The Red Sox announced a series of moves, including the placement of right-hander Connor Seabold on the 15-day injured list and utilityman Christian Arroyo on the 10-day IL. Right-hander Phillips Valdez and infielder Jeter Downs were called up from Triple-A in corresponding moves. As reported earlier today, Boston also selected the contract of Kaleb Ort, while designating Michael Feliz for assignment.
Seabold has an extensor strain in his right forearm, which forced him out of last night’s game with the Yankees in the third inning. While extensor strains aren’t always a precursor to Tommy John surgery, any forearm-related injury is naturally a concern, and Seabold will undergo further examination before a recovery timeline is known.
With the injury bug taking a big bit out of the Sox rotation, Seabold was called up in late June and has made three starts. The results haven’t been pretty, as he has an 11.91 ERA over 11 1/3 innings — Seabold sandwiched a respectable one-run performance against the White Sox between a pair of seven-run blowouts to the Blue Jays and Yankees.
Chris Sale is slated to be activated from the IL on Tuesday, and the veteran southpaw will join a makeshift rotation of Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Josh Winckowski and top prospect Brayan Bello. However, the Red Sox have more than an entire rotation’s worth of arms on the injured list, as Seabold joins Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, and James Paxton. Eovaldi is tentatively set to return next weekend, but the Sox might have to wait until after the All-Star break to get any semblance of a healthy starting five.
The team will also lose bench depth, as the versatile Arroyo will miss time due to a left groin strain. Arroyo’s placement opens the door for Downs’ latest opportunity at the MLB level, as the star prospect made his big league debut with a single game earlier this season.
Downs has been on fire in the 14 Triple-A games since his return, as his offense has hugely improved since cutting down on his leg lift during his swing. (Hat tip to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.) His role on Boston’s active roster will be of some interest, as Downs has almost exclusively played shortstop this season, with only a single game at third base. Rafael Devers is currently battling a bad back, and with Downs now up, this could hint that the Sox are considering a precautionary IL placement for Devers. However, it is also possible Downs might get only another cup-of-coffee stint if Devers’ back heals up after a weekend off.
Fever Pitch Guy
Arroyo probably hurt his arms waving them helplessly when he lost the ball last night.
Seabold probably has a sore neck from turning around and looking up so much last night.
acell10
ugh…terrible…
Fever Pitch Guy
ace – I agree, this is turning into a disastrous season.
Sox are now 9-20 against the AL East, and the Orioles just got another shutout win and have only 3 fewer victories than Boston.
I repeat, the O’s are just 3 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot.
acell10
your comment as usually was not only uniformed but pathetically unfunny as usual
acell10
The red sox are also a half game out of the first wild card spot even with their recent slump and I don’t need to repeat that for emphasis
Fever Pitch Guy
ace – Why the hostility? I know these are dark days for Sox fans right now, but don’t let it affect your life dude. It’s just a game after all.
And I have no clue what “uniformed” means, as my comments are hardly copied from other people’s comments. I keep it real, no toeing the line here.
Grab a brew, sit back and relax.
acell10
No hostility…at least not like you towards the Sox. and that should say uninformed which is quite accurate. Not to mention your overly alarmist stance about the O’s being 3 games back of a wild card spot with the sox being closer to first in the wild card than O’s are to the last spot. Also just posting out that that joke you was made so painfully unfunny/ not clever that it was terrible.
You do seem to have irony down telling me to chill when all you do complain constantly and bury the sox.
Fever Pitch Guy
ace – False accusations is a sign of hostility, and you look very silly accusing me of “complaining constantly and burying the Sox” … especially when just yesterday I posted that I’m convinced the Sox would go on a deep run to the postseason if their best players (Nate, Sale, Xander, Pivetta, Wacha, Devers, JD, etc) become and stay healthy. Did you not see it, or are you pretending to have not seen it?
I won’t apologize for refusing to be a Red Sox cheerleader, I call things as I see it and I keep it real. If you want to stay in your safe place and not read about Cora’s mismanaging (like starting Arroyo in RF at Fenway) or the team’s 10-20 record against divisional rivals, then you should probably mute me.
acell10
Nothing false about what I’ve said and again. If anything you’ve just proven how much you are talking out of both sides of your mouth. You call them terrible and say the season is a turning into a disaster yet say they are going to go on a deep run once everyone is healthy. Hence why your takes are un-informed. and now we can add inconsistent to it as well. also as I said before your recent attempt at humor was terrible. By the way if you somehow think that posting about not being a “cheerleader” and allegedly “keeping it real” absolves your from poorly informed comments it doesn’t.
Unlike you and others I don’t mute people. I don’t mind pointing out people out for their hypocrisy/ terrible takes and having a back and forth and won’t rage quit because I disagree with someone.
JoeBrady
acell1019 hours ago
The red sox are also a half game out of the first wild card
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There are generally two types of people in this world. The ones that see we have the #1 WC spot and the #3 record, and then people that prefer to dwell on the negative.
Instead of seeing only two teams in front of us, they see 12 teams behind us that might catch us.
Fever Pitch Guy
ace – Then go after what was posted, rather than going after the poster.
You disagree that starting Arroyo in RF last Friday was a bad decision? Give your reasons why.
You disagree that 10-20 vs the ALE is cause for concern? Give your reasons why.
That’s how adults have discussions.
It’s quite bizarre that you have so much anger and hostility built up toward me, and yet for the life of me I can’t remember ever discussing anything with you even once.
Funny how you view my positions as “inconsistent” because I’m unbiased and one of the few people here who isn’t either a hater or a cheerleader. The only side I ever take is the right one, on a case-by-case basis.
We have people here who are so ridiculously predictable and tunnel-visioned that we know what they’ll say before they even write it. Probably the same people who are also far-left or far-right extremists. But not me, I’ll always be centered with a truly open mind.
I know that’s hard for you to comprehend, but that’s your issue not mine. I’ve said all I’m gonna say, if you want to have discussions then stick to the subject of baseball. Nobody here wants to bother with this personal BS, especially me.
Fever Pitch Guy
Joe – You totally forgot about that third group of people, the intelligent ones who look beyond the simplistic numbers that you just provided.
Like for instance, the people who realize a 10-20 record against the ALE doesn’t bode well for the Sox considering they have to play 46 out of their remaining 77 games against those same divisional rivals.
For someone who is supposed to be a numbers guy, that little fact should have been a major red flag to you.
And BTW the O’s won yet again today, and are now just one game under .500
JoeBrady
I’m not as concerned about the Orioles as you. I am concerned about TB, TO, and maybe Seattle. And right now, we have a 1.5, 2.5, and 2.5 game lead over those teams. Just a hint here: don’t worry about teams like the Orioles. If they catch us, then everyone will catch us.
Fever Pitch Guy
Joe – I’m more amazed about the O’s success than concerned. I can’t picture Angelos buying instead of selling at the trade deadline.
However, they have already beaten the Sox 5 out of 8 times.
They play the Sox 11 more times.
Therefore they can hurt Boston’s chances of making the postseason, without actually passing them in the standings.
Capiche?
JoeBrady
Of course. Baltimore is almost a .500 team. They can beat any of our main competitors. Don’t put too much emphasis on past records. That was KD’s reckoning in 2021. He thought we were going to lose all our games against TB & NY. It doesn’t work that way. We will likely have a similar record v BA as the NYY, TO and TB the rest of the way.
JoeBrady
I know these are dark days for Sox fans right now
================================
Yup, that old #3 record in the AL is dark, dark, dark.
acell10
I never brought it outside things. That’s just more projecting from you. Much you lashing out against people who have tunnel vision etc when that same bias is clear in almost all of your comments. Just like you’re implying tone to my comments such as hostility and anger neither of which I have toward you or anyone else on this board.
Again you’re hiding behind being allegedly “unbiassed” as if it is a shield for a poorly informed and overly alarmist takes.
What I disagreed with was you missing the point of my post which I pointed out at this point several times.
acell10
To answer you question I never said I disagreed with 10-20 being a problem or anything about Arroyo in the outfield but I’d hardly characterize a 4 game losing streak as the season turning into a disaster. Also losing your mind over the O’s being 3.5 games back when the sox have a 4.5 game lead over them along with being the first wild card team is overly alarmist. So considering all those things along with the games remaining etc. is a poor take no matter how far you want to look beyond the numbers.
I expect the Red Sox to improve their record against AL east teams especially with a return to health of their key pitchers. otherwise they won’t be holding onto that last wild card spot. Considering what they did in June against what is now looking like better competition than people wanted to give them credit for based on how well Seattle has been playing lately along with series wins against the Cardinals and the Astros I believe it is possible for them to at least hold onto one of the three spots.
StudWinfield
Arroyo broke his pride in two places. I still wonder where Refsnyder was on that play. Left him hanging.
Fever Pitch Guy
Stud – Arroyo broke into the majors in 2017 and never played any outfield position, not even an inning, until this year when Cora thought he could turn Arroyo into Ben Zobrist.
Because it’s easy for anyone to play RF in Fenway, right folks? Cora needs his bazillion relievers on the active roster, so his few bench players must play nearly every position. What could possibly go wrong?
Amanda
it would make sense for seabold to have surgery, hes not that good and hes not ready, come back in a few years when you are, i still laugh when anyone here thinks all the triple a guys were gonna work for the red sox, thats why its AAA its guys who ARENT good enough yet, look at the pieces of medicore crap we are throwing at the opposing teams, we are getting everything we deserve and by all rights should be in 5th place, not 3rd
Fever Pitch Guy
Teams tend to hype their prospects, and the fans buy into it. That happens with every fan base, not just Red Sox fans.
JoeBrady
Fever Pitch Guy20 hours ago
Teams tend to hype their prospects, and the fans buy into it.
===================================
Most fans look at the rankings of various prospects. When they see Mayer being ranked in the top-20 and Fangraphs giving them a 55 FV, then they buy into the numbers. The RS actually don’t talk much about their prospects.
Fever Pitch Guy
Joe – I think you’re projecting again.
Most fans don’t give a crap about prospect rankings, because those rankings are frequently laughable.
Moncada was ranked the #1 prospect in baseball by many, how did that turn out?
Pedroia was ranked just 77th in 2006 before he made his ML debut, and during the 2007 preseason he wasn’t even ranked by BA or BP. What a joke, as he won ROY and MVP that same year.
Yet another example why most fans don’t worship the analyst gods.
As for your belief the Red Sox and their media branches (NESN, Globe, etc) don’t talk much about prospects? I won’t bother, because I know I could take the time to post hundreds of articles and videos of them getting hyped and you’d just insist it “wasn’t much”.
JoeBrady
i still laugh when anyone here thinks all the triple a guys were gonna work for the red sox,
===========================================
Not a single person in the world thinks that all AAA guys are going to work out. I assume most fans are like me and hope to hit on 50% of the guys like Winc, Seabold, Kutter, & Bello. And even that is probably slightly optimistic.
Amanda
also why is nobody mentioning in the last 5 weeks Trevor story has done absolutely nothing
Fever Pitch Guy
I think I may have mentioned Story’s nothingness maybe once or twice.
He’s playing solid defense at least, too bad Cora refuses to play him at SS when Xander is out.
Amanda
and i mean NOTHING hes hitting like 180
RobM
Hadn’t seen him pitch before last night. Seemed to be avoiding the strike zone at all costs. Not sure if that was a sign he was injured, or if his pitching style is more trying to live on the edges and getting opposing batters to expand the strike zone. Wasn’t working. Hopefully the strain turns out to be minor and not a precursor of TJS.
badco44
No news on Arroyo?
badco44
And this team just doesn’t look hungry… mistakes in the field, very little clutch out of the middle of the order. And it’s obvious that once the Yanks pen shows up it’s been well petty much lights out. Leaving way too many runners stranded… yeah I’m talking to Story, Bogaerts, JD, and Devers
Fever Pitch Guy
bad – Devers has a .949 OPS with RISP which is darn good, he’s one of the clutchest hitters in the game.
JD is usually clutch, but you’re right … he’s been awful with RISP.
Xander has never been great with RISP.
miltpappas
Valdez is back. Big surprise. Another one of Cora’s “boys”.
Fever Pitch Guy
Yep, Cora just can’t get enough of that Exxon Valdez disaster.
bcjd
Who would you bring up from AAA?
Fever Pitch Guy
Mata or Groome.
bcjd
Two pitchers with a combined zero innings pitched in AAA. I’ll assume Cora and Bloom know better than you that they’re not ready yet.
bcjd
Which AAA pitcher would you bring up?
Bart Harley Jarvis
Maybe this will manage some of the RedSox fan’s expectations that Seabold is a front-of-the-rotation stud. He’s maybe a serviceable arm at best.
Topper47
Nobody ever said that
Bart Harley Jarvis
Says you.
JoeBrady
Bart Harley Jarvis18 hours ago
RedSox fan’s expectations that Seabold is a front-of-the-rotation stud.
==============================
Are you on drugs? Seabold is 26 year old career minor leaguer. Not one person on this entire planet, except you, thinks he is a top of the rotation stud. Most people probably think he might be a multi-inning RP, and some hope he might be a #5 SP.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Joes,
Yes, I’m on a statin, and I don’t think Seabold is a top-of-the-rotation stud.
Now let me ask you question, are you illiterate or just slow on the uptake?
Claydagoat
You were quoted as saying “not one person” thinks he is a top of the rotation stud. Then on this thread you say “Maybe this will manage some of the RedSox fan’s expectations that Seabold is a front-of-the-rotation stud.”
So no, he isn’t illiterate. Just pointing out doublespeak.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Orien,
You seem a bit confused. Joes said “not one person”, not me. Too much weekend in your weekend?
JoeBrady
are you illiterate or just slow on the uptake?
——————————-
You’re just delusional. I read every RS thread. I’ve never seen a post where someone said “that Seabold is a front-of-the-rotation stud.”. You’re just making up schitt so that you can argue against it.
Bart Harley Jarvis
Okay, slow on the uptake it is. Joes you’re having an argument with yourself.
JoeBrady
You mean you didn’t know I was replying to you?
Bart Harley Jarvis
Whatever helps you sleep at night, Joes.
whyhayzee
What the frickity frack is wrong with mlb.com?