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Red Sox Place Rich Hill On 15-Day Injured List

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TODAY: Hill’s recovery timeline is roughly 2-4 weeks, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham (Twitter link).  An MRI did reveal “some tearing” in Hill’s ligament.

JULY 2: The Red Sox have placed Rich Hill on the 15-day injured list, as the left-hander is battling a left knee sprain.  Right-hander Phillips Valdez was called up from Triple-A to take Hill’s spot on the active roster.

Hill suffered the injury in the fifth inning of yesterday’s start against the Cubs, as he tried to tough it out through two more batters but eventually left the game.  Hill told reporters (including WEEI’s Rob Bradford) that he was waiting for the results of an MRI, but he compared the injury to the MCL problem that sidelined him for a month during the 2019 season.

The 42-year-old Hill has continued to post solid results in his 18th Major League season, with a 4.20 ERA/4.35 SIERA over 70 2/3 innings.  While his Statcast numbers and advanced metrics (including a 19.5% strikeout rate) aren’t anything to write home about, Hill has still been a reliable presence within a Boston rotation that has been lacking in stability.

At the moment, that rotation is down to just three pitchers, as the Sox have been hit by injuries.  Hill joins Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale (who has yet to pitch in 2022) and Garrett Whitlock on the IL, leaving Michael Wacha, Nick Pivetta, and Josh Winckowski as the only pitchers remaining in the starting five.  Connor Seabold is at Triple-A and figures to be recalled to make at least one spot start.

Among the injured names, Eovaldi threw a 35-pitch bullpen session today, though it isn’t yet known if the righty may need a rehab start.  Eovaldi has been on the IL since June 9 due to lower back inflammation.  Sale has another rehab outing slated for Wednesday, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MLB.com’s Ian Browne that Sale could potentially in line to make his 2022 season debut on July 11 when the Sox play the Rays.

As for Whitlock, he has been out since June 10 due to hip inflammation.  The righty has a bullpen session today and will have to make a rehab outing, but when he does return, Cora told Bradford and company that Whitlock will “pretty much likely” return to his old bullpen role, rather than as a starting pitcher.  Whitlock had a 4.15 ERA over 39 innings and nine starts this season, but with a theoretical surplus of starters when everyone is healthy, the Red Sox figure Whitlock can best help the team as a multi-inning reliever — Whitlock dominated batters in such a role in 2021.

Red Sox Recall Kutter Crawford, Option Connor Seabold

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The Red Sox swapped a pair of right-handers between Boston and Triple-A Worcester this morning, the team announced, optioning Connor Seabold and recalling Kutter Crawford. Seabold had made his third big-league start yesterday against the Cubs, tossing four innings of one-run ball.

The move gives manager Alex Cora an extra arm while his team deals with a spate of injuries in rotation: in addition to the long-term absences of Chris Sale and James Paxton, Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi, and Garrett Whitlock are all on the 15-day IL while Michael Wacha is, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, dealing with a dead arm that may require an IL stint. Because optioned players are allowed to return at any time if replacing a player headed to the IL, Seabold could return to start late in the week should Wacha — who last pitched on June 28th — need more time.

While Cora might have to make some uncomfortable decisions in the short term, there could be help on the way. While neither Whitlock nor Eovaldi is yet close to returning, Sale, who’s yet to pitch this season due to a stress fracture in his ribcage (and who’s covered only 42 2/3 innings since 2019, all of them last year), has already made one rehab start and is scheduled for another on Wednesday, and consensus top 100 prospect Brayan Bello appears likely to make his big-league debut the same day after Cora told reporters (including McCaffrey) that he’s probably the best option currently pitching in Worcester.

After hitting a bit of a rough patch in his first taste of Double-A last year, the 23-year-old Bello has tossed 85 innings 2.33 ERA ball across 15 appearances (14 starts) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. His excellent ERA is backed up by a stellar strikeout rate (33.7%), though his walk rate (9.8%) leaves a bit to be desired.

Crawford, who’s struggled while shuttling between both Boston and Worcester and bullpen and rotation this year, could also be an option to start, though he likely won’t be Cora’s first choice. In 21 2/3 career big-league innings, he’s logged an unsightly 7.89 ERA (5.66 FIP). He has consistently missed bats at every level in the minors, however, and given the tattered state of the Boston pitching staff, he may well get an extended opportunity to do so in the bigs.

Braves Acquire Silvino Bracho From Red Sox

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The Red Sox have traded reliever Silvino Bracho to the Braves for cash considerations, according to announcements from both teams. Atlanta has a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no further move was necessary.

Boston had just designated Bracho for assignment this afternoon. He finds another landing spot fairly quickly, and he’ll presumably get an opportunity to make his season debut at some point shortly. The Red Sox had selected Bracho onto the major league roster on Tuesday, but they designated him for assignment without his appearing in an MLB game. The 29-year-old is seeking his first big league outing since 2020 after spending the past year and a half in Triple-A.

Despite his lack of recent MLB experience, Bracho was an appealing target for the Atlanta front office based on the strength of his minor league performance. He’s worked 31 1/3 innings over 18 outings with the Sox’s top affiliate in Worcester, posting a 3.16 ERA. The righty has punched out an excellent 29.3% of opponents while walking only four of the 123 hitters he’s faced. He’ll add a multi-inning possibility to the middle frames for skipper Brian Snitker.

Bracho owns a 4.82 ERA in 89 2/3 career big league innings. Most of that time was compiled with the 2015-18 Diamondbacks. He’s made just one MLB appearance in the past three years, owing in part to a Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2019. Bracho is out of minor league option years, so he’ll have to stick on the active roster or be designated for assignment again.

Red Sox Designate Silvino Bracho For Assignment

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The Red Sox announced Thursday that right-hander Silvino Bracho has been designated for assignment and that infielder Yolmer Sanchez, who’d been up as a Covid-related substitute, has been returned to Triple-A Worcester. The pair of moves opens roster space for righty Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran to be reinstated from the restricted list. Both missed the Sox’ three-game series in Toronto due to vaccination status and travel restrictions.

Bracho, 30 next month, didn’t appear in a game with the Sox after having his contract selected to the roster. He’s spent the entire season so far in Worcester, where he’s pitched to a 3.16 ERA with an outstanding 36-to-4 K/BB ratio (29.3 K%, 3.3 BB%) in 31 1/3 innings of work. Had he gotten into a game during this Sox stint, it would’ve marked his first MLB action since 2020 and just his second MLB appearance since back in 2018.

Signed to a minor league deal in early March, Bracho has appeared in parts of five Major League seasons, all coming as a member of the Diamondbacks. He turned in impressive results both in 2015 and 2018, and he has at times missed bats at above-average rates. However, Bracho has been quite homer-prone throughout his big league tenure (1.71 HR/9) and hasn’t consistently racked up strikeouts or limited walks effectively enough to offset the damage from those round-trippers. In 89 2/3 Major League frames, he carries a 4.82 ERA.

The Sox will have a week to trade Bracho or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. Lack of track record and a pedestrian fastball typically combine to limit interest in journeymen of this mold, but Bracho’s 2022 showing in Worcester is impressive enough that another club might have interest in placing a speculative claim or swinging a minor trade. If he does pass through waivers unclaimed, he’ll have the ability to reject the assignment in favor of free agency (both by virtue of having three-plus years of MLB service and having been previously outrighted in the past).

Red Sox Select Silvino Bracho

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The Red Sox announced they’ve selected reliever Silvino Bracho onto the major league roster. Righty Connor Seabold was optioned to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. Boston had a vacancy on the 40-man roster after placing Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck on the restricted list yesterday.

Bracho is headed to the big leagues for the first time in two years. The right-hander made a lone appearance for the Diamondbacks during the abbreviated 2020 campaign, then spent all of last season in the upper minors of the Giants’ system. Bracho had missed the entire 2019 campaign rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so he hasn’t logged meaningful MLB time since 2018.

A Venezuela native, Bracho debuted with Arizona back in 2015. He tossed 12 1/3 innings of two-run ball during his first season, but he followed that up with a pair of rough years. Bracho rebounded to post a 3.19 ERA with a solid 26.4% strikeout rate across 31 innings in 2018, but the subsequent Tommy John procedure threw his career off track. His velocity was down during his only MLB outing in 2020, and the D-Backs outrighted him off their roster at the end of that season.

After his year in the San Francisco organization didn’t result in a big league call, Bracho hooked on with Boston on a minor league deal in February. He’s spent the season with Worcester, working to a 3.16 ERA across 31 1/3 frames. That’s solid enough run prevention, but Bracho’s strikeout and walk rates (29.3% and 3.3%, respectively) have been downright excellent. His impressive showing against upper minors hitters earns him an MLB call, although it remains to be seen for how long he’ll stick on the roster.

As was the case with yesterday’s call-up of infielder Yolmer Sánchez, the Sox didn’t indicate whether Bracho was being selected as a designated COVID-19 substitute. Players with that designation — which can only be granted by the commissioner’s office — occupy temporary spots on the roster and can be sent back to the minor leagues without being exposed to waivers or optioned.

If Bracho is a temporary substitute, he’ll presumably head back to Worcester at the end of the Sox’s current series in Toronto, when Duran and Houck will rejoin the team. If not, he’d have to stick on the active roster or be designated for assignment and exposed to trade or waivers, since he’s out of minor league option years.

Thomas Pannone Signs With KBO’s Kia Tigers

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Lefty Thomas Pannone, who was granted his released by the Red Sox last night, has signed on with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization for the remainder of the season, the Tigers announced (via Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency). Pannone will earn $300K for the remainder of the season.

Pannone, a 28-year-old lefty, appeared in the Majors with the Blue Jays in 2018-19, combining for a 5.43 ERA in 116 innings (13 starts, 36 relief appearances). The former ninth-round pick struggled out of the rotation (7.31 ERA) but showed promise in those 36 bullpen outings (3.40 ERA, 23.6% strikeout rate). He never got another look with the Jays during the shortened 2020 season, however, and after being removed from their 40-man roster that summer, he became a minor league free agent and signed with the Angels for the 2021 campaign.

Although he arrived at Angels camp with a solid Triple-A track record, Pannone’s return from that 2020 layoff was a disaster. He totaled 118 1/3 innings with the Halos’ top affiliate in Salt Lake but was rocked for a 7.07 ERA in that time. The 2022 season with Boston’s Triple-A club in Worcester has been a much better one. Pannone has an improved, albeit unexciting 4.57 ERA in 63 innings with the WooSox, but he’s also posted a sensational 70-to-7 K/BB ratio (26.7 K%, 3.1 BB%).

That pristine K-BB% surely piqued the interest of the KBO’s Tigers, who are in the market for a new starting pitcher after waiving former Cardinals and Giants minor leaguer Ronnie Williams. The 26-year-old Williams was in his first KBO season this year but scuffled to a 5.68 ERA with nearly as many walks (28) as strikeouts (32) through 44 1/3 innings.

Pannone’s KBO signing may be something of a footnote for many MLB fans now, but it’s always worth keeping an eye on former major league and minor league pitchers as they venture to the KBO or Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. It’s become increasingly common to see pitchers return from the KBO or NPB to make an impact in the Majors. Merrill Kelly, Miles Mikolas, Chris Flexen, Robert Suarez and Joely Rodriguez are among the recent examples of pitchers who’ve followed that trajectory.

Red Sox Release Thomas Pannone, Roberto Ramos

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The Red Sox have released left-hander Thomas Pannone and first baseman Roberto Ramos from their minor league contracts, as reflected on each player’s respective transactions tracker at MLB.com. It seems both players could explore opportunities in South Korea. Pannone told Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Twitter link) he was soon to sign with a KBO team, and McDonald suggests Ramos may do the same.

Pannone has 49 big league appearances under his belt, all of which came with the 2018-19 Blue Jays. He tallied 116 innings of 5.43 ERA ball in a swing role over that stretch, and he’s spent the past couple seasons in the upper minors. Pannone struggled mightily with the Angels’ top affiliate in 2021, but he’s had a strong showing in Worcester this season.

The 28-year-old’s 4.57 ERA across 63 innings with the WooSox doesn’t stand out, but he’s paired it with quality strikeout and walk numbers. Pannone has fanned 26.7% of batters faced while handing out free passes to a meager 3.1% of opponents. That quality work against upper minors hitters will get the former ninth-round pick a shot at the highest level in Korea, where he’ll no doubt earn a loftier guaranteed salary than he’d been as a depth arm in Worcester.

Ramos, 27, is no stranger to Korean baseball. A former Rockies prospect, he topped out at Triple-A in the Colorado system but signed on with the KBO’s LG Twins in advance of the 2020 season. The left-handed hitter blasted 38 home runs during his first season with the Twins, compiling a .278/.362/.592 showing through 494 plate appearances. He had an average first half with the Twins last year and was released in mid-June due to injuries.

This February, Ramos hooked on with the Sox on a non-roster pact. He’s struggled in his return to affiliated ball, hitting .158/.287/.342 with a huge 37.8% strikeout rate in Worcester. That’s obviously not the kind of showing for which he’d been hoping, but Ramos impressed during his first KBO season a couple years back and drew some attention from evaluators for his raw power during his time as a prospect.

Red Sox Select Yolmer Sanchez

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The Red Sox announced they’ve selected infielder Yolmer Sánchez onto the major league roster. They’ve also recalled righty Connor Seabold from Triple-A Worcester. In corresponding moves, righty Tanner Houck and outfielder Jarren Duran are going on the restricted list. That’s typical procedure for players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 on teams heading for a series in Toronto, as the Canadian government prohibits unvaccinated athletes from crossing the border.

Sánchez makes it to the majors for the first time in two years. A longtime member of the White Sox, the Venezuela native is a career .245/.300/.360 hitter over parts of seven seasons. He’s a highly-regarded defensive infielder who has logged significant time at both second and third base in his career. Sánchez claimed the American League’s Gold Glove Award at the keystone in 2019.

Signed to a minor league deal over the offseason, the 29-year-old has spent the entire season in Worcester. He’s hitting .253/.381/.424 with eight home runs and an excellent 16.6% walk rate over 265 plate appearances with the WooSox. Sánchez has played each of second, third and shortstop in the minors this season.

The Sox didn’t announce whether he was being brought to the majors as a designated COVID “substitute.” Players with that designation — which can only be granted by the commissioner’s office — occupy temporary spots on the roster and can be sent back to the minor leagues without being exposed to waivers or optioned.

That’d be a meaningful distinction in Sánchez’s case, as he has more than five years of MLB service time and thus cannot be optioned without his consent. If he were tagged with the substitute designation, he’d likely head back to Worcester when Houck and Duran are eligible to return on Friday. If not, he’ll have to remain on the active roster or be designated for assignment from this point forward.

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported the moves before the team announcement.

Red Sox Option Jeter Downs

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  • The Red Sox have optioned Jeter Downs back to Triple-A. The move comes in anticipation of activating Christian Arroyo tomorrow, per Christopher Smith of masslive.com. Downs spent just three days on the active roster, going 0-4 in his debut with three strikeouts. Arroyo is on the COVID injured list but is expected back for Friday’s game. Arroyo has gotten off to a slow start, slashing .187/.227/.319 over 98 plate appearances.

Red Sox Promote Jeter Downs, Designate James Norwood

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The Red Sox announced Monday that they’ve recalled infield prospect Jeter Downs from Triple-A Worcester and designated right-hander James Norwood for assignment.

It’ll be the Major League debut for Downs whenever he first steps onto the field for a game. Acquired alongside Alex Verdugo and Connor Wong in the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers, Downs was once widely ranked among the sport’s 100 best prospects but has seen his stock tumble following a pair of poor showings in Triple-A. In 53 games so far with the WooSox, the 23-year-old Downs is hitting just .180/.297/.397 with a 31.1% strikeout rate in 222 plate appearances. That actually represents a modest improvement over his struggles in a larger sample during the 2021 campaign. Overall, he’s now tallied 627 Triple-A plate appearances with just a .187/.281/.355 slash to show for it.

Those struggles notwithstanding, Downs will get his first big league look and give the Sox some extra infield depth at a time when both Christian Arroyo and Enrique Hernandez are on the injured list. Major League teams who’d been carrying 14 pitchers also need to cut their pitching staff back to 13 beginning today, and Downs was already on the 40-man roster, making him an easy name to recall. They’ll need a 40-man spot once Arroyo is cleared to return from the Covid-related injured list anyhow, so designating Norwood and briefly giving Downs a taste of the Majors is a sensible — albeit likely short-term — route to take for the time being.

Norwood, acquired from the Phillies for cash over the weekend, never appeared in a game with the Sox before what is now his third DFA in the past three months. The 28-year-old spent the bulk of Spring Training with the Padres but was designated for assignment late in camp and subsequently traded to Philadelphia for minor league infielder Kervin Pichardo. Norwood showed big velocity, an ability to miss bats and a knack for keeping the ball in the park during his 17 1/3 innings with the Phils. However, he also walked too many hitters, struggled to strand runners (both inherited and those he allowed to reach base), and generally yielded too much hard contact.

In those 17 1/3 frames with Philly, Norwood was tagged for an 8.31 ERA, causing his career mark through 44 1/3 innings to balloon to 5.48. It’s certainly possible that Norwood’s 96.8 mph average fastball and splitter that comes with a 42.7% whiff rate will get him a look from another team, be it via waivers or another small trade. He’s out of minor league options, though, so any interested club will need to carry him on the 40-man roster. The Red Sox will have a week to trade Norwood, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or release him.

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