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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:20:47 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h
That's five losses in a row for the 63-45 Sox and six of the last seven.
Five Tigers relievers combined on 4.1 shutout innings.
Sox have been outscored 36-13 in the last four games.
Tigers have won 5 of 7.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:22:05 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Barnes tested negative.
Which means it's likely he comes off the IL tomorrow.
Sox can't really make a rotation change with a doubleheader on Saturday. But Cora acknowledged they're discussing what happens after that.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:24:02 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Richards only gets charged with 3 earned runs in four innings, but ... Red Sox rotation now has an 8.47 ERA over its last eight games while averaging 4.25 innings per outing. Sox starters have pitched fewer than five innings in 7 of the team's last 8 games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:25:13 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Cora: ‘Offensively we didn’t do much. We struck out 10 times against a team that actually doesn’t strike out too many guys. We’ve got to figure out what that’s all about.’
Cora: ‘We need our starters to go deeper.’
Cora says Sox won’t make rotation changes this week with doubleheader coming.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:30:33 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox injuries: Darwinzon Hernandez (oblique) headed for MRI; Kyle Schwarber (hamstring) nearing rehab assignment Updated Aug 03, 2021; Posted Aug 03, 2021
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
DETROIT -- Before Tuesday’s game against the Tigers, Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided updates on a handful of injured players:
Hernandez headed for MRI
Lefty Darwinzon Hernandez (right oblique strain) might be more seriously injured than the club originally thought, Cora said. Hernandez will undergo an MRI in the coming days.
Hernandez was placed on the IL on Saturday (retroactive to July 30) and at that time, Cora believed he would miss something close to the minimum 10 days. That is no longer the case.
“It went from something that we felt like was going to be back soon, now he’s in pain and he’s a little more sore, so we’ve got to do other testing to see where we’re at with it,” Cora said.
Schwarber getting closer
Newcomer Kyle Schwarber (right hamstring strain) participated in a simulated game at Comerica Park on Monday’s off day, facing righty Tanner Houck, doing drills at first base and running. He also took batting practice and worked out at first before Tuesday’s game.
Because Schwarber has only been with the Sox for a few days, the club does not yet have a timetable for his return. But Cora is encouraged with the progress Schwarber has made so far.
“We’re still in the running progression part of it,” Cora said. “He hasn’t run the bases. He hasn’t sprinted yet. But like I’ve said before, as far as testing and trainers being able to work with him, they’re very pleased with where he’s at strength-wise. Now it’s just a matter of keep progressing, keep building up and then deciding what we want to do. As far as like rehab, we don’t have a timetable there but I think things are progressing a lot better than we thought.
When Schwarber goes on a rehab stint, Cora said, it won’t be a long one. That could happen in the coming days.
Andriese, Brasier both progressing
Reliever Matt Andriese (right hamstring tendinitis) will throw a two-inning live batting practice session Wednesday, Cora said. A rehab stint could soon follow.
Reliever Ryan Brasier (concussion) is working out at Polar Park in Worcester this week and is scheduled to throw a bullpen Wednesday. After that, Cora said, he will throw a live BP session or two, then progress to a rehab stint. Brasier was close to being sent on a rehab assignment in early June before being struck in the head by a line drive during a simulated game in Fort Myers.
“As of now, I’m very surprised, to be honest with you — pleasantly surprised — that he’s doing so well and things are trending in the right direction,” Cora said.
Santana, Arroyo slow coming back
Infielder/outfielder Danny Santana (left groin strain) and second baseman Christian Arroyo (left hamstring strain) are not close to returning, Cora said. Both players have started running programs but have not yet progressed to baseball activities.
Arroyo has been on the IL since July 19; Santana has been out since July 22.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:32:08 GMT -5
Garrett Richards could be running out of time in Boston Red Sox rotation with Chris Sale due back soon: ‘This has been the worst year of my career’ Updated 12:47 AM; Today 12:41 AM
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
DETROIT -- With Chris Sale due back soon and Tanner Houck likely to take on an increased role on the pitching staff in the coming weeks, a shakeup in the Red Sox rotation is coming soon. And when it does, Garrett Richards might find himself on the outside looking in.
Richards took the loss for the Sox again Tuesday night, allowing three earned runs on five hits in 4+ innings as Boston fell, 4-2, to the Tigers. For the second straight outing (and the fourth time since June 16), Richards was unable to record an out in the fifth inning. His ERA since June 11 is 6.66; the Sox are 6-5 in his last 11 outings.
Simply put, Richards has not gotten the job done for Boston after a brilliant May in which he posted a 2.97 ERA in five outings. And with rotation changes coming, he could find himself either moved to the bullpen or pushed off the roster by the end of August.
Richards, to his credit, said after Tuesday’s loss that he has not thought that he might be pitching for his rotation spot in recent outings.
“Not at all,” he said. “That’s you guys. Not me.”
Asked if he thought a move to the bullpen could help him iron out some of the usage and mechanical hitches that have hampered him all summer, the veteran said no.
“I’m a starting pitcher,” he said. “I have an ability to throw 100 pitches and keep my stuff the whole time. I feel like that, in itself, is enough to keep me in the rotation. Not many people can do it.”
Richards is guaranteed at least one more start on Sunday in Toronto, but after that, the rotation picture gets more crowded for the Red Sox. Sale will likely make his season debut between Aug. 12 and 14 and Houck -- who is pitching Saturday as part of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays -- could very well assume a full-time rotation role as well. Boston’s schedule for the next few weeks is a bit wonky, as the club has two doubleheaders in an 11-day stretch and four off days in 15 days. That will allow manager Alex Cora and his staff to be creative with the rotation, but it also complicates matters a bit.
“There’s conversations of what we’re going to do,” Cora said. “Schedule-wise, it’s not as easy as making changes just to make changes. We’ve got that doubleheader in New York. We’re talking about it. If we have to make adjustments, we will. We still believe in these guys. We do believe they can go five, six innings for us just like they did early in the season and put us in a good spot to win.”
Richards’ latest dud came as part of a rough recent stretch for Red Sox starters. As The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier pointed out on Twitter, the Sox’ rotation owns an 8.47 ERA over its last eight games while averaging fewer than five innings per outing. Cora lamented the fact Richards was unable to record 15 outs Tuesday night.
For Richards, the outing was the latest boiling point in a season filled with frustrating moments.
“It’s frustrating,” Richards said. “This has been the worst year of my career. Just trying to find a way to give us a chance to win every night and take steps forward.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 3:52:54 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Tigers Wednesday, 4th August 2021 7pm @ Comerica Park
E-rod 7-6/5.60
Eduardo Rodriguez was obliterated for six runs over 3 1/3 innings on Thursday in a loss to the Blue Jays. Rodriguez simply didn't have it, and also ran into a buzzsaw, surrendering three runs on four hits, including a two-run double by Teoscar Hernández, in a disastrous opening frame. He also gave up an RBI single to George Springer in the second inning before being lifted from the contest after walking three consecutive batters, including Marcus Semien with the bases loaded, in the fourth inning. It was a brutal outing for the 28-year-old left-hander after he was forced to exit his previous start after just one inning of work due to migraine-like symptoms.
Mize 6-5/3.41
Casey Mize was charged with one run (zero earned) over seven innings on Thursday in a win over the Orioles. The Tigers began to scale back Mize's workload over the last few weeks, which severely caps his immediate fantasy upside, but he was extremely efficient in this one, requiring only 88 pitches to navigate seven frames. He struck out two batters and only issued two walks. The 24-year-old right-hander has taken a considerable step forward, dramatically improving his control to blossom into a reliable mixed-league fantasy contributor, posting a robust 3.41 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 87/30 K/BB ratio across 111 innings (20 starts) this season.
Tigers face Red Sox again amid Miguel Cabrera's milestone march According to STATS
Miguel Cabrera's march toward 500 career home runs has created added excitement for the Detroit Tigers and their fans in their home series against Boston this week.
Cabrera hit his 498th homer in the series opener on Tuesday, helping the Tigers hand the Red Sox their fifth straight loss, 4-2. They'll play the second game of the three-game series on Wednesday.
Cabrera's two-hit game also moved him within 56 hits of 3,000. The energy level in the ballpark rises with each of his at-bats.
"Obviously, Miggy's chase contributes to a lot of that," manager AJ Hinch said. "When he comes up to bat, they're looking for the number to change, either the hit number or the homer total. And Miggy's delivered with really good at-bats."
Cabrera was floundering at the plate for the first 2 1/2 months of the season. He was batting .199 before a three-hit game on June 14. His average has climbed to .253, and he has homered four times in the last seven games.
"He's a huge presence in our lineup," Hinch said. "It eases (things for) a lot of the guys around him. The power numbers since the homestand have been really good. He's put the ball in play and gotten some hits for a couple of months now."
Detroit will have its new ace on the mound. Casey Mize (6-5, 3.41 ERA) was on a pitch limit most of July, but he was allowed to throw 88 pitches in seven efficient innings against Baltimore in his last start. On Thursday, he held the Orioles to one unearned run on four hits while collecting his first victory since June 26.
"I wasn't able to get to many two-strike counts, wasn't able to pitch that deep into counts because they were swinging the bats," Mize said. "They weren't shying away from swinging the bats early, so that kind of played into our hands (Thursday)."
Mize had a strong outing against Boston on May 5 despite walking four batters. He held the Red Sox to one run on three hits in six innings. It is the only time he has faced them.
Boston's scheduled starter, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (7-6, 5.60 ERA), has departed early in his last two outings due to health and control issues.
He was removed from his July 23 start against the New York Yankees after one inning when he experienced migraine symptoms. Six days later, he was roughed up for six runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against Toronto. He issued a season-high four walks while throwing 92 pitches.
"A lot of walks, a lot of base hits," he said. "That's what I think was kind of the problem, a little bit. I would say the only pitch I was able to use most of the time was the fastball, and I wasn't able to locate it."
Rodriguez has pitched well against Detroit during his career, going 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA in six starts.
The Red Sox had another frustrating night at the plate on Tuesday, as they left nine runners on base. They failed to score after Hunter Renfroe's leadoff homer in the second inning.
"We don't want the slide to continue," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "Our goal is to go out there tomorrow and play a good game and win the game."
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Tigers Wednesday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 80° F with a 1% chance of rain and 6 MPH wind blowing in in Detroit at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 6:51:23 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Red Sox haven’t looked this lifeless since Opening Day Stuck in season-long five-game skid
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald August 4, 2021 at 5:35 a.m.
Alex Verdugo put both hands on his batting helmet, pulled it behind his shoulders and then slammed it onto the wooden bench in the visitor’s dugout three times.
It was the most life the Red Sox showed all night. They haven’t played with an energy level this low since the opening series against the Orioles.
The Detroit Tigers gifted the Red Sox a quick lead with some atrocious defense and the Sox still couldn’t snap their losing streak on Tuesday night.
Instead, they took a 4-2 loss on the chin and have now lost five in a row.
“When teams go through this, you kind of figure out what you’re made of,” outfielder Hunter Renfroe said.
It’s remarkable how quickly a team can go from being the menace of the American League to an obedient lapdog rolling over for the opponent.
The Rays lost, too, and the Sox remain a game behind in the A.L. East. The Yankees won and they’re just five games behind the Sox in the Wild Card.
The race is on, and the Sox are spinning their tires while the rest of the division just got an oil change.
It’s a scary thing considering the Sox have largely played above their heads for most of the season. It’s no wonder the Rays, Yankees and Blue Jays smelled blood in the water last week. The Yanks and Jays especially went nuts at the trade deadline, adding a combined six impact players before 4 p.m. on Friday.
The Sox rank 11th in MLB in run differential and the competition was poised to catch them.
All at once, it’s like the Sox are falling apart and playing the way most pundits predicted before the season.
They haven’t gotten a quality start (at least six innings, three earned runs or less) out of the rotation since Martin Perez on July 25. There have been just two quality starts in the last 23 games.
Garrett Richards looks like he has nothing left to offer as a starting pitcher and it’s a testament to how few options the Sox have that they keep running him out there.
He completed four innings against the Tigers’ league-average offense on Tuesday, allowing three earned runs.
There are 61 pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings this year, and Richards ranks 56th in ERA (5.21), 58th in walk rate (3.98/9IP), 51st in home run rate (1.44/9IP), 60th in WHIP (1.65) and 58th in WAR (0.3).
With Tanner Houck rejoining the rotation the next time through and Chris Sale one start away from coming back, that should spell the end of Richards’ extended audition.
But manager Alex Cora said after Tuesday’s game that Richards would stay in the rotation at least one more turn because of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Richards admitted it’s the worst season of his career, but also said, “I’m a starting pitcher. I have an ability to throw 100 pitches and keep my stuff the whole time. I feel like that in itself, not many people can do it.”
Xander Bogaerts hasn’t looked right since hurting his wrist in New York in the series immediately following the All-Star break. He’s still a productive player, but not the same player. He has 11 strikeouts and just one extra-base hit in 32 at-bats in that span.
Verdugo looks off, too. He’s been battling a hamstring injury all year and while he hit the ball on the screws a couple times Tuesday, there’s a noticeable lack of energy in his game compared to the way he played early this year and all of last year.
The Sox haven’t been struck by the injury bug this year, but all of a sudden the long season is starting to take its toll.
Kiké Hernandez missed Tuesday’s game and is a little banged up. And while he should return Wednesday, the Sox don’t have anyone capable of playing second base and handling the bat in his absence.
Darwinzon Hernandez is going to be out at least a few weeks with an oblique injury.
Adam Ottavino has looked out of sorts over the last month.
The Sox have no first baseman. Bobby Dalbec’s lack of visible confidence has to be a legitimate concern, not only for this year, but for the player’s overall development.
Somebody needs to step up on offense right now. Jarren Duran’s foot speed is the most impressive part of the lineup.
“It’s been just kind of a battle to really focus on trying to drive those guys in with less than two outs from third and second,” Renfroe said.
Somebody needs to step up in the starting rotation. And it has to happen soon, because these next 10 days or so, while the team waits for Sale and Kyle Schwarber to return from the injured list, could shape the entire season.
If the Sox can’t beat the Tigers, something is wrong.
“We struck out 10 times against a team that actually doesn’t strike many people out, so we need to figure out what that’s all about,” Cora said.
Then it’s onto Toronto over the weekend and back home to host the Rays next week.
They can win or lose the division in these next 10 days.
It’s time to wake up.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 8:21:38 GMT -5
Tomase: Red Sox need mental toughness now more than ever 55M ago / by John Tomase John Tomase RED SOX INSIDER
The thing about avalanches is that once they start, they don't stop until rock bottom. All of that snow and ice and debris gathers speed until no opposing force can stop it, not trees, not boulders, not houses, not people. Only the rocks below.T
The Red Sox aren't cascading down the side of a mountain just yet, but the ground is rumbling ominously beneath their feet. They've spent the bulk of this season as not only one of the best teams in baseball, but maybe the best story, too, a likable assemblage of recognizable All-Stars and anonymous grinders playing well beyond the sum of their parts to claim the American League's best record more than halfway through the season. MLB Power Rankings: Where Red Sox stand after trade deadline
They maintained that safe position as recently as last week, but the seismograph has been breakdancing ever since. On Tuesday, they dropped their fifth straight and sixth in seven games, combining their two recent trademarks -- lackluster offense and inadequate starting pitching.
The result was a 4-2 loss to the sub-.500 Tigers that dropped the Red Sox perilously close to the Yankees and Blue Jays, who each pulled within four games of Boston in the loss column.
Not coincidentally, both clubs made major additions at Friday's trade deadline while the Red Sox stood relatively pat. Boston's primary acquisition, outfielder Kyle Schwarber, just started working out at first base and hopes to begin a rehab assignment for a strained hamstring that has sidelined him since early July. Meanwhile, Yankees acquisition Anthony Rizzo continues to mash, and Blue Jays import Jose Berrios just threw six shutout innings in his Toronto debut.
If the Red Sox are feeling sorry for themselves over management's relative lack of support last week, it's understandable, but it needs to end. We'll even give them a pass for zombie-staggering through a weekend sweep in Tampa, because mental toughness hasn't been an issue all season.
But if the frustration is going to continue to boil over as it did in Detroit -- outfielder Alex Verdugo smashed his helmet in the dugout and right-hander Garrett Richards once again sulked his way through a press conference -- then at a certain point, the narrative becomes less that management didn't support the team and more that it was right not to waste future resources on a flawed roster.
The good news is we're not there yet. I do not believe this team is wired to collapse, not based on what we've seen since that opening series vs. the Orioles. The Red Sox have displayed mental toughness through all manner of trials, whether it's overcoming injuries, surviving brutal scheduling, or constantly needing to rally. Rallying the troops remains one of Alex Cora's greatest skills as a manager.
At some point, however, you worry about the mental toll their style of baseball might extract. It feels like they've already played about two dozen games at playoff intensity, and the race is only going to tighten.
"I think it's more just pressing," said outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who homered on Tuesday to provide a brief 2-0 lead. "The mental side of it, I think we're really good. I think we're mentally tough. We have some guys who have been there, done that. We have a lot of guys with experience in the World Series.
"This game is very hard, but we have some guys that have the mental fortitude that we can go a long way. We just need to keep doing what we're doing, stay relaxed, go out there tomorrow, and we'll figure it out."
If the AL East were a mountain, the Red Sox would still reside near the top. But there's no question the Yankees and Jays -- not to mention the relentless Rays -- have destabilized their perch.
"Our goal is to come tomorrow and win," Cora said. "We don't want this slide to continue."
For now, it's just a slide. Gather much more speed, however, and they may discover just how alarmingly involuntary that ride to the bottom can be.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 4, 2021 8:27:25 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Richards only gets charged with 3 earned runs in four innings, but ... Red Sox rotation now has an 8.47 ERA over its last eight games while averaging 4.25 innings per outing. Sox starters have pitched fewer than five innings in 7 of the team's last 8 games. The fact that our starters are not going very deep in games is an issue. That said, our pitching staff, as a whole, has still been keeping the team in most games. The starting staff is what it is. IMO, it's the offense that has been letting the team down more so than the pitching.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 13:03:18 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4m #RedSox thumped KC 15-1 on July 1 .
They were 51-31 with a 3.5-game lead in the division and a +62 run differential.
They are 12-14 since with a minus-16 run differential and trail by a game.
Very much in it, yes. But haven't played well for a while now.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 13:35:14 GMT -5
Game 109: Red Sox at Tigers lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated August 4, 2021, 10:26 a.m. The Red Sox will look to snap their season-high five-game losing streak when they face the Tigers in Detroit Wednesday night. They had another frustrating night at the plate Tuesday, as they left nine runners on base in a 4-2 loss. The Rays also lost Tuesday night, so the Sox remain one game out of first place in the American League East. Here are the standings. Lineups RED SOX (63-45): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) 2B 2. Jarren Duran (L) CF 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 7. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 8. Franchy Cordero (L) 1B 9. Christian Vazquez (R) C Pitching: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-6, 5.60 ERA) TIGERS (52-57): 1. Akil Baddoo (L) LF 2. Jonathan Schoop (R) 2B 3. Robbie Grossman (S) RF 4. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B 5. Eric Haase (R) DH 6. Jeimer Candelario (S) 3B 7. Grayson Greiner (R) C 8. Zack Short (R) SS 9. Derek Hill (R) CF Pitching: RHP Casey Mize (6-5, 3.41 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Mize: Xander Bogaerts 1-2, Franchy Cordero 0-2, Rafael Devers 0-2, Marwin Gonzalez 2-5, Kiké Hernández 0-3, J.D. Martinez 0-2, Hunter Renfroe 0-3, Christian Vázquez 1-2. Tigers vs. Rodriguez: Miguel Cabrera 3-11, Jeimer Candelario 2-5, Harold Castro 0-2, Grayson Greiner 0-2, Robbie Grossman 4-11, Victor Reyes 1-3, Jonathan Schoop 7-30. Stat of the day: Over the last eight games, Red Sox starters have an 8.47 ERA while averaging just over four innings an outing. Notes: The Sox are averaging just 4 runs per game since the All-Star break, one of the worst performances in the big leagues in that time … Rodriguez is 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA in six career starts against the Tigers … Miguel Cabrera is two home runs short of 500, and 56 hits away from 3,000 … In his only appearance against the Red Sox, Mize allowed one run on three hits and four walks in six innings May 5. Song of the Day: The Rolling Stones "Slipping Away"www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz8oEjUfPhs
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 13:47:19 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 9m Kyle Schwarber was just on the field here in Detroit running the bases.
Not full speed but looked pretty good. Getting ready to get some work at first base now.
Bogaerts and Vazquez taking BP off a pitching machine while Schwarber takes grounders from Carlos Febles with Ramon Vazquez offering pointers at the bag.
Febles is hitting the grounders with more zip today and Schwarber is incorporating throws to second.
This is a full speed ahead process.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 13:57:20 GMT -5
OMF @omfonweei · 8m Alex Cora just now on Matt Barnes: "He's good to go"
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 4, 2021 15:11:21 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 1m #RedSox optioned Arauz to make room for Matt Barnes coming off the Covid IL.
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