Deja vu is hitting the Fenway Faithful hard. The Boston Red Sox (70-66) once again staggered in the month of August, losing ground in the American League Wild Card race after earning a 13-15 record. Although the schedule did stiffen, they also failed to capitalize on a five-game series versus the last-place Toronto Blue Jays. Help may be needed.
Fortunately, Boston has an opportunity to give itself a spark. With September beginning, organizations are allowed two additional slots on their MLB rosters. The Red Sox have made their choices ahead of Sunday afternoon's pivotal game against the Detroit Tigers (69-68).
They will be recalling second baseman Enmanuel Valdez and right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart, per The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham. These moves are not flashy, but maybe, just maybe they can prove to be effective.
Manager Alex Cora has been mixing and matching in the infield all yearlong while also trying to figure out how to best utilize a subpar bullpen. Neither Valdez nor Shugart are likely to provide definitive answers to those questions, but the Sox cannot afford to be picky right now. Their playoff hopes are alive yet vulnerable, so they must nail these decisions.
Can these September call-ups come through for Red Sox?
Valdez is batting only .224 with six home runs and a paltry .282 on-base percentage through 60 games, but his overall stats do not tell the whole story. The 25-year-old, who was acquired in a 2022 trade for catcher Christian Vazquez, excelled in June (.290 batting average, .977 OPS) and recorded at least one hit in the four games he played in July. Inferior defense got Valdez sent back down to Triple-A Worcester, though, and he did not impress in a minuscule August big-league sample size (1-for-6, one RBI).
The offensive potential is clearly giving Boston belief that he can get hot at the plate for the postseason push. Considering that no one else has been able to lock down second base, Enmanuel Valdez will have his chances to deliver.
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As for Chase Shugart, Red Sox fans are probably just grateful to see a fresh face in the bullpen. The former 12th-round draft pick has made only one appearance in The Show thus far, allowing one run and striking out two batters in 2 2/3 innings pitched on Aug. 15 versus the Baltimore Orioles. His track record with the WooSox is spotty, to say the least, but he has the ability to go on a tear.
Shugart tossed 5 2/3 straight scoreless innings after his brief stint with Boston and seems to be working with new confidence on the mound. Cora is desperate for trustworthy relievers, and the 27-year-old might actually have as good a chance as most of the current options do to fill that role.
The Red Sox enter a rubber match with the Tigers trailing the Minnesota Twins three and a half games for the third and final AL Wild Card slot. From hereon out, both their judgement and execution must be sound.
