Justin Turner back in the lineup, Wilyer Abreu promoted, Tanner Houck to start
The Red Sox promoted minor league outfielder Wilyer Abreu on Tuesday due to Jarren Duran landing on the injured list with a left toe injury.
Abreu will join the club in Houston but will not be in the lineup to begin the game.
The 24-year-old has been tearing the cover off the ball the last month for Triple-A Worcester. He is batting .424, 25-for-59 with a .528 on-base percentage, .949 slugging percentage, 1.477 OPS, nine homers, four doubles, 25 RBI, and three steals in 17 games this month.
“It’s a kid that controls the strike zone,” Alex Cora said about Abreu before Monday’s game to reporters at Minute Maid Park. “We knew that in spring training. Him and Valdez, one of the things they do is that. And that’s why they have quality at-bats. The power is the power. I don’t get caught up on that. The quality of the at-bats is what we like. Both of them, coming from here (Houston) and what they do in the minor leagues. That’s the thing they preach: control the strike zone.”
Duran landing on the IL is a blow to the Red Sox lineup. The speedy outfielder was tied for fifth in doubles with 34 and is also 24-for-26 in stolen base attempts.
Tanner Houck will make his first start since he was injured in June by a line drive to the face. Houck was 3-6 with a 5.05 ERA before suffering his injury.
Justin Turner will return to the Sox lineup and will be the DH. Trevor Story is at shortstop and Luis Urías is at second base. Pablo Reyes is out of the lineup for the first time since Aug. 5.
Red Sox Notebook:
WHO: Red Sox (66-59) at Astros (71-55)
WHEN: 8:10 p.m.
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas.
SERIES TO DATE: Astros lead the series, 1-0.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Tanner Houck (3-6, 5.05 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (8-6, 3.36 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
RED SOX LINEUP
Alex Verdugo RF
Rafael Devers 3B
Justin Turner DH
Masataka Yoshida LF
Adam Duvall CF
Triston Casas 1B
Trevor Story SS
Luis Urías 2B
Connor Wong C
Around the Horn
Boston ranks 27th in MLB with a 5.09 ERA at the end of play on 5/15, but ranks 4th in the AL and eighth in the majors with a 4.02 ERA since then.
Overall, Boston ranks 18th in the majors in ERA (4.38).
The Red Sox have homered in each of their last 10 games, their longest streak since 9/28/21- 4/11/22. They haven’t had a longer streak since August 2019 (19 games, 8/7-30). The Sox have homered in 18 of their 19 August games, after homering in only 16 of their previous 28 games.
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