Sandy Leon has a new backup catcher.
The Boston Red Sox have placed Ryan Hanigan on the 15-day disabled list with left ankle tendinitis and added catcher Bryan Holaday to their active roster to replace him, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced Saturday.
Hanigan was lifted from Thursday’s game against the Seattle Mariners after “hearing a pop” in his left ankle. And while the veteran catcher was available in an emergency capacity Friday night — he and Leon were the only catchers on the team’s active roster — he’ll now get a chance to heal as the Red Sox recall their newest acquisition.
Boston claimed Holaday off waivers Friday from the Texas Rangers. The 28-year-old veteran batted at a .238 clip in 30 games for the Rangers this season after spending the previous four years of his career with the Detroit Tigers.
Holaday likely will serve as nothing more than a backup for Leon, who continues to have an amazing season at the plate. He drove in a team-high four runs Friday in the Red Sox’s 9-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and is hitting .374 on the year through 107 plate appearances.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
