Red Sox

Schwarber will DH and hit sixth in the lineup.

Alex Brandon
Kyle Schwarber will be making his Red Sox debut on Friday.

The Red Sox’ weekend series against the Orioles will not only see the much-needed returns of old faces, but it’ll also see a new face in the lineup.

Kyle Schwarber will make his Red Sox debut on Friday. Schwarber, who the Red Sox acquired from the Nationals on July 29, will be the designated hitter and hit sixth in the lineup for Friday’s game, his first since July 2 when he injured his hamstring.

The Red Sox and Schwarber have each shared their desire for the slugger to play first base when he eventually returns to injury, but that appears to be put on hold due to the hamstring and groin injuries. Schwarber has never played first base in his major league career.

Advertisement:

Prior to joining the Red Sox for Friday’s game, Schwarber was in the lineup for Thursday’s WooSox game. However, that game was postponed due to rain.

The Red Sox could really use Schwarber’s slugging ability to help break them out of their 3-11 skid. Schwarber’s hitting .253/.340/.570 with 25 homers and 53 RBIs this season, good enough to earn him his first All-Star nod.

In order to make room for Schwarber on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated infielder Marwin Gonzalez for assignment. Gonzalez is hitting .202/.281/.285 this season, hitting just two homers and 20 RBIs in 70 games.

Alex Verdugo makes his return to the Red Sox lineup on Friday after missing the last four games due to paternity leave. Verdugo will hit second and play left field.

Advertisement:

Catcher Christian Vázquez will make his return on Saturday, manager Alex Cora told reporters. Vázquez has been on the bereavement list since Wednesday.

Finally, pitcher Chris Sale will make his highly anticipated season debut on Saturday. Sale hasn’t pitched in an MLB game since Aug. 13, 2019, due to Tommy John surgery.