Red Sox promote infielder and rookie right-handed pitcher as part of Sept. 1 call-ups
With rosters expanding to 28 on Sunday, the Red Sox are set to promote infielder Enmanuel Valdez and rookie right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart.
Valdez, 25, adds additional depth at second base but provides little with his bat at the big league level. The left-handed hitter has hit just .224 and owns a .682 OPS in 60 games with the Sox this season.
Boston had other positional player options they could have chosen from in right-handed hitters Bobby Dalbec and Vaughn Grissom.
Dalbec is hitting .244 with 16 homers, 16 doubles, 57 RBI, and a .796 OPS with the WooSox. He’s only hit .133 over 83 at-bats with the Red Sox this season. Grissom has spent the majority of the summer with Worcester after missing spring training and various portions of the season with injuries. The 23-year-old is hitting just .239 with three homers and 22 RBI with a .667 OPS in Worcester.
Shugart, 27, made his big league debut on Aug. 15, appearing in a game against the Orioles on the road. He allowed one run off three hits with no walks and two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.
Since he was sent back to the WooSox on Aug. 16, he has pitched well, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless frames in four outings. The hard-throwing right-hander allowed just one hit and one walk with six strikeouts over that span.
Boston ruled out the potential of adding fast-rising prospect Kristian Campbell, at least for now, according to MassLive’s Chris Smith.
“The Red Sox' position player Sept. call-up tomorrow is not expected to be Kristian Campbell, per industry source,” Smith posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He makes sense. Right-handed bat who plays multiple positions, but it doesn't appear the team considers him a candidate right now.”
Campbell would have offered the Red Sox a much-needed right-handed bat off the bench and versatility at second base, shortstop, and center field. He also has seen three games at third base with Greenville, Portland, and Worcester.
