A summer full of dramatic twists and turns continues for Kyle Schwarber.
The former IU All-American has been traded by Washington to the Boston Red Sox according to multiple reports. The Red Sox confirmed the reports on Friday. The deal follows a record setting month of June by Schwarber, that was immediately followed by a serious hamstring strain and a career-first All-Star game selection.
Schwarber crushed 16 home runs during the month of June, leading the Majors and earning June National League player of the month honors. Twelve of those homers came in a 10-game span from June 19-29, tying Albert Belle in 1995 for the most home runs in any 10-game span in MLB history. All 16 of his home runs in June came in an 18-game span, tying the record set by Sammy Sosa in 1998 and matched by Barry Bonds in 2001.
On the season Schwarber is hitting .253 with 25 home runs and 53 runs batted in. His June surge largely corresponded to a move by Nationals manager Davey Martinez to place Schwarber at the top of the batting order.
Schwarber’s torrid month was interrupted when he suffered the hamstring injury on July 2. He is expected to return from the injury in a week or two.
The deal may help Schwarber return to the postseason, where he played a pivotal role in the Cubs’ 2016 World Series victory. The Red Sox are currently in first place in the American League East.
The Nationals are getting minor-league right hander Aldo Ramirez in return for Schwarber.
Selected in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft (fourth overall) by the Cubs, Schwarber is the highest draft pick in Indiana baseball history. In IU history, he ranks fifth in slugging percentage (.607), sixth in home runs (40), eighth in hits (238) and is tied for eighth in triples (12) and runs (182).
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