Red Sox activate Blake Swihart, designate Dan Butler for assignment
By Sean Penney
Blake Swihart returns from a trip to the disabled list. The Boston Red Sox designated Dan Butler for assignment to make room on the roster.
The Boston Red Sox receive a boost to their bench with the return of the versatile Blake Swihart.
Swihart has been activated from the 10-day disabled list. The 26-year old missed the last 10 games with a hamstring injury but has been cleared to return following a brief rehab stint with the Single-A Lowell Spinners.
Backup catcher Dan Butler has been designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Swihart. The veteran of the minor leagues appeared in two games for the Red Sox during Swihart’s absence, his first major league action since 2014. He went 1-for-6 with an RBI in his limited time with the team.
The #RedSox today returned C/UTL Blake Swihart from his rehab assignment with Short-A Lowell and activated him from the 10-day disabled list. To make room for Swihart on the active roster, C Dan Butler was designated for assignment.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 14, 2018
Butler was out of minor league options, leaving the club with little choice but to release him. It’s certainly possible that he could clear waivers and return to the organization. Otherwise, the Red Sox depth at the catcher position will take a hit. Christian Vazquez remains sidelined, leaving Swihart as the only catching option behind Sandy Leon on the 40-man roster.
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Swihart isn’t the most trustworthy option behind the dish considering the Red Sox have tried to move him to several other positions. His bat could give the team a boost down the stretch though. His overall season numbers are nothing to get excited about but Swihart was showing progress before landing on the DL. He’s hitting .304 with a .907 OPS since the All-Star break and was a blistering 14-for-34 (.412) in July.
Leon’s defensive skills ensure his starting job is secure, at least until Vazquez is back. Leon leads all major league catchers with 10 defensive runs saved. Red Sox pitchers own a collective 3.05 ERA with Leon behind the plate, the best mark of any catcher with 1600+ plate appearances at the position.
However, Leon’s bat has produced an anemic .115/.220/.173 line since the break. Swihart gives manager Alex Cora a better bat to pinch-hit with late in games who can also take over at catcher. Swihart will also spell Leon for a start or two per week to keep the veteran fresh.
The last two years have essentially been lost seasons for Swihart, whose career went in the tank following a severe ankle injury. He played in only 25 games at the major league level over the last two seasons. This year was starting to trend in that same direction. At times it seemed Swihart, who is also out of minor league options, was on the verge of being designated for assignment. Yet he continued to cling to his roster spot through a brutal slump until a recent resurgence provided a glimpse of his once-promising potential.
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If Swihart can pick up where he left off prior to the hamstring injury then he has a chance to cement a decent role for himself off the bench.