With almost all of their infield out of action, the Boston Red Sox made three acquisitions to supplement the losses.
The Red Sox traded with the Mets on May 1 to receive infielder Zack Short. Boston slotted him into the lineup at second and third base to supplement its depleted infield. The Red Sox designated short for assignment on May 8 to reinstate Romy González to the roster.
On May 9, Boston traded Short to its most recent opponent, the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations, and the 28-year-old's stint with the Red Sox organization ended nine days after it began. The Braves traded infielder Luis Guillorme to the Angels earlier the same day to make a space on the roster for Short.
Short is a quality defender and Boston likely brought him in to stabilize its infield situation before Vaughn Grissom's debut. Now that Grissom and González are healthy and Ceddanne Rafaela is the Red Sox's everyday shortstop, they don't have a ton of use for Short in the field.
Red Sox trade Zack Short to the Braves nine days after they acquired him from the Mets
The #RedSox today traded INF Zack Short to the Atlanta Braves, in exchange for cash considerations.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 9, 2024
Short's bat wouldn't help Boston alleviate its strikeout woes. He carries a career .169/.262/.299 slash line after four years in MLB and he went 0-for-7 with four strikeouts during his two games with the Sox.
The Braves' infield is star-studded and features Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia and Austin Riley — Short will likely be used as an emergency bench option due to his versatility. He's out of minor league options, so if he can't stick with Atlanta, he'll be at risk for his third designation for assignment in the same season.