel old.”

Shaw, who was drafted by the Red Sox out of Kent State University in the ninth round of the 2011 draft, spent the first two years of his major-league career (2015-2016) in Boston prior to being dealt to the Brewers (along with prospects) in exchange for reliever Tyler Thornburg in the winter of 2016.

While Shaw initially found success in Milwaukee by hitting 31 and 32 home runs in his first two seasons with the club, he regressed in 2019, was non-tendered that December, and ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Blue Jays prior to the start of the 2020 campaign.

After his one and only season with Toronto came to a close, the Sox reportedly were interested in a reunion with Shaw, but he opted to return to the Brewers on a minor-league deal with the Brewers this past February.

After making Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster out of spring training, the 31-year-old got off to a sluggish start at the plate in which he slashed .191/.279/.337 with just six home runs and 28 RBI across 56 games (202 plate appearances) before dislocating his left shoulder during a game against the Reds on June 9.

The Brewers placed Shaw to the 60-day injured list on June 12, but decided to designate the veteran infielder just as he was nearing a return from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville.

In designating Shaw for assignment, the Brewers accepted the fact that they could lose Shaw on waivers, and the Red Sox stepped up to the plate by claiming and adding him to their 40-man roster on Sunday.

By acquiring Shaw, the Red Sox were able to add yet another versatile player who is capable of playing around the infield while also providing power from the left side of the plate, as Cora explained on Sunday.

“He’s a good kid, he’s a good guy,” said Cora. “We’re going to use him the right way. I think he gives us more weapons to maneuver over nine innings. We can pinch-hit, we can platoon, we can do a lot of things with him. Looking forward to seeing him and start working with him.”

The reason the Red Sox were able to add Shaw, who was making $1.5 million this season, without making a corresponding 40-man roster move was on account of the fact that left-handed reliever Josh Taylor was placed on the COVID-19 related injured list earlier in the day, thus creating a spot for a new addition.

If Shaw is to join the Sox in New York on Tuesday ahead of their three-game series against the Yankees, which as of now sounds like the plan, the club would also need to make room on its 26-man major-league roster to acommodate him.

“I haven’t talked to Chaim [Bloom] about it,” Cora said when asked if Shaw will be joining the team right away. “Somebody mentioned that he’s here. So, I don’t know what the plan is, but I bet there’s a good chance he’ll be with us on Tuesday.”

(Picture of Travis Shaw: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)