Carlos Narvaez will return to the starting lineup on Monday, but the Red Sox are adding some extra catching depth anyway.
The Red Sox announced they have added recently acquired catcher Ali Sanchez to the 26-man active roster, giving Boston three catchers for the time being.
The Red Sox also called up left-hander Jovani Moran, and to clear space on the active roster they optioned lefty Chris Murphy and infielder David Hamilton to Triple-A.
The club also designated minor league right-hander Nick Burdi for assignment to open up a 40-man spot for Moran.
Sanchez was claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at a point where Narvaez was still battling knee soreness and could have potentially landed on the injured list. Sanchez has appeared in 46 big league games over parts of four MLB seasons, but he is also out of minor league options, meaning he had to be added to the active roster within a few days of his acquisition.
Once Narvaez was able to return, the most straightforward move would probably have been to option Connor Wong to Triple-A and continue with two catchers, but Wong has performed much better recently, hitting three doubles over his last eight games since July 25.
Moran last pitched in the majors in 2023 and has performed well in Triple-A Worcester this season since completing his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Since making his WooSox debut after a brief ramp-up in the Florida Complex League and High-A, Moran has posted a 3.44 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched.
He’ll fill the spot previously held by Murphy, who has struggled with his command recently, recording five walks in his last two outings.
Red Sox lineup
Roman Anthony DH
Alex Bregman 3B
Jarren Duran LF
Trevor Story SS
Wilyer Abreu RF
Romy Gonzalez 2B
Abraham Toro 1B
Ceddanne Rafaela CF
Carlos Narvaez C
Garrett Crochet P
How to watch
When: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas
Broadcast info: NESN, WEEI 93.7 FM, WCCM 1490 AM (Spanish), WESX 1230 AM (Spanish)
Originally Published:
