Christian Arroyo crushed a grand slam Thursday — his second of two home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies — and a former Boston Red Sox teammate just so happened to be mic’d up for the blast.
Arroyo took Taylor Lehman deep in the third inning, one frame after hitting a solo homer off Erubiel Armenta, while ESPN conducted a live interview with Kyle Schwarber.
The ball traveled over Schwarber’s head in left field, clearing the replica Green Monster at JetBlue Park, and gave the Red Sox an early 7-0 lead in their Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.
Schwarber, now in his second season with Philadelphia after spending the tail end of 2021 with Boston, didn’t have much of a reaction to Arroyo’s grand slam, other than to say, “Good swing.”
Check out Arroyo’s grand slam in the video below.
And here’s a look at the first homer Arroyo hit.
Arroyo figures to serve as the Red Sox’s primary second baseman to open the 2023 season, forming a double-play tandem with Kiké Hernández, who’s expected to play shortstop on a full-time basis in wake of Xander Bogaerts’ free agency departure and Trevor Story’s elbow surgery.
Injuries at times have been an issue for Arroyo, but the 27-year-old is a versatile defender with pop in his bat, which he showcased Thursday at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Fla. Him staying healthy and productive would be a sneaky big development for the Red Sox as they look to bounce back from a last-place finish in the American League East.
