The Boston Red Sox swapped one catcher for another Tuesday, activating Ryan Hanigan off the 15-day disabled list and assigning Christian Vazquez to Triple-A Pawtucket.
Hanigan has not played in a major league game since straining his neck in a June 4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. The 35-year-old backstop went 5-for-25 during an eight-game rehab assignment and will be available for Tuesday’s game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.
Vazquez, meanwhile, is batting just .226 with one home run and 12 RBIs in 51 games for the Red Sox this season. Though he has the most upside of Boston’s quartet of catchers, his numbers of late have been dwarfed by those of Sandy Leon, who’s crushed the ball since being called up in the wake of Hanigan’s injury.
The usually light-hitting Leon is batting an astounding .500 (20-for-40) in 15 games since his promotion, including going 4-for-5 with three doubles in Monday’s 12-5 rout of the Rangers.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Red Sox left fielder Brock Holt told reporters after Monday’s game, via ESPN.com. “We laugh every time he gets a hit now. We should be laughing every time he gets out because he hasn’t got out very much. He’s been great for us, and he’s been a huge part of what we’ve been doing.”
The Red Sox have five games remaining before the All-Star break.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
