Red Sox Place Ailing Veteran Pitcher On IL, Call Up Dynamic Shortstop Prospect
The Boston Red Sox are shaking up the roster for the better as they ride a six-game win streak entering play Wednesday night.
Prior to Game 3 of their four-game set against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, the Red Sox opted to swap out a veteran hurler on his last leg for an electric middle infielder.
The Red Sox placed right-hander Corey Kluber on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation to make room for shortstop/second baseman David Hamilton on the active roster.
This move makes sense for a myriad of reasons, let's start with Kluber. The 37-year-old former two-time Cy Young winner is cooked. There is no better performance to illustrate that than last night, when he allowed five hits -- three of which were monster home runs -- a walk and notched a pair of strikeouts in three innings. He entered play with the highest home runs allowed per nine innings in Red Sox history (2.8), and somehow added to his record.
The Twins elected to use a position player on the mound to close out the game, who had a much easier time getting through an inning.
Is Kluber actually hurt? Unlikely. But if the Red Sox are refusing to designate Kluber for assignment, a fake injury is the next-best option.
Now for the good stuff. David Hamilton is set to make his big league debut, providing reliable defense, -- his range and glove are strong but some question his arm strength -- solid bat-to-ball skills, occasional bursts of power and a ton of speed.
The 25-year-old rookie gets his shot in the majors due to Pablo Reyes dealing with an abdominal injury. The ailment appears to be minor as Reyes claims he's available Wednesday if needed.
Hamilton is hitting .255 with 23 extra-base hits including 11 home runs, 25 RBIs and a .825 OPS in 52 games. He also has 27 steals in 33 attempts. Last season he swiped 70 bags in 78 attempts for Double-A Portland. That's right, he might even be faster than Jarren Duran.
Given that rookie left-handed starting pitcher Brandon Walker is with the team and reportedly slated to make his debut Thursday plus Reyes appears to be okay, Hamilton might be on the roster for just a day. Hopefully, that's not the case, as he could be a fun option off the bench. Either way, it's good to know that he's on Boston's radar.
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