Santana (elbow) signed with Boston as a non-roster invitee Thursday, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

EDGE Analysis

Exactly what Santana can provide the Red Sox this season is something of a mystery. He was a very useful player for the Rangers in 2019, hitting .283 with 28 homers and 21 steals, but that followed four seasons in which he hit a combined .219/.256/.319. He then struggled through 15 poor games in 2020 before being shut down for elbow surgery, adding injury concerns to his inconsistent track record on the field. It's also not clear exactly when he'll be able to play, as the initial timeline for his September surgery would have seen him return sometime in May, yet he reportedly believes he'll be ready for Opening Day. There's plenty of fantasy upside here if he can approximate his 2019 numbers, but the floor could hardly be farther away.

Santana (elbow) is scheduled to hold a showcase for interested teams Thursday in Miami, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran switch hitter has already held some individual workouts this offseason, but the showcase event should allow Santana to address any lingering concerns teams may have about his health. Santana missed most of the abbreviated 2020 campaign due to a right elbow injury that later required reconstructive surgery in September. At the time of his procedure, Santana was projected to be sidelined for around eight months, but the 30-year-old is apparently confident that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day. Though Santana is only two years removed from a 28-homer, 21-steal campaign in which he batted .283 over 130 games with Texas, he'll likely have to settle for a part-time role as a utility man no matter where he lands.

Santana (elbow) was non-tendered by the Rangers on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 30-year-old appeared in only 15 games during the 2020 season before going down with the elbow injury, and he was given an eight-month recovery timeline after undergoing surgery in September. Santana played all over the field and had a .283/.324/.534 slash line with 28 homers and 21 stolen bases in 2019, but he crashed hard during his limited action in 2020. The lengthy recovery means he won't be ready for the start of the season as he attempts to find a new team.

Santana underwent surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is expected to require around eight months to recover, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

According to Weaver, Santana essentially had a modified Tommy John surgery, as his procedure involved the swapping in of an artificial internal brace in place of the damaged tendon in his elbow. Based on the timeline laid out, Santana will likely be sidelined until around the middle of April, at the earliest. After posting a career-best .858 OPS in 2019, Santana dropped to .511 this season while striking out in 38.1 percent of his 63 plate appearances before going under the knife. That steep downturn in performance coupled with his lengthy recovery timeline could prompt the Rangers to non-tender Santana this winter.

Santana (elbow) will not return this season, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Injuries prevented Santana from following up his strong 2019 campaign, limited him to just 15 games. He was quite ineffective in his playing time, hitting just .145/.238/.273, though injuries likely played a part in his struggles.

Santana was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow sprain, retroactive to Aug. 27.

EDGE Analysis

Santana was initially slated to start Friday's contest against the Dodgers, but he'll be sidelined for at least 10 days due to an elbow issue. The severity of the injury is unclear. While Santana recovers, Derek Dietrich could see an uptick in playing time at first base. Ronald Guzman was also recalled from the Rangers' alternate training site in a corresponding move.

Santana went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Friday's loss to Seattle.

EDGE Analysis

Santana made the most out of his fourth consecutive start at first base by launching his first home run of the season via a solo shot off Nick Margevicius in the sixth inning. The 29-year-old still has some work to do, however, as he is batting just .162/.262/.297 across 10 games so far this year.

Santana started at first base and went 1-for-4 with a double, a stolen base and three RBI in Thursday's 8-7 loss to the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

Santana made his third straight start at first base and seemingly has a path to consistent at-bats going forward. The Rangers placed both Willie Calhoun (hamstring) and Elvis Andrus (back) on the injured list Thursday, which presents a few options to get Santana's bat in the lineup. Since coming back from his arm injury, Santana is 4-for-16 with a double, five RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base over five games. The downside is that he continues to pile up strikeouts; Santana's whiffed 16 times in 33 at-bats.

Santana started at first base and went 0-for-4 before he was ejected in the 10th inning of Wednesday's 6-3 loss to San Diego.

EDGE Analysis

Santana, whose recent arm injury limits his defensive deployment, made his second straight start at first base as manager Chris Woodward juggled the lineup to get his bat in the order. A couple of developments Wednesday could impact Santana's use going forward. Elvis Andrus (back) entered the game late and played shortstop; if Andrus returns to the starting lineup, the resulting shift in bodies could leave first base unavailable to Santana. Countering that was Willie Calhoun leaving the game with a hamstring injury, which is expected to land him on the injured list. One option to cover for Calhoun's absence is to move designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo to left field, which would open up DH for Santana, who may not yet be ready to play the outfield.

Santana started at first base and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Padres.

EDGE Analysis

Santana is being brought back slowly from an arm injury that limits where he can deployed. He served as the DH on Monday and Tuesday was his first time playing a field position. The arm strength isn't enough to play the outfield at this time. After a 1-for-17 start and three weeks on the injured list, Santana has hit safely in all three games since being activated.