Strong-armed Vazquez back in catching mix

Has Christian Vazquez completed the full circle this year, going from being the Red Sox starting catcher, to being a demoted minor leaguer, to now being in contention to make the playoff roster? It sure seems that way. Vazquez earned the start at catcher last night when the Red Sox lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, in their second-to-last regular season game.

While Sandy Leon has been the everyday catcher, Ryan Hanigan and Bryan Holaday have been the backups, with Holaday catching most games for starter Drew Pomeranz. With Pomeranz out of the rotation, Holaday hasn’t started a game since Sept. 23.

Hanigan has started only once since Sept. 13, and it was the game after the Sox clinched the AL East title at Yankee Stadium and rolled out a makeshift lineup.

Vazquez was making his second start in less than a week last night.

Manager John Farrell said he hasn’t made any decisions about his backup catcher, or any of the final spots on the Red Sox roster for the AL Division Series against the Cleveland Indians.

“Every guy that we’ve used of late is in the mix, whether that’s an additional bench player to guys in the bullpen,” he said.

But Farrell has long been a strong supporter of Vazquez, who supplanted Blake Swihart as the starting catcher just two weeks into the regular season.

Why was Vazquez starting last night?

“Just making sure that everybody has got recent game activity, more than anything,” Farrell explained. “We do know this, that Cleveland, their running game is a major component to their offense, so controlling that is what we’ll get into more as a team as we prepare for that first round.

“All things being considered, the defensive capability of the guy behind the plate, which we’re confident in all three, you start to weigh that a little more heavily.”

Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery, Vazquez had an arm that Farrell considered among the best in baseball. In 2014, Vazquez gunned down 52 percent of attempted basestealers.

This season, after recovering from Tommy John, Vazquez has thrown out just 36 percent of basestealers. Holaday has caught 38 percent and Hanigan has nailed 28 percent. Leon, who is expected to start in the playoffs, has thrown out 41 percent.

The Indians lead the AL with 131 stolen bases this year, so the Red Sox will undoubtedly be hoping to minimize their running game when play begins on Thursday.

While neither of the three options as backup catcher have offered much in the way of offense this season, Farrell will have three quality defenders to consider. And Vazquez, once considered the Red Sox’ catcher of the future before he was injured, has certainly worked his way into the mix.