Red Sox announce roster moves
BOSTON, MA – Prior to today’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, the Boston Red Sox announced the following roster moves:
- Infielder Chris Owings was selected to the active major league roster from Triple-A Pawtucket.
- To make room for Owings on the 25-man roster, right-handed pitcher Hector Velázquez was optioned to Pawtucket following yesterday’s game.
- To make room for Owings on the 40-man roster, first baseman/outfielder Steve Pearce was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
Owings, 27, was signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent on June 17, 2019. The right-handed hitter has batted .325 (53-for-163) with 11 home runs and a .980 OPS in 44 games for the PawSox, notably homering in six consecutive games from July 20-26. Selected by Arizona in the first round of the 2009 June Draft (41st overall), Owings has appeared in 621 major league games with the Diamondbacks (2013-18) and Royals (2019) and hit .242 (508-for-2,095) with 33 home runs and 74 stolen bases. In his major league career, he has started 217 games at shortstop, 158 at second base, 18 at third base, 63 in center field, 60 in right field, and four in left field.
Velázquez, 30, has made 26 appearances (eight starts) for Boston this season, posting a 5.81 ERA (31 ER/48.0 IP). The right-hander has also made six appearances with Pawtucket and owns a 4.05 ERA (3 ER/6.2 IP) with a .217 opponent batting average. He made his major league debut with Boston in 2017 after having his contract purchased from Campeche of the Mexican League and has since gone 11-7 with a 3.94 ERA (69 ER/157.2 IP) in 81 major league appearances (19 starts).
Pearce, 36, was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 1 with a low back strain. He has hit .180 (16-for-89) in 29 games for Boston this season, making 15 starts at first base, three in left field, and five at designated hitter. Selected by Pittsburgh in the eighth round of the 2005 June Draft, he has appeared in 766 major league games with the Pirates (2007-11), Orioles (2012, ’13-15, ’16), Yankees (2012), Astros (2012), Rays (2016), Blue Jays (2017-18), and Red Sox (2018-19).