September call-ups can mean different things to different teams, and this season they could mean more than ever to the Boston Red Sox.
On Sunday, the Red Sox will be awarded two more roster spots, which they reportedly plan to use for an outfielder and a pitcher, an opportunity to inject some energy into a loaded roster.
Given the injury to rookie speedster David Hamilton earlier this week, it's likely the Red Sox will sign someone to fill in at second base, leaving open the possibility that Boston's underwhelming preseason addition could get a second chance.
This winter, the Red Sox signed second baseman Vaughn Grissom from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Chris Sale, who has fully returned to his Hall of Fame form in the Braves jersey.
While Sale puts the finishing touches on his Cy Young campaign, Grissom finds himself back in the minors. It's a trade that has been the subject of history revision, as Sale hasn't had anything close to a good season in Boston since 2019.
According to MassLive's Christopher Smith, Grissom is considered a candidate for a call-up on Sunday, although Enmanuel Valdez may have a slight edge. Grissom has 10 hits in his last 20 at-bats with Triple-A Worcester.
Manager Alex Cora said he was encouraged by Grissom's recent progress.
“We put a program together for him a month and a half ago,” Cora said, according to Smith. “He wasn't swinging and he was missing the strike zone. He was hitting the ball a little harder than he used to. He was pretty disciplined. So when you start doing those things, you get results.”
Grissom had a slash line of .148/.207/.160 in his 23 major league games this season before landing on the injured list for a second time. He was then sent to Worcester for a rehab assignment on July 20 and then sent back to Triple-A full-time on August 8.
Although Grissom already made a poor first impression in Boston this spring, time heals all wounds, and if he can help the Red Sox make an improbable playoff push, it will do wonders for the coverage of his presence on the roster next season.
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