The Boston Red Sox have claimed former San Francisco Giants reliever Jean Machi off of the waiver wire just eight days after the 33-year old was designated for assignment by San Francisco.

In order to create room for Machi on the 40-man roster, Boston placed starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, sidelined with a right flexor strain, on the 60-day disabled list.

Machi emerged as a reliable arm out of the bullpen for the Giants during their journey to a championship in 2014; however, his statistics dwindled out of the gates in 2015, making him expendable for the ball club when starter Tim Hudson was available to come off of the disabled list on July 20.

Last season, Machi accounted for 66.1 innings on the mound for San Francisco, garnering a 7-1 record to accompany his respectable 2.58 ERA. His WHIP rested at just .950, and his strikeout-to-walk was admirable as he fanned 2.83 batters per every one he walked.

The Venezuelan's value dipped in the beginning months of 2015, however, as his ERA skyrocketed to 5.14 in 33 appearances with the Giants, who are currently sitting in second place in the N.L. West. Machi's WHIP has risen to 1.486 this season while his strikeout-to-walk ratio has plummeted to 1.57, a career low.

What makes this addition encouraging for Red Sox fans is the fact that while Machi's statistics have certainly dropped, the velocity on his fastball (92-93 mph) has not, accentuating the notion that he still has potential to have a role on an MLB roster.

On the other side of the transaction, the action of moving Buchholz to the 60-day disabled list implies that the 30-year-old right-hander is unlikely to pitch again in 2015 as Boston sits in the basement of the A.L. East. The ace starter suffered in the injury in the fourth inning of his July 12 start against the New York Yankees, and he visited revered surgeon Dr. James Andrews on July 22 to have platelet-rich plasma inserted in his right elbow.

Buchholz's injury comes at an inconvenient time as the two-time All-Star was in the midst of one of the most promising stretches of his career before sustaining the right flexor strain. Overall, the Texan is 7-7 with a 3.26 ERA in 2015, leading the American League in home runs allowed per nine innings, yielding an average of just .476.