Kyle Schwarber will make his debut with the Red Sox on Friday after being acquired at the trade deadline. Alex Brandon/Associated Press
BOSTON — The Red Sox are shaking things up a bit heading into their weekend series against the Orioles.
Boston will activate slugger Kyle Schwarber and designate utility man Marwin Gonzalez for assignment before Friday’s game, Manager Alex Cora announced. Schwarber, who was acquired in a July 29 trade with the Nationals, will make his Sox debut Friday as the designated hitter, hitting sixth.
Schwarber, who has been rehabbing a hamstring strain suffered July 2 while playing for the Nationals, will make his Red Sox debut sooner than expected. Since joining the club, he has taken batting practice, worked out defensively and ran the bases, but has not appeared in a minor-league rehab game. Schwarber was supposed to play for the Triple-A Worcester WooSox on Thursday but that game was rained out.
Friday will represent Schwarber’s first game action of any kind in six weeks, marking an unusual progression for an injured player. Cora pointed to 2016 – when Schwarber tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee in April and returned to play for the Cubs in the World Series six months later – and conversations with Schwarber in recent days as reasons why the Sox were comfortable with their aggressive return plan for the slugger.
“Knowing the way he behaved when he came back with the Cubs and knowing that, it makes us feel comfortable that was the right thing to do,” Cora said. “We’re very comfortable with it. And we’re still going to protect him. It’s not a rehab, big-league game or whatever, it’s a real big-league game, but we know he controls the strike zone, can hit the ball out of the ballpark and he’ll be smart about running the bases.”
Schwarber will exclusively DH for the next few days, Cora said, and the club hopes he can start seeing time in the field next weekend when the Red Sox play the Rangers at Fenway Park. When he’s ready, Schwarber will see time at both first base and left field.
“The plan is obviously to take care of him,” Cora said. “It’s one of those where we have to be smart and we’ve got other players we have to take care of throughout the process.”
Gonzalez signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in February and made 77 appearances with the club, hitting .202 with two homers and a .567 OPS.
The 32-year-old provided some value on defense, where he appeared at seven different positions, but had become an offensive liability.
“Tough one, obviously,” Cora said. “A guy we liked in the offseason. Versatile. It just didn’t happen offensively for us. That’s part of the business. You’ve got to make tough decisions.
“He was outstanding in the clubhouse, outstanding in the dugout,” Cora continued. “It was a grind for him physically throughout. Early in the season, his versatility and the way he played defense, he helped us win ballgames.”
Schwarber isn’t the only reinforcement the Red Sox will receive in the coming days. Outfielder Alex Verdugo will be activated off the paternity list before Friday’s game with Tanner Houck (temporarily) being optioned to the WooSox. On Saturday, Boston will activate ace starter Chris Sale from the injured list and welcome catcher Christian Vázquez back from the bereavement list.
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