The Boston Red Sox designated 28-year-old infielder Brett Harris for assignment Tuesday, clearing a 40-man roster spot as they continue to shuffle depth late in the 2026 season.
The move accompanied several other transactions. Boston selected the contract of right-hander Jedixson Paez from Triple-A Worcester so he can make his major league debut as Tuesday night’s starter.
The club also reinstated utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the 60-day injured list. To create additional 40-man space, the Red Sox recalled left-hander Eduardo Rivera and immediately placed him on the major league 60-day IL.
Harris, a right-handed hitter from Arlington Heights, Illinois, joined the organization on July 1 in a modest trade with the Athletics. Boston sent minor league right-hander Ben Hansen to Oakland after the A’s had designated Harris for assignment days earlier to make room for reliever Hayden Juenger.
The Red Sox optioned Harris to Worcester upon arrival, then recalled him briefly on July 9. He started at first base in Chicago and went 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch in his only game wearing a Boston uniform before being sent back down.
A seventh-round pick out of Gonzaga in 2021, Harris made his MLB debut with Oakland in 2024. Across 74 career big-league games he has hit .192 with three home runs and 17 RBI, showing better plate discipline than power. His 2026 major league line was 0-for-6 with a walk and two hit-by-pitches.
In the minors, he has been a more productive bat. He slashed .336/.441/.537 with five homers in 37 games for Triple-A Las Vegas before the trade; his Worcester numbers were more modest after the switch to the International League. Defensively, he is regarded as a capable third baseman who can also handle first and second.
The designation was not a complete surprise. With September roster flexibility arriving and several infielders already ahead of him, Harris had become expendable 40-man depth.
A late-August preview had identified him as one of the likeliest candidates to be cut when Boston needed space for players returning from the injured list.
Harris now has seven days for another club to claim him on waivers or for Boston to trade him. If he clears, the Red Sox can outright him to Worcester or release him.
For a player who has bounced between the majors and Triple-A since 2024, the next few days will determine whether his Boston chapter ends after two months or continues in another organization’s system.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, turn the page toward Paez’s debut and a healthier mix of infield options down the stretch.
