TORONTO -- The Red Sox optioned catcher Óscar Hernández and right-hander Josh A. Smith to Triple-A Pawtucket prior to Monday afternoon’s series opener in Toronto, which cleared the way for David Price and Sandy Leon to be added back to the active roster.

Price started Monday's 12-2 win and looked comfortable back on the mound at Rogers Centre, throwing 67 pitches over five innings. The 33-year-old lefty allowed two unearned runs on three hits while striking out four.

Leon returned from the paternity list following the birth of his daughter, rejoining Christian Vázquez as the club’s catching tandem for the series in Toronto. He got the start catching Price, and he reached base three times with a single and two walks.

“He did a good job behind the plate,” manager Alex Cora said. “He put up good at-bats, two walks and he went against the shift. He was under control.”

The return of Leon could be good news for Chris Sale, who has been particularly sharp in games where they’re paired together. Sale owns a 2.61 ERA over five games pitching to Leon this season, but he has a 6.39 ERA in his five games pitching to Vazquez.

Sale struck out 10 in Sunday's series finale against the Astros while pitching to Vazquez, with Boston picking up a 4-3 win, but he also walked five, his highest total in a Red Sox uniform.

Hernandez did not get into a game in his brief stint with the Red Sox, leaving his most recent MLB experience as a 2016 cameo with the D-backs. Smith, on the other hand, has made four appearances this season, with a 4.91 ERA and six strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings.

Rotating rest days planned for this week

J.D. Martinez was given a day off Monday, something that Boston manager Alex Cora plans to roll through his lineup as the week goes on.

“It’s going to be a tough stretch, we’ll start taking care of them,” Cora said prior to the game. “Maybe Rafi [Rafael Devers] this series, Xander [Bogaerts] over the week, we’ll take care of them and keep them fresh.”

Following a pair of night games on Tuesday and Wednesday in Toronto, the Red Sox have a quick turnaround to a 12:37 p.m. ET start on Thursday at Rogers Centre before flying to Houston for a tough weekend series against the American League West-dominating Astros.

Cora eager to see more from Guerrero family

Cora and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. were briefly teammates on the Texas Rangers in 2010, and he’ll soon get his first look at Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is scheduled to return to the lineup on Tuesday after getting a day off Monday.

The same raw talents are shared by father and son, Cora says, and he’s been extremely impressed by how Vlad Jr. shook off his early struggles by controlling the strike zone and picking his opportunities. His real concern, though, is the availability of Altagracia’s cooking.

Altagracia is Guerrero Jr.’s grandmother, and her cooking has become famous in baseball circles stretching back to the early days of Guerrero Sr.’s career.

“All of the Latino players, even the American players, we enjoyed playing against him and having him around, but the best thing was going to that city where he was playing and getting that rice and beans and stewed chicken from his mom,” Cora said. “I mean, oh my goodness. She’s probably here with Vladdy Jr., so hopefully they can send some food over here.”