Tag: worcester red sox

Jorge Alfaro opts out of minor-league deal with Red Sox

Veteran catcher Jorge Alfaro has opted out of his minor-league contract with the Red Sox and intends to test free agency, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The club now has 48 hours to decide whether to block the 29-year-old backstop’s opt-out by adding him to the active roster.

Alfaro, who turns 30 later this month, joined the Red Sox on a minors pact in January after being non-tendered by the Padres last November. Though the right-handed hitter did not make Boston’s Opening Day out of spring training, he elected to remain in the organization and has since torn it up with Triple-A Worcester.

Entering Thursday, Alfaro has batted a stout .320/.366/.520 with 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 30 RBIs, 22 runs scored, four stolen bases, nine walks, and 43 strikeouts in 43 games (191 plate appearances) with the WooSox. Defensively, the native Colombian has allowed six passed balls and has thrown out five of 35 would-be base stealers while splitting time behind the plate with Caleb Hamilton and Ronaldo Hernandez. He has also made two starts at first base.

Despite the strong offensive performance, it does not appear as though the Red Sox are keen on adding Alfaro to their 26-man group. That being the case because they are comfortable with the tandem of Connor Wong and Reese McGuire and do not intend on carrying a third catcher at this time.

When speaking with reporters (including Cotillo) prior to Wednesday’s loss to the Reds at Fenway Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged that Alfaro would be a tough fit on the roster as things stand now.

“He’s swinging the bat well,” Cora said. “We’ll see where we’re at. Obviously, right now, we’re very comfortable with Reese and Wong. There’s (another) 29 teams out there. They might have a chance or not. In a selfish way, hopefully, nobody wants him. As a person and a player, I would love him to be in the big-leagues, either with us or somebody else. It’s where we’re at right now. We’re very comfortable with these two guys. I’ll repeat myself.”

As noted by Cotillo, the Red Sox will presumably wait until the 48-hour deadline to make their official decision on Alfaro. That way, they can protect themselves in the event that either Wong or McGuire suffer some sort of injury in the interim.

If Alfaro does indeed leave the organization, though, Hamilton and Hernandez would emerge as the top two catching options for the WooSox while Stephen Scott and Nathan Hickey are right behind them at Double-A Portland.

(Picture of Jorge Alfaro: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Red Sox promote infield prospect Christian Koss to Triple-A Worcester

To accommodate the addition of shortstop Marcelo Mayer to Double-A Portland’s roster, the Red Sox have promoted fellow infield prospect Christian Koss to Triple-A Worcester, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Koss, 25, batted .224/.283/.336 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 38 games (147 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs this season.

Considering how much better he did in Portland last year (.739 OPS in 125 games), those numbers may seem underwhelming on a broader scope. Still, Koss has been more productive at the plate as of late. Dating back to May 21, for instance, the right-handed hitter has gone 7-for-23 (.304) with two doubles, one homer, three RBIs, five runs scored, two stolen bases, zero walks, and seven strikeouts over his last seven games. That homer came as part of a two-hit effort in Sunday’s 10-8 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

On the other side of the ball, Koss has seen the majority of his playing time this season come at shortstop, where he has committed just one error in 281 1/3 innings. The versatile 6-foot-1, 182-pounder has also made two starts at second base, one start at third base, and one start in left field.

“He loves to play the game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Koss back in March. “He’s made some great plays at shortstop, very athletic, versatile. He’s a good one.”

A former 12th-round draft selection of the Rockies coming out of UC Irvine in 2019, Koss was dealt to the Red Sox for left-hander Yoan Aybar in December 2020. The Riverside, Calif. native is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

With the WooSox, Koss is slated to join a crowded infield mix that already includes Bobby Dalbec, Ryan Fitzgerald, Niko Goodrum, David Hamilton, and Nick Sogard. It is worth mentioning that he can once again become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Christian Koss: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote relief prospect Theo Denlinger to Triple-A Worcester

As part of a slew of minor-league roster moves, the Red Sox promoted relief prospect Theo Denlinger from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.

Denlinger, 26, was acquired from the White Sox back in February in exchange for fellow right-hander Franklin German.

To begin his first season as a member of the Red Sox organization, Denlinger posted a 2.29 ERA and 3.10 FIP with 20 strikeouts to seven walks in 14 relief appearances (19 2/3 innings) for the Sea Dogs. Opponents only hit .149 against him while his 6.4 percent line-drive rate and 57.4 percent groundball rate would rank among the best in the Eastern League if he was qualified.

Denlinger, who turns 27 in July, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 48 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 19th among pitchers in the organization. The Iowa native was originally selected by Chicago in the seventh round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Bradley College (Peoria, Ill.) and signed with the club for just $10,000.

Standing at a burly 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Denlinger primarily operates with a two-pitch mix that consists of a 93-96 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph and a 79-82 mph slider that features long, 11-to-5 break. He has also shown the ability to throw a two-seam fastball and cutter, both of which he first implemented last year.

Denlinger becomes the second member of the White Sox’ 2021 draft class to make the jump to Worcester this season, joining fellow righty reliever Taylor Broadway. Broadway, of course, was acquired from Chicago as the player to be named later in last August’s Reese McGuire/Jake Diekman trade. He currently owns a 5.40 ERA (6.91 FIP) in 15 outings (23 1/3 innings) for the WooSox.

Troye, Bell also promoted

Denlinger was not the only Red Sox relief prospect to receive a promotion on Tuesday. Righties Christopher Troye and Brock Bell were also moved up to Portland and Greenville, respectively.

Troye, 24, forged a 1.96 ERA and 3.60 FIP with 37 strikeouts to nine walks in 14 appearances (18 1/3 innings) for Greenville. The 2021 12th-round draft pick out of UC Santa Barbara has struck out nearly 49 percent of the batters he has faced so far this season.

Bell, 25, produced a 4.58 ERA and 4.64 FIP with 15 strikeouts to five walks in 11 appearances (19 2/3 innings) for Low-A Salem. The 2019 seventh-round selection out of State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota is the son of former All-Star infielder Jay Bell.

(Picture of Theo Denlinger: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Adam Duvall set to begin rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester next week

Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester next Tuesday, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham) prior to Friday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

Duvall fractured his left wrist while attempting to make a diving catch on a sinking liner in Detroit on April 9 and has been sidelined ever since. Fortunately, the veteran slugger did not require surgery and is no longer wearing a cast or splint on his wrist.

Since having the cast removed earlier this month, Duvall has been building up strength in his left wrist while ramping up baseball activities on the field. It now appears as though the 34-year-old is ready to return to action, as he will join the WooSox for the start of their next series on the road against the Louisville Bats.

This milestone will represent a homecoming of sorts for Duvall, who hails from Kentucky and played his college baseball at Louisville. It remains to be seen how many minor-league games Duvall will need before being cleared to rejoin the Red Sox, though he told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo last week that his target date was June 9, which is when he is first eligible to come off the 60-day injured list.

Duvall signed a one-year, $7 million contract with Boston in January and had gotten his first season with the Red Sox off to a torrid start before getting hurt. In his first eight games, the right-handed hitter batted .455/.514/1.030 with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, three walks, and five strikeouts over 37 plate appearances.

In Duvall’s absence, Jarren Duran has emerged as the Red Sox’ primary center fielder. Though he was among the hottest hitters on the team early on, the speedy 26-year-old is currently in the midst of an 0-for-19 slump at the plate dating back to last Saturday.

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Richard Bleier on 15-day injured list, recall Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester

Before opening a three-game series against the Angels in Anaheim on Monday night, the Red Sox placed veteran reliever Richard Bleier on the 15-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. In a corresponding move, fellow left-hander Brennan Bernardino was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced.

Bleier made his 19th appearance of the season for Boston in Sunday’s 7-0 loss to the Padres in San Diego. Over 1 1/3 innings, the 36-year-old gave up one run on one hit, which came on a solo homer off the bat of the left-handed hitting Matt Carpenter in the bottom of the third.

Following Sunday’s performance, Bleier now owns a 5.85 ERA and 5.44 FIP with 12 strikeouts to three walks across 20 innings of relief in his first season with the Red Sox. While the southpaw has excelled when it comes to getting batters to chase (36.6 percent chase rate) and not giving up free passes (3.4 percent walk rate), he has struggled in other areas.

According to Baseball Savant, Bleier currently ranks in the 10th percentile of all big-league pitchers in expected batting average (.291). He also ranks in the 13th percentile in expected slugging percentage (.498), the seventh percentile in strikeout rate (13.8 percent), the fourth percentile in whiff rate (16.3 percent), the first percentile in fastball velocity (86.9 mph), and the third percentile in fastball spin.

Acquired from the Marlins for Matt Barnes and cash considerations in late January, Bleier was brought in to tame opposing left-handed hitters out of the bullpen. As was the case on Sunday, though, Bleier has not had the best of time against lefties and is actually faring better against righties.

So far, lefties are hitting a stout .429/.467/.786 with one double and three home runs in 31 trips to the plate against Bleier this season. Righties, on the other hand, are batting just .231/.268/.346 with three doubles and one home run over 56 plate appearances.

At this point in time, it remains to be seen if Bleier will require more than 15 days on the injured list. If that is not the case, Bleier will first be eligible to be activated on Tuesday, June 6, when the Red Sox open a three-game set against the Guardians in Cleveland.

Bernardino, meanwhile, is up with Boston for the second time this season. The 31-year-old was optioned to Worcester last Tuesday, but he actually joined the big-league club in San Diego over the weekend as a member of the taxi squad. He was eligible to be called up on Monday since he is replacing an injured player.

Claimed off waivers from the Mariners in mid-April, Bernardino has appeared in 11 games for the Red Sox thus far. In that time frame, the native Californian has pitched to a 3.65 ERA (4.75 FIP) with 10 strikeouts to three walks over 12 1/3 innings of work.

With Bleier going on the injured list, Bernardino joins Joely Rodriguez as the only two lefties available to manager Alex Cora out of the Red Sox bullpen.

(Picture of Richard Bleier: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Red Sox make minor trade with Yankees by sending outfielder Greg Allen to New York

The Red Sox have traded Triple-A outfielder Greg Allen to the Yankees for minor-league right-hander Diego Hernandez and cash considerations, the club announced on Friday.

Allen, 30, joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent in mid-January. The speedy switch-hitter spent the first seven weeks of the 2023 season with the WooSox, batting .250/.407/.388 with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 21 walks, and 29 in strikeouts in 37 games (151 plate appearances). He also went a perfect 23-for-23 on stolen base attempts while seeing playing time in left and center field.

Per SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, Allen had an upward mobility clause in his contract. He triggered that clause earlier this week, meaning he will more than likely be added to New York’s major-league roster in the coming days. Boston addressed Allen’s departure by signing fellow outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minors pact and assigning him to Worcester on Friday.

In similar fashion to Zimmer, Allen was originally selected by the Guardians in the sixth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of San Diego State. The California native first broke in at the big-league level with Cleveland in 2017 and has since played for four different teams.

On that note, this will not be Allen’s first go-around with the Yankees, as he spent the entirety of the 2021 season in the organization. He appeared in 73 games for the club’s Triple-A affiliate and got into 15 major-league contests, going 10-for-37 (.270) at the plate with four doubles, one triple, two RBIs, nine runs scored, five stolen bases, five walks, and 13 strikeouts.

All told, Allen is a lifetime .232/.299/.366 hitter with 10 homers, 67 RBIs, and 45 stolen bases across 282 games (800 plate appearances) with the Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and Pirates. He is looking to get into at least one big-league game for the seventh consecutive season.

Hernandez, meanwhile, is an 18-year-old righty from Mexico who signed with the Yankees for $25,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. In 12 outings (five starts) in the Dominican Summer League last season, the Puebla native posted a 2.10 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks over 34 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .188 batting average against.

(Picture of Greg Allen: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign veteran outfielder Bradley Zimmer to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Chris Henrique and confirmed by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Zimmer, 30, was released by the Dodgers on Thursday after originally signing a minors pact with Los Angeles back in December. In 31 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, the left-handed hitter batted .219/.322/.343 with four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 18 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 13 walks, and 46 strikeouts over 121 plate appearances.

A former first-round draft selection of the Guardians out of the University of San Francisco in 2014, Zimmer was once regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball. The California native broke in with Cleveland in 2017 and spent the first five years of his career there despite never being able to establish himself as a big-league regular.

In parts of five seasons with the Guardians, Zimmer compiled a .226/.310/.348 slash line with 29 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 86 RBIs, 103 runs scored, 39 stolen bases, 71 walks, and 285 strikeouts over 263 total games (858 plate appearances). He appeared in just 34 games in 2018 and nine games in 2019 after recovering from arthroscopic right shoulder surgery.

Though Zimmer made the Guardians’ Opening Day roster out of spring training last year, he was traded to the Blue Jays for right-hander Anthony Castro on April 8. He then spent the next four months with Toronto before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Phillies on August 18.

After just nine days with Philadelphia, though, Zimmer was once again designated for assignment and returned to Toronto via waiver claim on Aug. 29. Between the two clubs, Zimmer went 13-for-105 (.124) at the plate with five doubles, two homers, five RBIs, 18 runs scored, three stolen bases, five walks, and 45 strikeouts across a career-high 109 games. He was removed from the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster in November and elected free agency after clearing waivers.

Zimmer, who does not turn 31 until November, figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced outfield depth at Triple-A Worcester. He has already reported to the WooSox and was spotted taking batting practice at Polar Park earlier Friday afternoon.

As things stand now, the Red Sox already have four left-handed hitting outfielders on their major-league roster in Jarren Duran, Raimel Tapia, Alex Verdugo, and Masataka Yoshida. With that, it may be tough for Zimmer to make his way to Boston, especially when you consider the fact that he is out of minor-league options.

That being said, there is still a lot to like about Zimmer’s game even if the offensive production is lacking. Last year, for instance, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder logged 369 2/3 innings between center and right field and was worth six defensive runs saved. He also has past experience in left field and still possesses quality speed.

With Oklahoma City, Zimmer made one start in left, eight starts in center, and 16 starts in right field. He will now join the likes of Wilyer Abreu, Greg Allen, Narciso Crook, Marcus Wilson, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Nick Sogard in making up Worcester’s outfield mix.

Zimmer is the latest depth addition Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has made through either a trade, a waiver claim, or minor-league free agency in recent weeks. Zack Littell and Pablo Reyes (acquired in separate trades) and Brennan Bernardino (claimed off waivers from the Mariners) have all appeared in big-league games for Boston this season.

(Picture of Bradley Zimmer: Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shines in debut for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shined in his debut for Double-A Portland on Thursday night.

Though the Sea Dogs fell to the Hartford Yard Goats by a final score of 4-3 in 12 innings, Gambrell was on point on a cool evening at Dunkin’ Park. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on two hits and zero walks to go along with eight strikeouts over six strong innings of work.

Gambrell retired the first 15 batters he faced and took a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before giving up a first-pitch leadoff home run to Drew Romo. He also surrendered a one-out triple to Bret Boswell, but he prevented a second run from crossing the plate by getting Bladimir Restituyo to ground out and striking out top Rockies prospect Zac Veen.

All told, Gambrell needed just 64 pitches (47 strikes) to get through six efficient frames. He induced 10 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision after Niko Kavadas hit a then-game-tying home run with one out in the top of the ninth.

With Shane Drohan making the jump and debuting for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, the Red Sox needed someone to take the left-hander’s place in Portland’s starting rotation. They achieved that by officially promoting Gambrell from High-A Greenville hours before his Sea Dogs debut.

After missing the entirety of the 2022 season with a significant ankle injury, Gambrell broke camp with Greenville earlier this spring. The 25-year-old hurler did not get off to the best of starts, posting a 6.87 ERA and 6.61 FIP with 21 strikeouts to nine walks in four April outings spanning 18 1/3 innings.

Once the calendar flipped from April to May, though, Gambrell appeared to have flipped a switch. After yielding two unearned runs and striking out eight over six innings on May 6, the righty gave up three runs and struck out seven over a season-high seven innings last Saturday.

With back-to-back impressive showings, Gambrell became a logical candidate for a promotion. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, the Drive already have a crowded starting rotation and have more reinforcements coming in Hayden Mullins, Bradley Blalock, and Jeremy Wu-Yelland, who are all currently on the injured list.

Boston originally acquired Gambrell and fellow righty Luis De La Rosa from the Royals in June 2021 to complete one part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City four months prior. Coming into the 2023 campaign, Gambrell had appeared in just eight games as a member of the Red Sox organization.

A former third-round draft selection of the Royals out of Oregon State in 2019, Gambrell stands at a burly 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. The California native throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph four-seam fastball, a 79-81 mph breaking ball, and an 83-86 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Gambrell, who does not turn 26 until November, figures to spend the rest of the season with Portland. There could be some challenges as he adjusts to more advanced competition at a new level, but he certainly got off to an encouraging start on Thursday.

(Picture of Grant Gambrell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox option Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Worcester ahead of Kutter Crawford’s return from injured list

The Red Sox optioned left-handed reliever Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Worcester following Wednesday night’s 12-3 win over the Mariners, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon.

By optioning Sherriff, the Red Sox have created a roster spot for right-hander Kutter Crawford, who will be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Padres in San Diego, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Crawford has been sidelined since May 4 due to a left hamstring strain. The 27-year-old made one rehab appearance for the WooSox at Polar Park on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits, zero walks, and four strikeouts over three innings of work.

In seven appearances (two starts) for Boston this season, Crawford has posted a 3.51 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 24 strikeouts to just three walks across 25 2/3 innings. When working out of the bullpen, the righty has pitched to a 1.08 ERA (3.60 FIP) with 12 punchouts to one walk in 16 2/3 frames.

As noted by Cotillo, Crawford will return to the multi-inning relief role he has thrived in to this point alongside the likes of Josh Winckowski and Nick Pivetta, who was removed from Boston’s starting rotation and subsequently demoted to the bullpen on Wednesday night.

Sherriff, meanwhile, had his contract selected from Worcester on Tuesday and tossed a scoreless inning in each of the last two games against Seattle. The lefty gave up one hit and one walk while recording one strikeout in his first major-league action since September 2021.

Sherriff, who turns 33 next week, signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox back in January. Prior to Tuesday’s call-up, the veteran southpaw had forged a 3.00 ERA (2.94 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to eight walks in 15 outings (15 innings) for the WooSox.

In 46 career appearances between the Cardinals (2017-2018), Rays (2020-2021), and Red Sox (2023), Sherriff now owns a lifetime 3.50 ERA over 46 1/3 innings at the big-league level.

(Picture of Ryan Sherriff: Nick Grace/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Garrett Whitlock, Kutter Crawford impress in rehab outings for Triple-A Worcester

Two prominent members of the Red Sox pitching staff looked sharp in their respective rehab outings for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday night.

Garrett Whitlock got the start and Kutter Crawford came out of the bullpen for the WooSox in their series opener against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park. Whitlock allowed just on earned run on five hits and zero walks to go along with four strikeouts over four innings of work.

After stranding a runner at third base in the top of the first, the right-hander retired the side in order in the second and then gave up a solo home run to Jake Cave with two outs in the third. He ended his outing by working his way around a two-out double in a scoreless fourth inning.

Finishing with 49 pitches (35 strikes), Whitlock induced eight swings-and-misses. The 26-year-old hurler also sat between 92-95 mph with his sinker, 80-84 mph with his changeup, and 76-80 mph with his slider, per Baseball Savant.

“It was good,” Whitlock told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day). “I’m happy with the outing and everything, throwing a lot of strikes, no walks, so I’m happy about that.”

Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow ulnar neuritis on April 25, just three days after he first felt his arm going numb from the elbow down “a couple of times” during his start against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

“For me it was when I got to full extension, everything kind of just went numb, that’s probably the best way to kind of describe it,” he explained on Tuesday. “But the nerves have calmed down, so we’re all good now. Everything felt normal tonight.”

Whitlock, who turns 26 next month, is on the injured list for the second time this season already. The righty began the year on the shelf as he continued to work his way back from right hip surgery last September. He is slated to make one more rehab start for the WooSox in their series finale against the IronPigs on Sunday.

Crawford, who is rehabbing a left hamstring strain he sustained on May 3, took over for Whitlock in the top of the fifth. Much like Whitlock, the right-hander yielded one earned run on three hits and zero walks with four strikeouts over three innings of relief.

After sitting down the first five batters he faced, Crawford served up a solo shot to Jordan Qsar with two outs in the sixth. He then maneuvered his way around a pair of hits in an otherwise clean seventh inning to ultimately pick up the winning decision in the WooSox’ 9-4 victory.

Crawford needed 41 pitches (26 strikes) to get through three innings of one-run ball. The 27-year-old induced eight whiffs while featuring a 92-96 mph four-seam fastball, an 86-88 mph cutter, an 81-84 mph slider, an 82-83 mph changeup, and a 78-81 mph curveball.

“Both had some balls that were hit good, but the wind was blowing out pretty firmly,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said. “I thought Whitlock looked great, landed his breaking ball for strikes, got ahead in the count. Fastball was good. Kutter was the same way they, both looked really good.”

Because Crawford’s stint on the 15-day injured list was backdated to May 4, he is eligible to come off the injured list this Friday, when the Red Sox open a three-game weekend series against the Padres in San Diego. Barring a surprise, Crawford is expected to travel and be with the club for the start of their nine-game West Coast road trip.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)