Connor Wong returns to Red Sox roster; backup catcher sent to AAA

BOSTON — Less than four weeks after fracturing his pinky finger, Connor Wong is back with the Red Sox on Friday night.

Boston activated Wong from the injured list before its series opener against the Twins and optioned backup catcher Blake Sabol to Triple-A Worcester. Wong is hitting seventh and catching Brayan Bello on Friday.

Wong, who entered the season as the starter behind the plate, was 2-for-23 (.087) with seven strikeouts in nine games before being injured when George Springer nicked his hand on a catcher’s interference during a game on April 7. He recovered rather quickly from the injury and played in three rehab games at Triple-A Worcester this week, going 4-for-11 with one double, one home run, and three RBIs. He also took a number of at-bats against the Trajekt pitch simulator machine in recent days.

“That’s the luxury of having Trajekt,” said manager Alex Cora. “You can have as many at-bats as possible without being on the field. He attacked that the right way. Defensively, the first day, he was off and a little bit hesitant, then yesterday he felt great with the moves.”

Wong returns in a bit of a different situation than the one he left as the upstart play of backup catcher Carlos Narváez — who has proven to be elite defensively while providing some pop at the plate — has led to an expected timeshare between the two moving forward. Wong will get his fair share of starts but Narváez is expected to mix in on a consistent basis as well. Cora said he’d take it “day-by-day” in regards to deciding who will catch.

“Narvy caught the three games in Toronto. We thought it was a good day for Connor to get here and catch Bello,” Cora said. “He’s here and we know he’s going to contribute.”

Sabol, acquired in a minor winter trade with San Francisco, appeared in eight games, making four starts. He hit .125 (2-for-16) with a double and seven strikeouts. Runners attempting to steal off him went 10-for-11. He will return to Triple-A where he will split time with veteran Yasmani Grandal, who decided to stay with the organization for the time being despite holding a May 1 opt-out in his minor league contract.