Red Sox turn to Jedixson Paez to start, activate IKF as rosters expand; Tyron Guerrero lands on IL

After the Red Sox decided to give veteran right-hander Sonny Gray some additional rest, they needed someone to fill his spot Tuesday night against the Mariners.

The Sox will now turn to minor league right-hander Jedixson Paez.

Boston will promote Paez from Triple-A Worcester to make the start while also activating infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the 60-day injured list. Paez and Kiner-Falefa will occupy the two additional roster spots available as active rosters expand from 26 to 28 players Tuesday.

To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox transferred left-hander Eduardo Rivera to the 60-day injured list with a lumbar strain and designated infielder Brett Harris for assignment.

This won’t be Paez’s major league debut. The right-hander appeared in three games for the White Sox earlier this season before being designated for assignment and eventually returning to the Red Sox organization.

Since rejoining Boston’s farm system, Paez has thrown 49 innings for Double-A Portland before making three starts for Worcester, posting a 2.92 ERA in those outings.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Paez isn’t going to overpower hitters. His four-seam fastball has averaged 92.8 mph at Triple-A this season and tops out around 94. His changeup is regarded as his best pitch and only above-average offering, while he also mixes in a cutter, slider and sinker.

Interim manager Chad Tracy said Paez is stretched out enough to throw 80-85 pitches Tuesday, something that could be particularly important for a bullpen that has been asked to cover plenty of innings of late.

“He can land all four pitches for strikes and uses them all in any count,” Tracy said. “So when you look at our situation with where we’re at … we’ve got a guy that can go out there, pound the strike zone and give us some pitches, which is really important.

“I think it’s comforting to know he throws strikes. I think it’s comforting to know he has pitched in the big leagues so he’s not going to be afraid of being in the big leagues, and let him go out there and tell him: ‘Do what you do down there,’ which is pound the strike zone.”

Gray Welcomes the Breather

There is no injury concern with Gray, who will get nine days between starts after last pitching against the Marlins.

The 36-year-old acknowledged Tuesday that the additional rest comes at a good time as the Red Sox prepare for the final month of the regular season.

“I feel fine,” Gray said. “I think it’s just taking a few days, getting my body recovered, fully recovered, and that was it. Physically, I feel really good. About a month ago, we just talked about it and said, ‘Let’s re-evaluate when we get to [this point].’ So that’s what we did.

“We re-evaluated and just made a decision to take a couple days, and then it kind of puts you on track for September and moving forward. And to be honest, I needed a couple days, and I’m not scared to admit that.”

Gray has been Boston’s most consistent starter this season, going 16-4 with a 2.82 ERA over 25 starts. With the Red Sox pushing toward the postseason, the veteran isn’t complaining about an opportunity to recharge.

“I think it’s probably what you call a 36-year-old that has been pitching on five or six days’ rest all year, and just taking three days to fully recover, and then line up the rest of September and the rest of the year, and get back into a routine and schedule,” Gray said. “That’s probably what I would call it.”

Kiner-Falefa Returns

Kiner-Falefa returns after missing 66 games with a stress reaction in his left forearm suffered in mid-June.

The veteran infielder appeared in nine rehab games for Worcester, batting .241 with a double and three RBI. His final rehab appearance came Sunday.

His return gives Tracy another versatile defensive option at a time when Boston’s infield depth has taken a hit with Willson Contreras on the injured list.

Nick Sogard and Mickey Gasper can split time at first base in Contreras’ absence, while Kiner-Falefa gives Boston another option at second base, shortstop and third.

“IKF’s a good glove,” Tracy said to reporters on Tuesday. “You look at the team right now, the way Trevor has come back swinging the bat and the way Sogard’s swinging the bat, it’s easy to look and say, ‘These guys are gonna play.’ But you also have Mickey at first, he did awesome at first but he’s not a massively experienced guy over there. You have the option to get Izzy’s glove involved, a Gold Glove infielder involved in the middle of the field and slide Sogard over to first late.”

Kiner-Falefa is best known for his defense, but he had begun showing more offensively before the injury. With a revamped swing, he batted .304 with two homers, three doubles and an .803 OPS over a 21-game stretch beginning May 24, earning regular playing time before being sidelined.

Rivera’s Season Over; Harris Designated

Rivera’s move to the 60-day injured list effectively ends his season.

The left-hander hasn’t pitched for Worcester since Aug. 11 because of his back issue and a personal situation that required him to be placed on the restricted list. He will receive major league service time and pay for the remainder of the season.

Harris’ brief tenure in the organization could also be nearing its end.

Boston acquired the infielder from the Athletics on July 1 for pitcher Ben Hansen as the club searched for additional infield depth. Harris appeared in one game for the Red Sox, going 0-for-2 against the Athletics before being optioned to Worcester.

In 34 games for the WooSox, Harris hit .236 with three homers, 19 RBI and a .711 OPS while playing both corner infield positions.

The Red Sox will have seven days to trade, waive or release Harris. He can remain in the organization and return to Worcester if he clears waivers.

Another Blow to the Bullpen

Boston’s bullpen was dealt another setback Tuesday when Guerrero was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

Right-hander Wyatt Olds was recalled from Worcester to take his place.

Guerrero had emerged as Tracy’s primary seventh-inning option ahead of setup man Garrett Whitlock and closer Aroldis Chapman, but struggled during Monday’s dramatic 9-8 win over Seattle. He allowed three earned runs on three hits and a walk while recording just one out.

It was his second blow-up in three weeks after allowing five runs, four earned, without recording an out Aug. 12 in Toronto.

“He’s got some shoulder fatigue,” Tracy said on Tuesday. “That’s not new. Shoulder strength is down. It has been off-and-on for a bit now ... We can’t get him hurt. So make some changes, flip some things out and give him some time to get himself healthy and ready to go for the stretch run.”

Outside of those two outings, Guerrero has been one of Boston’s biggest bullpen surprises. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter after pitching in Japan, the 35-year-old has posted a 3.26 ERA with 36 strikeouts against just seven walks over 38 2/3 innings in 38 appearances since being promoted from Triple-A in May.

“Sometimes, rest is the only thing you can get to,” Tracy said. “You go and you need two or three days (off) and you keep ending up at the same point. You get to a certain spot with guys where the only way you’re going to get over the hump is if you give them a little bit of a breather.”

Olds, meanwhile, didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity to get back to the majors.

The 27-year-old made his MLB debut Aug. 17 and impressed during a six-appearance stint that ended Sunday when he was optioned to make room for Whitlock’s return.

Olds didn’t allow an earned run in six innings, giving up three unearned runs and four hits while striking out eight. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.3 mph.

Rutschman Still Dealing with Elbow Issue

The Red Sox will be without Adley Rutschman again Tuesday night as the catcher continues to deal with discomfort from a hyperextended elbow.

“Adley is, he’s dealing with some stuff with that elbow,” Tracy said. “We’re not completely out of the woods. We are still monitoring and trying to give him appropriate time to make sure that thing’s OK. It’s probably something we’re going to deal with off and on through the year. They’re looking at different avenues to help alleviate that, so we have to be mindful of that.”

The lingering issue comes as Rutschman has struggled to make the offensive impact the Red Sox hoped for when they acquired him from the Orioles in a five-player package at the trade deadline.

In 15 games with Boston, Rutschman is batting .170 with a double, one homer and six walks while striking out 15 times over 59 plate appearances.

Tracy stressed Tuesday that the continued discomfort isn’t considered alarming, but acknowledged the Red Sox will have to manage it carefully.

“I wouldn’t say it’s alarming, no,” Tracy said. “I wouldn’t say it hasn’t bounced back. It’s just something that we’re dealing with. And again, he played in New York the other day, and he got three hits. So, wouldn’t say it’s alarming. It’s just, there are spots that come up with it where, if it’s sore and you feel like you can give it a little bit of opportunity to calm down, then he’s in a better spot.

“So alarmed? No. I know it’s there. I know it’s something we just have to keep continuing to monitor, and hopefully we give him some rest and then you get past it, so we’ll see. It’s kind of like a day-to-day situation with him and monitoring where he’s at.”

For now, an injured-list stint isn’t under consideration. Instead, the Red Sox expect to manage Rutschman’s workload throughout the remainder of the season.

“He’s active, but like, keeping him healthy and doing what we need to do make sure we keep him healthy is important,” Tracy said on WEEI. “So yeah, there will be days when he’s not in there.… But we have to keep in mind like how do we do this properly to make sure that he stays active and healthy?”

Rutschman played in just one of Boston’s four games against the Yankees over the weekend and was again absent from the lineup Monday against Seattle.

His continued absence will mean an increased workload for Connor Wong behind the plate. Gasper can also spell Wong when needed as the Red Sox attempt to keep Rutschman available without aggravating the elbow.

Hug it Out

One of the lighter moments from Monday’s wild win came courtesy of Payton Tolle.

Seattle designated hitter Dominic Canzone hit a slow roller up the first-base line that Tolle fielded. Rather than immediately tagging Canzone, the big left-hander waited near the line and wrapped him up in a hug while recording the out.

Both players laughed and the clip of the two went viral on social media. 

“It just kind of happened,” Tolle said. “I was right there in front of him, (and it was like), ‘Let’s bring it in for the big one,’ you know? (Canzone) probably was (surprised) for a second, but then it was just like, ‘Yeah this is just going to happen.’”

Trevor Story, who delivered the game-winning hit in the 10th inning, initially seemed unsure which Tolle hug reporters were asking about afterward.

“The guy gives hugs all the time,” Story joked, “so I wasn’t sure which one you were talking about. But that was funny, man. He’s just a special person. He plays the game like a little kid, which I feel like we all should.”

For Tolle, apparently recording an out doesn’t always require a tag, sometimes, a simple hug will do.