Red Sox place Danny Santana on COVID-19 related injured list after utility man tests positive for virus; Jack López selected from Triple-A Worcester

Santana becomes the 11th Red Sox player to test positive for COVID-19 since August 27 and also becomes the 10th player the team currently has out on the COVID related IL, as he joins the likes of Christian Arroyo, Jonathan Arauz, Yairo Munoz, Jarren Duran, Martin Perez, Matt Barnes, Hirokazu Sawamura, Nick Pivetta, and Chris Sale.

That number figures to be reduced within the coming days with Pivetta slated to start Sunday’s series finale against the White Sox and Perez and Barnes in line to begin rehab assignments with Worcester soon.

Still, Santana has now been placed on the COVID-19 related injured list on two separate occasions this season. The versatile 30-year-old was sidelined from Sunday until Tuesday since he was experiencing virus-like symptoms, but he tested repeatedly in that stretch and all those tests came back negative.

After being activated from the COVID IL on that Tuesday, Santana appeared in three games for Boston — going 3-for-9 (.333) at the plate with a home run and RBI — before being placed on the COVID IL once again on Saturday.

In Santana’s place, Lopez, who traveled with the Sox to Chicago as part of their taxi squad, has been added to Boston’s major-league roster for a second time this year.

The 28-year-old out of Puerto Rico was initially called up from Worcester on September 1 — shortly after Munoz and Xander Bogaerts tested positive for COVID-19 while the Red Sox were in Tampa Bay.

Lopez made his major-league debut that same day and wound up appearing in five games in his first stint with Boston. He hit just .167 (2-for-12) in those five contests, but provided some defensive stability at second base before being returned to the WooSox on Monday.