Roster turnover is one of the inevitable realities of baseball season. Whether it's because of injuries, trades, or performance-related reasons, teams use many more players than the 26 they start with on Opening Day. Some clubs make switches to back up their World Series aspirations, but others just need to get through the season.
Of course, the Boston Red Sox are no different. They sit in a Wild Card spot after the All-Star break with a 53-42 record and used plenty of players to get there. To be exact, they've used 22 position players and 22 pitchers for 44 players total.
Since there's still a lot of time left in the season, you'd probably remember most of the guys who have played for the Red Sox this year. You might have forgotten some of them as well. Here are three 2024 Red Sox who might already be at the back of fans' minds.
3 Red Sox you might have forgotten played for the team in 2024
Zack Short
From April into early May, the Red Sox roster was decimated due to injuries — nearly every starter went on the injured list or was considered day-to-day for a spell around that time. That necessitated lots of transactions and new additions. One of them was Zack Short, who Boston acquired via a trade with the New York Mets. The Sox hoped he'd hold down the fort in the middle infield after David Hamilton and Enmanuel Valdez's defensive struggles began.
Short, not known for his bat, went 0-for-7 in two games with the Red Sox. He was around for a week before he was designated for assignment and traded to the Atlanta Braves, the third team he's played for this year.
Things have been more of the same for Short with the Braves. He's logged a .137/.302/.176 slash line, and he's collected just seven hits in 64 plate appearances. He's best used as a defensive replacement, and that's why he's probably going to be bouncing around the league for a few years when clubs are in a pinch, just like what happened with the Red Sox.
Naoyuki Uwasawa
The Red Sox acquired Naoyuki Uwasawa just before Opening Day from the Tampa Bay Rays, as the team was finding pitchers anywhere but the free agent market. He had a solid track record in Japan but there were questions about what he could do in the United States. They were justified, as the righty struggled mightily in spring training with the Rays.
After a solid stretch in Triple-A in which he appeared to be finding his game, Uwasawa was called up by the Red Sox. He appeared in two games, one against the San Francisco Giants and one against the Minnesota Twins and allowed one run in four innings pitched.
He hasn't seen the majors since the May 3 game against Minnesota. He was DFA'd by the team on July 9 to make room for Trey Wingenter on the active roster and has since been outrighted off the 40-man roster. Uwasawa remains in Worcester and he has a 6.54 ERA and 1.64 WHIP in 42 2/3 innings over six starts and seven relief appearances.
Joe Jacques
Joe Jacques made his major league debut with the Red Sox in 2023 and it didn't go well. He pitched to a 5.06 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 26 2/3 innings. He remained on the 40-man roster all offseason and started the year in Worcester but was called up within the season's first month.
He only pitched in one game for the 2024 Red Sox. He allowed one run in 1 2/3 innings in a 6-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on April 18. He was DFA'd quickly after that in favor of Cam Booser, who has become a dependable reliever for Alex Cora this season.
The Arizona Diamondbacks picked him up off waivers a few days later. He has spent most of the time with their Triple-A affiliate in Reno but did appear in a game against the San Diego Padres this month, during which he allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Jacques has a 6.38 ERA and 1.79 WHIP across 24 innings pitched in the minors this season and remains on the D-Backs 40-man roster.