Nobody really knows what to make of this Sandy Leon phenomenon.

It happens every now and then in baseball, where a relatively obscure player has his moment in the sun. This surely is Leon’s time. How sustainable it is becomes the question.

For years he’s been a 4-A catcher, good with the glove, not so much with the bat. Now he’s a switch-hitting machine. He’s reached the status where he’s fun to watch at the plate. Maybe it’s just one of those career swaths of success that hitters have from time to time in their careers. Maybe, at age 27, he’s finally learned to hit. Maybe it’s his 15 minutes of fame.

Whatever it is, the Red Sox bought into it enough Monday to send their beloved Christian Vazquez back to Pawtucket as Ryan Hanigan is set to be activated Tuesday after a long bout on the disabled list.

In the Red Sox’ 12-5 win Monday over the Rangers, Leon hit two doubles lefthanded and a single and double righthanded. He is now hitting .500 (20 for 40, 1.331 OPS). That’s a heck of a stretch for anyone. The Red Sox would have looked dumb sending Leon back to Pawtucket given the hot bat he’s wielding. If you can find a good defensive catcher who can hit, you might as well keep him around. They’re rare.

But if you look at his minor league career, Leon is a .238 career minor league hitter in 10 seasons. He’s a .225 major league hitter, but started the season hitting .187. He’s never hit more than six home runs in a season in the minors. He had eight RBIs in 235 plate appearances entering this season and now he has nine RBIs in 45 plate appearances. All of a sudden he’s Jorge Posada or the like.

“I’m seeing the ball really well.,’’ Leon said. “This is the best I’ve ever hit.’’

Well, yeah it is. Can we expect Leon to turn into Leon again? Who knows. But he is still a relatively young man at the catcher position. He’s had 3,168 plate appearances between the majors (Nationals and Red Sox), six years of winter ball in Venezuela, and 10 minor league seasons.

Maybe after all of those swings he’s figured something out. It also could be more regular playing time. The more he hits the more you want him in the game. The defensive difference between him and Vazquez isn’t that severe. Leon calls a good game and throws well. And again, he’s not as old as people think. In fact, he’s only two years older than Vazquez and has a lot more experience.

Because Leon’s out of options the Red Sox would have had to put him on waivers and the likelihood he would clear, given the shortage of catching around baseball and how well he’s hitting, would have been slim. So the Red Sox did the right thing sending Vazquez down to Pawtucket for a while where he can work on his hitting, while also strengthening his arm after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The big lift the Red Sox thought they were going to get for their pitching by accelerating Vazquez to the majors early in the season never fully materialized. Vazquez didn’t turn into Yadier Molina as the experts thought, though there’s plenty of time for that to develop. The Sox also have Blake Swihart, who is being used more as a left fielder but can still catch and is viewed by other teams as a catcher.

The Red Sox could have let Leon go in the offseason, but they offered him a chance to go back to Pawtucket and he took it. With Vazquez, Swihart, and Hanigan in front of him, it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. There was also Dan Butler, another pretty decent defensive backstop who has some power. But Leon was comfortable with the Red Sox organization. He has gotten to know the pitching staff and the pitchers trust his judgment.

The Vazquez-Leon flip is interesting because Leon was acquired from Washington on March 30, 2015, at a time when Vazquez learned he’d have to undergo Tommy John surgery. Leon had the reputation of being able to handle major league catching duties and the Sox acquired him for cash considerations.

This current hitting surge is the culmination of a lot of hard work in the batting cage through the years. He started feeling comfortable at the plate in winter ball in Venezuela, and it’s carried through to his season.

“I’m seeing the ball really well. I got this opportunity and hopefully I can keep doing it. I’m watching video and trying to keep it simple,’’ he said. “The most important things is to win the game. Get up there and get some good swings and hope that you can help the team win.’’

Leon said he never sweated out the team’s decision on who to send back to Pawtucket when Hanigan was ready. It turned out to be Vazquez. Leon was saved.

“I have all my faith in God. I don’t think about that stuff. I just play the game and whatever happens, happens,’’ Leon said. “I’m enjoying this. I enjoy when we win and I contribute something with my defense or with the bat. It just feels good right now. I’m getting results.’’

After every good game, reporters ask him, “Was this your best?’’

“The one in Minnesota [4 for 4, double, walk, and two RBIs) was really good, too,’’ he said.

He’s earned the respect and backing of manager John Farrell, who has said for days that what Leon is doing overall would result in staying with the team.

Late bloomer? His 15 minutes of fame? Right now the Red Sox don’t care what you call it. What they know is that Leon is giving them serious offense from the catcher position, which has been a black hole offensively the entire season.

And they are going to ride it for as long as it lasts.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickcafardo.