Red Sox

Shaw began his career in Boston and has spent the last five seasons with Milwaukee and Toronto.

Travis Shaw played the first two years of his career with the Red Sox. Globe Staff Photo/Jim Davis

Travis Shaw is making his way back to Boston.

The Red Sox are claiming the corner infielder off waivers, the team announced Sunday.

Shaw began his professional career with the Red Sox, getting drafted by them in the ninth round in the 2011 MLB Draft. After proving himself to be one of the top prospects in the Red Sox’s system, Shaw was called up to the big leagues in 2015. He became the Red Sox’s full-time starting third baseman in 2016, hitting .242/.306/.421 with 16 homers and 71 RBIs, getting the nickname “Mayor of Ding Dong City.”

Shaw’s first stint in Boston ended following the 2016 season when he was traded to the Brewers for reliever Tyler Thornburg. In his first two years in Milwaukee, Shaw hit 30-plus homers each year, helping the Brewers reach the NLCS in 2018.

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Shaw has been in a downfall since 2019, when he had a .157 batting average and was sent down to the minor leagues. Shaw signed with the Blue Jays for the 2020 season, showing some signs of his former self. He hit .239/.306/.411 with six homers and 17 RBIs over 50 games that season.

The Brewers brought Shaw back for the 2021 season, but Shaw slumped again. He’s hit .191/.279/.337 with six homers and 28 RBIs over 56 games with the Brewers this season before getting placed on waivers on Saturday.

Shaw figures to at least be a depth piece for the Red Sox in their quest to find steady production at first base. Boston traded for Kyle Schwarber at the deadline with the intention of playing him at first, but he’s never played the position before and has only been a designated hitter since his return from injury.

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In other roster news, the Red Sox placed reliever Josh Taylor on the COVID-19 related injured list and called up catcher Connor Wong to fill the roster spot.