Red Sox

Christian Arroyo rejoins Red Sox, Raimel Tapia DFA’d

Arroyo went 1-for-2 on Monday in his first game since May 6.

By Peyton Doyle

June 6, 2023

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Ahead of their game against the Rays on Monday, the Red Sox activated Christian Arroyo from the injured list.

The second baseman had been out since May 6 with a hamstring strain, and went 1-for-2 with a double in his first game back.

Before his IL stint, Arroyo was one of Boston’s hottest hitters.

In his 11 previous games, the 28-year-old hit .458 with eight RBIs and nine runs.

Over that same stretch, the Red Sox were also winning, going 8-3. Since Arroyo’s injury, however, Boston has struggled to stack up wins.

Boston is just 9-15 since May 6, including its 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday.

To replace Arroyo in the middle infield, Alex Cora has used a combination of Pablo Reyes, Enmanuel Valdez, and Kiké Hernadez.

Both Reyes and Valdez have cooled after hot starts at the plate, and as Hernandez showed Monday, his best spot on defense may be in center.

While Arroyo’s defense hasn’t been otherworldly this year (zero defensive runs saved at second base), it’s still an improvement over what Valdez has brought so far (minus-4 defensive runs saved).

In a corresponding move, the Red Sox designated outfielder Raimel Tapia for assignment.

The 29-year-old Tapia posted a .701 OPS in 39 games for Boston this season.

He was signed by the Red Sox in the offseason to a minor league contract and was one of five outfielders to make the Opening Day roster.

Tapia’s departure leaves Cora with the options of Rob Refsndyer, Jarren Duran, Alex Verdugo, Masataka Yoshida, and Hernandez in the outfield.