The Boston Red Sox are getting rid of one utility player to make room for another player with some versatility.
Kyle Schwarber will be making his Red Sox debut Friday night. In order to clear room for him on the roster, Marwin Gonzalez was designated for assignment. Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed the moves.
Schwarber will be the designated hitter and bat sixth for the Red Sox on Friday night against the Baltimore Orioles. He was scheduled to do a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on Thursday, but that game was called due to rain. He hasn’t played since July 2nd due to hamstring and groin injuries, but he is healthy enough to play and getting his bat in the lineup is of chief importance to Boston.
Although they have hinted at Schwarber playing first, he also can play the outfield, and makes sense as a potential left field option.
Gonzalez, historically a steady veteran player, struggled to get anything going offensively. He can play anywhere in the infield or outfield but is not elite-enough defensively to warrant the Red Sox letting him fight through things offensively. He was hitting a mere .202 in 77 games this season.
The Red Sox acquired Schwarber ahead of last month’s trade deadline from the Washington Nationals. He is hitting .253 this season with 25 home runs in 72 games.
