BOSTON, MA – Prior to tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox made the following roster moves:
Placed left-handed pitcher Martín Pérez and right-handed pitcher Matt Barnes on the COVID-19 Related Injured List.
Recalled right-handed pitcher Phillips Valdez from Triple-A Worcester.
Selected right-handed pitcher Raynel Espinal from Worcester. He will wear number 80.
Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.
Pérez, 30, is 7-8 with a 4.88 ERA (58 ER/107.0 IP) in 31 appearances (22 starts) for the Red Sox this season. He last pitched Saturday in Cleveland, earning a hold after allowing an unearned run in one-third of an inning.
Barnes, 31, has appeared in 54 games with the Red Sox this season. A 2021 All-Star, he is 6-5 with 24 saves, a 3.81 ERA (21 ER/49.2 IP), a 1.07 WHIP, a .202 opponent batting average, and 14.13 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (78 strikeouts).
Valdez, 29, has made 25 appearances for the Red Sox this season, posting a 5.56 ERA (21 ER/34.0 IP) with 33 strikeouts. He has also recorded a 3.68 ERA (6 ER/14.2 IP) in 15 games for Worcester, striking out 18 batters and walking eight with a .241 opponent batting average.
Espinal, 29, is making his first appearance on an active major league roster. The right-hander has spent the entire 2021 season with Worcester, making 18 appearances (16 starts) and going 9-4 with a 3.74 ERA (38 ER/91.1 IP) and a .203 opponent batting average. Boston selected the Dominican Republic native from the New York Yankees in the minor league phase of the 2019 Rule 5 Draft.
