The Red Sox returned right-handed pitcher Hector Velazquez from his injury rehabilitation assignment and activated him from the 10-day disabled list on Thursday. To make room for Velazquez on the 25-man roster, left-handed pitcher Bobby Poyner was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket following Wednesday's game against the Rays.
Velazquez, 29, made one rehabilitation appearance for Pawtucket on Monday, throwing a scoreless seventh inning in the PawSox' 5-4 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 10 games for the Red Sox this season, including two starts, the right-hander is 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA.
Velazquez pitched professionally in the Mexican League for seven seasons before making his Major League debut last season with Boston. Since allowing six earned runs in his debut on May 18, 2017, at Oakland, he is 8-0 with a 1.59 ERA and a .232 opponent batting average in his last 17 big league games, including four starts. In 13 career relief appearances, he has gone 6-0 with a 1.07 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.
Poyner, 25, began the season with the Red Sox after attending Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. In nine relief appearances over three stints with Boston -- the first games of his big league career -- he has allowed two runs on 12 hits over 9 2/3 innings, striking out nine batters and walking only one. He recorded his first Major League win on April 5 against Tampa Bay, holding the Rays scoreless in the 11th and 12th innings as the Red Sox earned a walk-off win. Selected by Boston in the 14th round of the 2015 Draft, Poyner has appeared in 107 Minor League games, posting a 2.34 ERA.