BOSTON – While the Red Sox took advantage of rosters expanding to 28 by welcoming veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa back from 60-day injured list and promoting righty Jedixson Paez from Triple-A Worcester to start against the Mariners on Tuesday night, they also had to put key setup reliever Tyron Guerrero on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.
The hard-throwing Guerrero is having a breakout season at 35. In 38 games in his first taste of Major League life since 2019, the right-hander has a 3.26 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.
Guerrero didn’t look like his powerful self on Monday, giving up three hits, three runs and a walk in Boston’s eventual 9-8 win in 10 innings.
The Red Sox are also without another key member of their setup crew in righty Justin Slaten, who is on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. Garrett Whitlock, the team’s ace in front of closer Aroldis Chapman, returned from the IL last weekend after a bout with right elbow inflammation.
“He's got some shoulder fatigue that's not new,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy of Guerrero. “Shoulder fatigue, shoulder strength is down. It's been off and on for a bit now. [Monday] was a bit of a struggle for him. And again, like, similar to the other guys, it's just got to the point as you watch it, it's like, 'We can't get him hurt.' So we’ll make some changes, flip things up and give him some time to get himself healthy for the stretch.”
To replace Guerrero on the roster, the Sox called up Wyatt Olds, who had just been sent down on Saturday to make room for the return of Whitlock.
With Kiner-Falefa, who had been out for two months with a stress reaction in his left forearm, the Red Sox welcomed another veteran back to their position-player mix with a reputation as a strong defender.
“IKF’s a good glove," said Tracy. "I think, obviously, you look at the team right now, the way Trevor [Story’s] come back swinging the bat, the way [Nick] Sogard is swinging the bat, it's easy to look and say these guys are going to play. But you also have Mickey [Gasper] at first [filling in for Willson Contreras]. He did awesome last night, [but] he's not a massively experienced guy over there.
“So you have the option to get Izzy's glove, a Gold Glove defender, involved in the middle of the field, and slide Sogard over to first late if you have a lead and you want to do that. We'll look to find ways -- and if you have to do that as early as the seventh, he might grab a big at-bat late.”
When Kiner-Falefa got hurt, he was in the midst of one of the best offensive stretches of his career. At least for now, at-bats might be hard to come by.
“I've said before, play the hot hand and if something's rolling that you want to keep it out there, you do that, but that's how it looks for right now,” said Tracy.
The 22-year-old Paez was selected by the White Sox in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, but he was returned to the Red Sox on April 4. He got Tuesday’s start so the Red Sox could build in some extra rest for veteran ace Sonny Gray, who will pitch on Saturday in Baltimore.
Signed by Boston as an international free agent in January 2021, Paez, a Venezuela native, owns a 3.37 ERA in 369 innings with a 1.06 WHIP and 381 strikeouts in 93 career Minor League games (68 starts). He made his Major League debut for the White Sox in the first week of the season, pitching in three games before getting designated for assignment.