Leon stays, Vazquez goes
Back to bullpen for Buchholz
Brought back to the organization in the offseason as the fourth catcher on the depth chart, Sandy Leon has officially earned a regular role with the Red Sox after 15 impressive games.
Leon, a career .187 hitter with a .483 OPS entering this season, was 4-for-5 with three doubles in yesterday’s 12-5 win against the Texas Rangers. After the game, manager John Farrell announced Leon was staying on the active roster and Christian Vazquez was being sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket. Ryan Hanigan, who has been on the 15-day disabled list with a neck strain, will be activated before tonight’s game and join Leon in sharing the catching duties.
Leon is out of options and would have to pass through waivers to get sent back to Pawtucket. Considering he’s 20-for-40 this season with eight doubles and a home run, it’s unlikely Leon would make it through the waiver process.
Vazquez, who is hitting .226 in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, can be optioned to Pawtucket freely.
“I think players are understanding of what goes on around them,” Farrell said. “I think they are fairly aware. In Sandy’s case, where he’s out of options — and at that position, you’re always a foul tip away from needing another guy. From the performance of Sandy with the combination of organizational depth, felt like this was the move we needed to make.”
Leon credits a winter spent playing every day in Venezuela as the reason for his offensive breakthrough.
“When you work hard, something is going to happen at some point,” Leon said. “I’ve been working hard all my career in the minor leagues and in the big leagues and in Venezuela. Just play the game and let it happen, and things will work out.”
The switch-hitter said he wasn’t concerned about his roster spot, even with Hanigan coming back.
“I’ve got all my faith in God, so I don’t care about that stuff,” Leon said. “I just play the game and let it happen.”
Manager’s decision
Clay Buchholz is going back into the bullpen.
In three starts since returning to the rotation following a month-long stint in the ’ pen, Buchholz allowed 14 runs (10 earned) in 142⁄ 3 innings. He had nine strikeouts to seven walks and allowed five home runs.
Farrell announced Sean O’Sullivan will start in Buchholz’ place Friday at home against the Tampa Bay Rays, with Rick Porcello and David Price lined up to start Saturday and Sunday ahead of the All-Star break.
On Sunday, O’Sullivan allowed two runs in five-plus innings against the Los Angeles Angels.
On Saturday, Buchholz was removed from his start in the fifth inning after throwing just 66 pitches. He felt like it was a quick hook, and instead of joining his teammates in the dugout, he walked straight down the steps and into the tunnel toward the locker room.
Farrell said he talked to Buchholz afterward. Yesterday, Buchholz said the conversation was “nothing about the game” between himself and the manager.
“That’s where we left it,” Buchholz said. “Like I said, he’s the manager. Not a whole lot I can do about it.”
Uehara struggles
With a five-run lead and 17 of their 21 hits already in the books, the Red Sox were cruising in the eighth inning against the Rangers when Farrell called on Koji Uehara out of the bullpen. The appearance was Uehara’s fifth in eight days.
The first batter Uehara faced, Rougned Odor, hammered a splitter over the Green Monster. The homer was the seventh allowed by Uehara in his last 17 games.
Uehara pitched to two additional batters, getting one out and allowing a double.
Farrell was asked after the game why he used Uehara on back-to-back days and with a five-run lead.
“We had three pitchers to get through the two innings,” Farrell said. “We’re thin down there. We know that Koji has had limited success, if at all, coming in (the middle of) an inning. So if we get into a situation where Robbie Ross runs into a little bit of problems, it was the reverse to start with Koji, bring Robbie in if needed. And it also gave us the option to use Robbie if we lengthen it out in the ninth inning to stay away from Craig ( Kimbrel). And that’s the way it turned out.”
Over the last 10 games, the Red Sox have needed 381⁄ innings out of their relievers.
Uehara was asked how his body felt.
“I didn’t feel bad at all,” Uehara said.
Pitching five times in eight games might seem like a lot for a 41-year-old, but Uehara said, “I have nothing to say about that. That’s all about what the manager thinks would be the best spot for me.”