Sam Travis Bops Grand Slam After Earning Red Sox Opening Day Roster Spot

With Opening Day just days away, the Boston Red Sox put the final touches on their 25-man roster for Thursday’s matchup against the Seattle Mariners.

And with first baseman Steve Pearce opening the season on the injured list, Boston announced that first baseman Sam Travis will be sticking with the big-league club until the World Series MVP returns to action.

The news must have put a pep in the 25-year-old’s step, as Travis had a monster day at the plate in the Sox’s last spring training game against the Chicago Cubs.

Travis went 2-for-2 with five RBI’s, clubbing a double and later slugging his first home run of the spring, a grand slam to left-center field.

Travis batted .244 at camp with a .692 OPS and drove in seven runs, including Tuesday’s line.

The first baseman has played in 52 big-league games for Boston, slashing .250/.306/.357 with one home run. It’s not clear what the Red Sox’s plans for Travis are once Pearce returns, but the club has to be happy to see Travis heading into the regular season on a high note.