Red Sox Reportedly Call Up Electric Young Slugger; Could Another Move Be On Way?
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The Boston Red Sox were busy Wednesday morning.
Boston took down the Minnesota Twins in exciting extra-inning fashion Tuesday night after Chris Sale's finest start of the season so far to get back in the win column. The Red Sox are set to take on the Twins on Wednesday night in the middle contest of a three-game series and potentially look a little different after reportedly calling up electric young infielder Enmanuel Valdez, according to SoxProspects.com's Chris Hatfield.
The Red Sox acquired Valdez ahead of the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline from the Houston Astros in a deal centered around longtime Boston catcher Christian Vázquez. Valdez currently is Boston's 17th-ranked prospect and should see plenty of time at second base.
Valdez played for the Red Sox in spring training and at one point seemed as if he would potentially compete for the club's starting second base spot. He came out of the gate hot, but cooled down and slashed .214/.389/.429 in 15 games to go along with two home runs and four RBIs. The 24-year-old has drawn comparisons to two-time All-Star Juan Soto for similar swings from the left side and although they certainly aren't the same players, it wouldn't hurt if Valdez could one day compare to the San Diego Padres outfielder.
Although no move has been finalized as of early Wednesday afternoon, Valdez's reported call-up is a sign that infielder Christian Arroyo likely will land on the injured list. The second baseman experienced leg issues during the team's loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday and didn't play Tuesday.
Arroyo has struggled to open the season for Boston in an extended role and has slashed .160/.192/.200 in 16 games and has struck out 13 times and walked just twice. There's no way for sure to know what will happen next, but if Valdez is able to shine with the big league club it wouldn't be too surprising if he could take over the job. Boston has Adalberto Mondesi on the roster and he still is recovering from knee surgery but should be back before summer begins. If Valdez takes a step forward the club likely wouldn't hold on to all three infielders.
There's no way for sure to know what will happen, but if Valdez can take over the second base job, there may be more moves coming in the near future.
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