Before taking on the Indians at Fenway Park on Saturday, the Red Sox added infielder Taylor Motter to their major-league roster.
In a corresponding move, catcher Connor Wong was optioned to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced earlier Saturday afternoon.
Motter, who turns 32 in two weeks, was claimed off waivers from the Rockies this past Thursday after being designated for assignment by Colorado on August 30.
Appearing in 13 games for the Rockies, the 31-year-old went 3-for-20 (.150) at the plate with two runs scored, two walks, and six strikeouts while primarily being used off the bench as a pinch-hitter.
Prior to having his contract selected by Colorado last month, Motter had been raking at the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque this season, slashing an impressive .335/.460/.759 (186 wRC+) to go along with 16 doubles, one triple, 24 home runs, 57 RBI, and 54 runs scored over 67 games (265 plate appearances) with the Isotopes.
A former 17th-round draft pick of the Rays out of Coastal Carolina University in 2011, the Florida native has appeared in a total of 154 games between the Rays, Mariners, Twins, and Rockies since making his major-league debut in May 2016.
Over the course of those 154 games, Motter has seen the majority of his playing time come at shortstop, though he also has experience at first base, second base, third base, and both corner outfield positions.
The Red Sox, at the moment, have now placed five position players — Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo, Xander Bogaerts, Yairo Munoez, and Jarren Duran — on the COVID-19 related injured list since last Friday, so they recently found themselves in need of experienced infield and outfield depth.
Motter, who hits from the right side of the plate and is listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, will look to provide his new club with that, as he will be on the bench to start things out on Saturday. He will wear the No. 30.
Wong, meanwhile, heads back down to Worcester less than 24 hours after getting called up to take Duran’s place on the major-league roster.
The 25-year-old backstop did not see any playing time in what is technically his sixth stint of the season with the Red Sox, though he has been on a tear at Triple-A as of late.
In the month of August alone, Wong — the top catching prospect in Boston’s farm system — posted a .372/.386/.651 slash line (174 wRC+) with three home runs and 11 RBI across 11 games (44 plate appearances) with the WooSox.
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