Red Sox solidify position player portion of roster

Key Points:

• The team finalized its pitching staff by optioning Zack Kelly, Tyler Uberstine, and Payton Tolle to minor league camp, while reassigning Tommy Kahnle; lefthanders Danny Coulombe and Connelly Early, along with righthander Johan Oviedo, are expected to be on the roster barring unforeseen changes.
• With five outfielders on the roster, manager Cora plans to use aggressive pinch hitting late in games and values having catcher Wong available as a versatile bench weapon, along with utility players Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Willson Contreras who have emergency catching experience.
• Infielder Monasterio, acquired from Milwaukee, has shown versatility by playing all four infield positions and hitting .300 with an .808 OPS during spring training; the team plans to gradually introduce him to the outfield.
• Reliever Ryan Watson, a Rule 5 pick, earned a spot on the roster after improving his performance in recent appearances, with support from former Rule 5 players Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock helping deliver the good news.
• Johan Oviedo, favored for the last rotation spot, struggled in a recent outing but impressed the team with his pitching ability; the Sox seek more consistency and plan to have either Oviedo or Early in the rotation with the other in the bullpen.