It's hard to believe that the 2025 MLB regular season is almost here but here we are. Opening Day 2025 is right around the corner, leaving the Atlanta Braves with less than a week to prepare for their season-opening road trip that begins with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
With that in mind, there's still enough time for Braves fans to check on what some of the club's former players are up to before the season begins. Unfortunately, one ex-Atlanta infielder just received some terrible news just days away from Opening Day.
Braves News: Red Sox Option IF Vaughn Grissom
On Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox announced that veteran infielder Vaughn Grissom had been optioned to Triple-A Worcester. The 24-year-old right-handed hitter is a former 2019 11th-round draft pick by the Braves, who traded Grissom to the Red Sox in exchange for southpaw ace Chris Sale back in December 2023.
The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves:
— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 19, 2025
INF Vaughn Grissom and RHPs Luis Guerrero and Josh Winckowski were optioned to minor league camp.
Catchers Nathan Hickey and Mark Kolozsvary were reassigned to minor league camp.
With the Red Sox optioning Grissom to the minors, it's clear that the Braves won the aforementioned 2024 offseason trade. Sale dominated in his first season with Atlanta by leading the Majors in wins (18), ERA (2.38), and strikeouts per nine innings (11.4) en route to his first National League Cy Young award.
Meanwhile, Grissom struggled to even find a role in Red Sox manager Alex Cora's lineup. A combination of hamstring and groin injuries limited the Orlando, FL native to 105 at-bats across 31 games. He struggled to make the most of his limited opportunities, only tallying six RBIs and 24 strikeouts while slashing .190/.246/.219 along the way.
A change in scenery can sometimes bring struggles, so optimistic Red Sox fans hoped Grissom would return to form after a much-needed offseason.
Instead, the struggling infielder's woes bled into spring training. Grissom only mustered six hits with a half-dozen strikeouts and zero home runs across 34 ABs this spring, batting .176 while recording a putride .535 OPS before the Red Sox decided to cut ties.
It remains to be seen if Grissom will make it back to the big leagues this season, either in Boston or elsewhere. The fact that he only turned 24 years old in January suggests that he still has plenty of time to blossom, however, little about his recent performances implies that he's capable of better numbers.
The Braves will be traveling to face the Red Sox at Fenway Park in mid-May before hosting the latter at Truist Park just a few weeks later, leaving time to tell if he'll be back in the Majors in time for a potential reunion.