Boston Sports Today

Boston Sports News Contentiously Updated

Outfielder’s Return From Suspension Among Red Sox Roster Moves

by

Before the Boston Red Sox’s potential series-sweeping contest against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, the organization made multiple roster moves. Boston has already made multiple transactions in recent days, calling up two players for their MLB debut. Both of those rookies survived the next round of moves. The Red Sox’s Wednesday transactions include the return of Jarren Duran from suspension, an injury, and a swap of players.

Jarren Duran’s Return Among Red Sox Roster Moves

Duran Rejoins Red Sox After Suspension

Breakout outfielder Jarren Duran made a quick return to Boston after missing the last two days. Duran received a two-game suspension on Sunday after saying a homophobic slur toward a fan. The 27-year-old’s suspended salary was donated to the PFLAG, the Federation of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. The incident occurred during a Duran at-bat in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros.

Duran has been very strong in 2024. The 2018 seventh-round pick is batting .291 with a .853 OPS and 14 home runs. Duran ranks fifth among all MLB players with a 6.5 WAR, sitting above Shohei Ohtani, Francisco Lindor, and José Ramírez, among others. He won the 2024 MLB All-Star Game MVP after smashing a two-run homer off Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene. Duran has primarily been Boston’s leadoff hitter this year.

Enmanuel Valdéz Optioned to Triple-A

Infielder Enmanuel Valdéz, who leads Boston in appearances at second base this season, went down to Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday. It marks the third time the 25-year-old has played with the WooSox in 2024. Valdez spent most of July and early August in the minors and was recently called back up to MLB on August 7. He’s mostly struggled with Boston, batting just .224 with a .282 on-base percentage and six home runs. Valdez had been better as of late, though, posting a .300 average in his last 30 MLB games. 

Valdez’s demotion shows the trust that the Red Sox have in infielder Nick Sogard. The 26-year-old was called up for his major league debut on July 31. He’s appeared 10 times for Boston, with eight coming at second base. Sogard is batting .278 with five RBI in his short time in MLB. Valdez played just three times between his most recent promotion and Wednesday’s optioning.

Cam Booser Hits Injured List With Elbow Injury

The second Red Sox player making way is reliever Cam Booser, who made his MLB debut in April. The left-hander has bounced between the minors and majors this season. He landed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday due to left elbow inflammation. Booser has been solid with Boston in 2024, recording a 3.00 ERA in 41 contests. He’s limited the long ball, allowing just one homer since May 18. The 32-year-old has a 2.57 ERA in his last 15 outings, including one win.

Brennan Bernardino Returns To Boston After Short Worcester Stint

Left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino replaced Cam Booser on the Red Sox roster. The Red Sox sent him down on Sunday after he struggled in a matchup against the Houston Astros. He started the year off hot, having a 1.20 ERA at the end of June. It hasn’t been pretty since, though, with Bernardino now posting an ERA over 10.00 in consecutive months. He has a disastrous 10.97 ERA in his last 15 games. In just 10 ⅔ innings, Bernardino allowed 20 hits and 13 runs over that period. The California native joined the Red Sox in early 2023 after his release by the Seattle Mariners.

 

Photo Credit: © Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The post Outfielder’s Return From Suspension Among Red Sox Roster Moves appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.