BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today announced following roster moves:
Returned left-handed pitcher Chris Sale from his injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester and reinstated him from the 60-day injured list.
Reinstated catcher Christian Vázquez from the bereavement list.
Optioned right-handed pitcher Yacksel Rios to Worcester following last night’s game.
Optioned catcher Connor Wong to Worcester.
Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.
Sale, 32, will start today’s game against the Baltimore Orioles, his first major league outing since August 13, 2019. Since joining the Red Sox in 2017, the left-hander is 35-23 with a 3.08 ERA (178 ER/519.2 IP) in 84 starts. Among American League pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched since the start of 2012, Sale ranks first in ERA (3.05), WHIP (1.03), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (11.11), strikeouts-to-walk ratio (5.63), opponent batting average (.219), and opponent OPS (.626). The seven-time All-Star and 2018 World Series champion owns the best strikeouts-to-walk ratio (5.37) among pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched in the Live Ball Era.
Vázquez, 30, has appeared in 100 games with the Red Sox this season, making 88 starts at catcher and three at designated hitter. He has hit .254 (87-for-342) with a .639 OPS, 16 doubles, four home runs, 37 RBI, and 36 runs scored. Vázquez has thrown out 12 runners attempting to steal against him, the most in the American League.
Rios, 28, has made 20 relief appearances for the Red Sox this season, posting a 3.70 ERA (10 ER/24.1 IP) with a 1.11 WHIP. The right-hander last pitched Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing two runs in 2.0 innings.
Wong, 25, made his major league debut this season and has appeared in six games with Boston, going 4-for-13 (.308) and throwing out the only runner who attempted to steal against him. In 27 games with Worcester this season, he has hit .183 (19-for-104) with two home runs, making 25 starts at catcher, one at second base, and one at designated hitter.
