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Kyle Schwarber, who is on the injured list because of a hamstring injury, was acquired by the Red Sox late Thursday night. Schwarber has 25 home runs this season. Nick Wass/Associated Press

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox largely stood still on Friday afternoon as the MLB trade deadline came and went and every other American League contender loaded up for a playoff run.

After acquiring left fielder Kyle Schwarber from the Washington Nationals late Thursday night, the Red Sox opted to make only two minor moves Friday, otherwise sitting on the sidelines during one of the busiest trade deadlines in recent memories.

Boston added to its bullpen, acquiring right-hander Hansel Robles from Minnesota and left-hander Austin Davis from Pittsburgh.

Boston sent infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis to the Pirates and Portland Sea Dogs right-hander Alex Scherff to the Twins.

“Everybody has seen our bullpen has done a great job this year, and we wanted to back that up by getting them reinforcements to make sure we have as many good options as possible down the stretch,” Boston Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom said.

Boston began the day with the third-best AL bullpen ERA at 3.62. The Red Sox were 1 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay going into Friday’s games.

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The biggest addition for the Red Sox is Schwarber, who had just finished a historic home run barrage when he strained his right hamstring on July 2. The left-handed hitter has been on the injured list since then, but could be playing again within a couple weeks.

The 28-year-old outfielder has 25 home runs and 53 RBI in 72 games this season. He was chosen as an All-Star for the first time, but was unable to play.

Schwarber tied a major league record by hitting 12 home runs in a 10-game span from June 19-29. He also set a record for leadoff hitter for homers in a month, connecting 15 times to start games in June.

“We think Kyle Schwarber is one of the most impactful hitters that changed hands this week,” said Bloom. “This guy is a winner.”

Bloom said the Red Sox plan to try Schwarber at first base.

“He’s excited to do it,” Bloom said. “This is someone I would not bet against to really do anything that he sets his mind to do on a baseball field.”

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The three teams chasing the Red Sox in the AL East were busy on the trade market. Tampa Bay picked up veteran slugger Nelson Cruz and outfielder Jordan Luplow, while the New York Yankees added left-handed hitters Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo to help balance a right-handed dominated lineup. Toronto added closer Brad Hand and starting pitcher José Berríos.

“Any fan would love to see their team right in the thick of it, and you’d love to see your team making big moves,” Bloom said. “We would, too. We just aren’t going to do that when we think those moves are actually running counter to our goal.”

Red Sox Manager Alex Cora was not surprised by all the moves within the division.

“We expected everybody to get better, right?” Cora said. “We got better, too. Everybody is playing for a spot in the playoffs.”

Schwarber joined the Nationals on a $10 million, one-year contract after six seasons with the Chicago Cubs. In 2016, he played only two games in the regular season after a severe knee injury, then came back to help the Cubs win the World Series by going 7 for 17 (.412) in five games.

The Red Sox sent right-hander Aldo Ramirez to Washington. Ramirez, 20, was 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA in eight starts for Class A Salem.

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To make roster room for Schwarber, the Red Sox designated right-hander Brandon Workman for assignment.

Workman, 32, was a combined 1-2 with a 5.46 ERA in 29 games with the Cubs and Boston this season.

Robles made 45 appearances for the Twins this season, going 3-4 with 10 saves and a 4.91 ERA. He has appeared in 358 major league games overall, with a 4.03 ERA and 37 saves. He had 23 saves and a 2.48 ERA for the Angels in 2019.

Davis has made 65 relief appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-20) and Pirates (2020-21), posting a 5.65 ERA. The left-hander has appeared in 10 games with Pittsburgh and 13 in the minors this year.


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