The Red Sox announced that they have returned the lefty Patrick Sandoval on the 60-day injured list. He will play the Sox on Thursday, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Left Alec Gamboa Optioned to Triple-A Worcester in concurrent active roster move. The right hand Jack Anderson he was selected for the assignment to open the 40 man position.
If Sandoval enters the game, it will be his first major league appearance in two years. His last outing with the angels is in June of 2024. He needed surgery on his hip soon after. The Angels didn’t like him the following season.
The Red Sox acquired Sandoval on a two-year, $18.25MM deal. Ideally, he could join the team in late 2025 before giving the Sox a full and healthy season in 2026. A few obstacles prevented that scenario from playing out. Sandoval couldn’t get out of the IL in 2025 and has now spent more than half of the 2026 campaign on the shelf again.
Obviously, the Sox would love to come back earlier, but this opener is still a good time for them. They have had a number of rotational injuries this year, with Garrett Crochet, Cutter Crawford, Johan Oviedo again Tanner Houck missed most or all of the campaign. Connelly Early he just joined that team in IL last week, leaving Boston in a trade that included Sonny Gray, Guard Suárez, Payton Tolle again Jake Bennett. Suarez is also injured, as he left last night’s game with an adductor strain.
Whether Suárez hits IL or not remains to be seen but Sandoval should be able to step in and replace Early. Sandoval threw 18 1/3 innings in his latest rehab assignment with a 1.96 earned run average. His last outing took him to five scoreless innings in a Double-A game on Saturday, throwing 68 pitches in the process. He should be ready for something close to a complete player’s career when he takes the ball on Thursday.
Last week, it was reported that Sandoval was being scouted by rival clubs who thought Sandoval would be available in a trade. However, that was before Early hit the IL and Suárez’s injury came up. Boston’s rotation needs Sandoval now more than it did then. Also, the Sox have been playing better lately. It’s 8-2 in its last 10 games. Their 40-48 record isn’t great but they are only four games out of a weak American League Wild Card field.
Sandoval is a rental and would make sense as a trade candidate if the Sox decide to sell before the August 3 deadline. For now, with their recent injuries and increased standing, they can keep him in the rotation and see what happens. He would certainly get some interest based on his previous work. From 2021 to 2024, he pitched 460 innings for the Angels with a 3.80 ERA. His 10.2% walk rate was a little high but his 22.6% strikeout rate was about average and his 47.3% ground ball rate was a few ticks above average.
How he looks over the next few weeks will naturally affect his trade value as well. His contract is loaded and he makes $12.75MM this year, which will leave just under $4MM to be paid as the deadline progresses. Even if he puts together a good start between now and early next month, it’s likely the Sox will eat that away from a guy who has missed a lot of time.
Anderson, 26, was just added to the roster a few months ago. Mostly he has been in the assignment of choice. His major league record consists of eight innings pitched in three games, allowing three earned runs. He is generally considered an underrated prospect as his fastball averages 90 miles per hour. He threw 58 innings at Triple-A this year with a 4.81 ERA, a 20.5% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate.
It will probably be discontinued in the coming days. He has a lot of options and maybe he could lure a club in need of a new arm. Should he clear waivers, he’ll stick with the Red Sox as undrafted depth. With no previous job or three years of major league service, he will not be eligible for free agency.
Photo courtesy of Rick Cinclair, Imagn Images
