6:36 pm: Barnes has tested positive for the virus, reports Ian Browne of MLB.com (Twitter link).
5:59 pm: Boston has placed Pérez and Barnes on the injured list, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe was among those to relay. In corresponding moves, righty Phillips Valdéz has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester while Boston selected righty Raynel Espinal to the big league roster.
Espinal will make his major league debut whenever he first gets into a game. A longtime Yankees farmhand, Espinal signed a minor league deal with Boston over the winter and has spent the entire season with Worcester. He’s been a reliable and generally productive member of the starting rotation there, pitching to a 3.74 ERA across 91 1/3 innings with league average strikeout and walk rates (23.9% and 9.7%, respectively). Because Espinal was selected to replace a player who landed on the COVID IL, he can be removed from the 40-man roster without being exposed to waivers whenever one of the players on the COVID list is ready to return.
5:52 pm: The Red Sox are placing closer Matt Barnes on the COVID-19 injured list, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (Twitter link). He becomes the fourth Boston player to land on the IL for virus-related reasons in recent days, as each of Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo and Martín Pérez tested positive. It isn’t yet clear whether Barnes has also tested positive.
Barnes has had a productive season on the whole, tossing 49 2/3 innings of 3.81 ERA/2.34 SIERA ball. He was absolutely lights-out early in the year, though, but has run into some uncharacteristic struggles in recent weeks. Dating back to the All-Star Break, Barnes has been tagged for a 7.71 ERA over sixteen appearances, allowing a .283/.383/.543 opponents’ slash line.
With Barnes out, Boston figures to lean more heavily on Adam Ottavino, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Taylor in high-leverage situations. With a little less than five weeks to play in the regular season, Boston currently holds a two and a half game advantage over the A’s for the American League’s final playoff spot. They’re beginning a four-game series with the Rays tonight, followed by sets against the Indians, Rays again, and White Sox through next Sunday.
Thank God rosters expand in two days. Boston really needs to add a couple more pitchers to their bullpen. Connor Seabold has to be one; maybe the recently acquired Brad Peacock could be another? Only problem is that they’ll need to make room on the 40-man for Peacock. I believe they can temporarily do so while they have players on the Covid list, but that will only be a short term plan. Maybe just enough time to see if Peacock is worthwhile adding for the full month of September.
Shelby Miller is still kicking and screaming! Better look at trading for him before he gets called up to the Pirates and throws a couple MEATYBALLS for huge 500 foot HOME RUNS thus ending his career
Have you seen Peacock’s ERA in AAA? Don’t count on him helping.
Pretty good over his last 4 starts. There might’ve been some rust.
Sure. Rust, and moss, and even some calcification. Just got to shine him up and throw him out there.
I wouldn’t call 8 hits and 4 ER in 4 IP “pretty good”, that was his pitching line on August 15th.
There is a reason why I chose 4 games: so as to increase the sample size. I could say he had 6 hits in 12 IPs, with a 2.25 ERA in his other 3 games, but it made more sense to combine both the good and bad.
Come on Dotty …. what on earth would make you think a guy who has pitched to a 7.68 ERA while in AAA would suddenly be able to help the Red Sox by pitching effectively in the majors?
Did Robles and Davis suddenly become decent pitchers when they went from Pittsburgh to the Red Sox?
You know what the definition of insanity is? Trying the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.
still miffed we gave up Seabold for literal negative value in return…
Thank god rosters expand so they can pack more players in with this virus floating around and cause even more attrition. A few more essential players go down in the crucial stretch ahead and they can hope guys like Peacock will carry them through the final stretch.
rip playoff chance
Chaim – Nice name!!!! hahaha He probably thought that on April 1 but didn’t say it!! Even more likely the day he completed the Mookie deal!!!
Cora didn’t want to use Ottavino, Whitlock or Richards yesterday to protect a late lead because he wanted them well-rested for tonight’s game.
How did that work out for ya buddy?
Hopefully with the return of Hunter we will see Duran where he belongs, on the bench.
Plawecki should have been DH’ing with Dugie in CF, Schwarber in LF and JD in RF.
It’s spreading. Hard not to. Brewers had 11 guys a few weeks ago.