Red Sox roster moves: Sonny Gray to IL (hamstring) with MRI pending; lefty reliever called up

BOSTON — Red Sox starter Sonny Gray is hoping to avoid a lengthy absence after leaving Monday’s start with right hamstring tightness. He won’t, however, avoid the injured list.

Boston will place Gray on the 15-day IL and recall left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester before its series opener against the Yankees on Tuesday, sources told MassLive. For now, that’s the only roster move planned for Tuesday, though other machinations could come into play before first pitch at 6:45 p.m. ET.

Gray pitched 2 ⅔ innings Monday before feeling a “grab” in his right hamstring and exiting the game after one warm-up pitch. He will have an MRI on Tuesday morning to assess severity. Gray, who has dealt with hamstring issues in the past, is positive about his outlook but it’s clear the Red Sox are planning to be cautious. Tuesday’s move will sideline Gray for at least a two-week period.

“I can honestly say it doesn’t feel like it’s a horrible thing,” Gray said after Monday’s 8-6 Red Sox win. “It’s just something that’s going to take however long it’s going to take to get right. I don’t know what that is right now.

“I’m not concerned for a long-term thing. Having familiarity with it is a good thing because it’s kinda like a ‘crap’ thing too because you have familiarity with the same thing. It doesn’t feel as bad as it has other times where I have missed time. I will say that. And that’s a good thing.”

The Red Sox will need to replace Gray in the rotation and the top candidate to do so is left-hander Payton Tolle, who was scratched from his scheduled start at Triple-A Worcester over the weekend as part of a contingency plan with weather threatening games in Boston. Tolle was not called up — and as a result, has not pitched for the WooSox since April 12. The Red Sox will assess their rotation plans in the coming days, a source said, and see what makes the most sense for the group as the club tries to replace Gray. Jake Bennett is another option who has pitched well at Triple-A.