WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part of a series of moves to get rookie starter Connelly Early on the major league roster for his debut Tuesday, the Red Sox ended the season of a player who was once heralded as potential big contributor who never played in the majors this season.
Early took the active roster spot of injured righty Dustin May (right elbow neuritis) but the Red Sox still needed to clear a 40-man roster spot for him. To do so, Boston recalled infielder Vaughn Grissom to the majors and transferred him to the 60-day injured list with plantar fasciitis. Grissom’s season is effectively over.
Grissom has been dealing with a foot injury that has kept him sidelined from action at Triple-A Worcester since August 9. He’s in a walking boot but is hopeful to get out of it this week, according to a source. Either way, Grissom — once considered to be the Opening Day second baseman before being beat out by Kristian Campbell — won’t play again this season. He finishes 2025 having hit .270 with 13 homers, 48 RBIs and a .783 OPS in 96 games for the WooSox.
Despite the Red Sox using six different second baseman this season, Grissom was never promoted.
“I don’t think there was a window for him to get here,” said manager Alex Cora. “I think he played well, he drove the ball to left-center. But the guys who are here have done an amazing job and that’s the decision we made in spring training. It just didn’t happen.”
Grissom, who struggled in 31 games in an injury-shortened 2024 season after coming over in the ill-fated trade that sent Chris Sale to Atlanta, entered camp as a candidate to start at second. Campbell emerged in camp and took the job, breaking camp with the team in late March. Even though his big league stay only lasted until mid-June, the Red Sox prioritized others, using David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez, Marcelo Mayer, Nick Sogard and Ceddanne Rafaela at the position. Grissom played all four infield positions in Worcester and got exposure to first base throughout the year.
Grissom’s future with the Red Sox is in limbo. He is a clear trade candidate this winter, something he acknowledged in an interview with MassLive’s Katie Morrison-O’Day in late July.
“It’s a weird one because I don’t really expect much more opportunity here just because decisions that were made were made, and it kind of didn’t involve me,” Grissom said. “So there’s not much that I can do. I mean, all those decisions and stuff, they make sense in a way, but I guess it sucks a little bit. But, I mean, it is what it is.”
Grissom will get the prorated portion of his major league salary and accumulate service time over the final three weeks of the season now that he’s on the major league IL.
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