Blake Swihart Designated For Assignment, Red Sox Recall Sandy Leon
BOSTON (CBS) -- It appears we have our first casualty of the Red Sox' slow start to the 2019 season. Blake Swihart has been designated for assignment, with Sandy Leon making his return to the Majors.
Swihart likely won't clear waivers, so he is effectively gone, as pointed out by Red Sox beat reporter Evan Drellich, who was first to report the Swihart news Tuesday.
Sources: The Red Sox have DFA'd catcher Blake Swihart. He's effectively gone, presuming he won't pass waivers. Stunning move early in the season for a struggling team.
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) April 16, 2019
Swihart played in 12 games for the 6-11 Red Sox, going 6-for-12 at the plate with a double and homer, slashing .231/.318/.385. He caught eight games, committing three errors while throwing out just one of the five runners that tested his arm behind the plate. While he shouldn't be hit with the blame for the struggles of Boston's starting rotation, Red Sox starters had an ERA of 7.92 in the six games Swihart started at catcher.
The 27-year-old was a first-round pick by Boston in 2011, but the team could never figure out a fit for the promising prospect. He was moved to the outfield in 2016, but was lost for the season in early June after injuring his left ankle while sliding into the side wall in left field at Fenway Park.
Swihart has played in 203 games during his Major League career, batting just .255.
Designating Swihart cleared the way for Leon to return to the Red Sox, after the veteran backstop started the season with Pawtucket. Boston starters have praised Leon for his defense and pitch-calling in the past, and he could be behind the plate for Chris Sale Tuesday night when the Red Sox start a two-game set with the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Leon hit .120 (3-for-25) in his seven games with the PawSox, but had no passed balls and caught three of the six runners that tried to swipe a bag on him in his 60 innings behind the plate.