The Red Sox had been needing to make a roster move with concerns about their now huge hole at first base. Abraham Toro has been one of the worst hitters in baseball since the All-Star Break and has been a liability. He has now just been designated for assignment as of Thursday morning, when news broke out around 11:06 AM, as announced by Jen McCaffrey from The Athletic.
The Red Sox also promoted veteran infielder David Hamilton in a follow-up move.
The Red Sox have designated Abraham Toro for assignment, according to a source. David Hamilton has been recalled.
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) August 21, 2025
Red Sox DFA'ing Abraham Toro Opens Door for David Hamilton
This will give David Hamilton his time to shine on the roster. Now remember, Hamilton is batting .174 with three home runs, with an OPS of .492. He wasn't called up for his bat. He's a mere Dave Roberts who will steal bases and maybe will get on base once in a while. But his speed is needed as he's got 17 stolen bases this season as a bench player. That's the outstanding ability that he brings to the table.
Toro, who broke through with the team after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury, was outstanding in the first half of the season. He played in 52 games before the break, hitting .271 with an OPS of .739, a slugging percentage of .418, with 11 doubles, five home runs, 48 hits, and 11 walks (74 total bases) in 193 plate appearances.
However, he was slumping hard afterwards. Since the break, Toro was batting .182, proving that he couldn't even do all the small things right. He had two home runs, but that was only two of the 14 hits he had in his last 77 at-bats (24 games). His OPS was at .518, with a slugging percentage of just .286, and he had 10 strikeouts. He overstayed his welcome in Boston.
Nonetheless, he was still a good soldier to have when he was here. For that, we're forever grateful and will always look back on his time here (at least I will). He was still a valuable player for what he brought to the table on a temporary status, just like guys like Dominic Smith last year.
As for Hamilton, he'll be more than welcome in that clubhouse, as he's only spent a week or so in Triple-A since his recent demotion. Now with the playoff push, the Red Sox know what he needs to do, and he needs to steal as many bases as possible. It'll make it difficult for opposing catchers to focus with him on the basepaths, especially in crucial situations late in games. Let's hope this changes their momentum.