By William Armstead
BOSTON, MA—On Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox acquired right-handed pitcher Jorge Alcala from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league infielder/outfielder Andy Lugo. To make room on the 40-man roster, Boston removed right-handed pitcher Brian Van Belle.
Alcala, 29, has pitched in 22 games for the Twins this season, recording an 8.88 ERA (24 ER/24.1 IP) with 28 strikeouts. Alcala is currently struggling on the mound, hence his high ERA; however, for his career, he owns a 4.32 ERA (90 ER/187.2 IP) with 193 strikeouts in 166 career Major League games, all with Minnesota (2019-25).
Lugo, 21, has played in 44 games this season for High-A Greenville, Boston’s third-to-lowest level minor league team, batting .265 (40-for-151) with 11 doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 20 RBI. He has recorded a .279 (209-for-748) batting average with 52 doubles, four triples, and nine home runs in 208 career minor league games in four years with the ballclub.
Van Belle, 28, was selected to the active Major League roster on June 9, but has not appeared in a single game for Boston. The right-hander has pitched in 12 games (eight starts) in Triple-A for Worcester this season, holding a clean 5-1 record on the mound and recording a stellar 2.29 ERA (13 ER/51.0 IP), a 1.06 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts. Signed by the Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent in June 2020, Van Belle holds a high win percentage with a record of 37-19 with a 4.41 ERA (246 ER/502.1 IP) in 115 career minor league games (84 starts).
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