BOSTON -- Even as the Red Sox roll on at a pace that would give them the most wins in franchise history, the lineup/roster has become a bit of a revolving door of late.
Just as shortstop Xander Bogaerts returned from a right hand bruise to make his first start since Tuesday, second baseman Ian Kinsler was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain prior to Saturday's game against the Yankees.
Kinsler, who was 4-for-10 in three games for the Red Sox since being acquired in a trade with the Angels, joins third baseman Rafael Devers and catcher Blake Swihart, both of whom are also on the DL with hamstring strains.
"I wish we could find out [why]," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "We talked about it yesterday with Ian, kind of like, traveling from L.A. to Tampa and Tampa to here, and all of a sudden, I bet finally playing in these conditions, although California has been hot -- I don't know. Hopefully, we'll find out and we make adjustments if there's something we can do."
To replace Kinsler on the roster, the Red Sox selected the contract of infielder Tony Renda from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia was transferred to the 60-day disabled list, though he remains eligible to be activated at any point, having already been out for that long. It's uncertain if Pedroia will play again this season.
The 27-year-old Renda is slashing .353/.399/.529 with five homers and 24 RBIs in the Minors this season.
Renda was selected by the Nationals in the second round of the 2012 Draft. His only Major League experience before this was for the Reds in 2016, when he appeared in 32 games and made starts at second base, third base, left field and right field.
"This is an incredible team," said Renda. "This is the best team in baseball. And I'm going to play hard and give it everything I have, and in the end, I think that'll help. There's just a way these guys play the game -- they're never out of the fight, they've got a ton of talent and they play hard."
"[Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles] told me he's very similar to Brock [Holt] as far as his game, but from the right-hand side," said Cora. "He'll grind out at-bats, good defender, versatility. We can play him in the outfield, too."
Devers is eligible to be activated on Wednesday, when the Red Sox play the second game of a three-game series in Toronto.
That is also the target date for ace Chris Sale (left shoulder inflammation) to return from the DL, though the Red Sox haven't solidified it for sure yet.
"I think we're a deep ballclub," said Cora. "It seems like somebody goes down, the next guy will show up and play well for us. We've been going through this the whole season, so it's not like this is something new for us. Like I said yesterday, we prepare and we go out there and we play and turn the page. It's not perfect. I wish everybody was healthy. But at the same time, we understand that over 162 games, this is going to happen. It's happened a lot lately, it sucks, but we're comfortable with the guys we're playing."