The Boston Red Sox suffered one of their more crushing defeats on Tuesday night, losing 10-9 in eleven innings to the Detroit Tigers, after the Red Sox bullpen imploded. Boston was able to put up the runs necessary and went into the bottom half of the 11th winning 9-7, until the Tigers' Javier Baez blasted a three-run home run off Greg Weissert to put the Red Sox hopes to bed.
After losing the first two games of the series against Detroit in two very different fashions, the Red Sox sit at .500 once again. They are 22-22, second in the AL East and only trail the Yankees by 3 games for the division lead.
With Boston enduring some tough losses in the latter half of this Midwest road trip, now seems like a good time to check up on former Red Sox and their performances through mid-May.
While one former Red Sox is off to a tough start with an AL East foe, another is surging at the right time as a member of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Christian Arroyo Mashing in Minor Leagues
Arroyo, 29, has bounced around 6 different MLB organizations in his 11 seasons at the professional level. Before his days as a Red Sox, Arroyo played in a selection of major league games for the Giants, Rays and Guardians.
His arrival to the Red Sox in 2020 would start a successful stint in the majors as a utility player for Boston. In the COVID-shortened season, Arroyo played in 14 games for the Red Sox, slashing .240/.296/.440 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs.
2021 would lead to more more success for Arroyo, as he played in 57 games for the Sox, slashing .262/.324/.445 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs. He also spent time in Worcester that season.
As the Red Sox were trying to find their second baseman of the future, Arroyo found even more playing time in 2022, arguably his best year in the majors. The Florida native played in 87 games for the Red Sox, slashing .286/.322 /.414 with 6 home runs and 36 RBIs. He would also spend time with Portland and Worcester that season.
The year 2023 marks the last time Arroyo has played in an MLB game, where he suited up in 66 games for Boston, slashing .241/.268/.369 with 3 home runs and 24 RBIs. Upon being DFA'd by the Red Sox and clearing waivers, the Brewers took him in on a minor league deal in January 2024.
After a disappointing stint with the Brewers Triple-A affiliate and Arizona Complex League teams, Arroyo was given a shot by the Phillies organization this past February. He has yet to scratch the surface of the Phillies' 40-man roster, but the numbers in Triple-A have been outstanding thus far.
In 15 games for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Arroyo has slashed a remarkable .328/.400/.569 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs as he tries to climb back into the majors. He's playing first base for the team and should be a candidate for a promotion if any Phillies infielders go down with injury. The path to at-bats in an infield that boasts Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm is not easy, but Arroyo has been surging as of late and would provide the Phillies with a viable replacement option if need be.
He was recently sidelined with injury for 20 days from April 9-29, but came back in time to face the Woo Sox during their six game series last week.
Arroyo is a prime call-up candidate, especially with his position flexibility, as he's taken on first, second, third base and shortstop duties over his career, as well as a few games in right field.
If Arroyo can continue to produce offensively at the rate he's been, it won't be long before Red Sox fans see him in a major league lineup again. The Red Sox's chance to see Arroyo again may come when they head to Philly from July 21-23 for a three-game series.
