The Red Sox have sent right-hander Steven Wright to the 15-day disabled list, placed first baseman Hanley Ramirez on the bereavement list for three days, and optioned left-hander Roenis Elias to Triple-A Pawtucket, reports Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). Corresponding moves are not yet known, adds Mastrodonato.
Wright, whose DL stint will be retroactive to this past Monday, hasn’t pitched since Aug. 5. The 31-year-old knuckleballer threw a complete game shutout against the Dodgers in that outing, but he has been dealing with soreness in his throwing shoulder of late.
“With there being no structural damage, it’s bursitis, so it’s a little inflamed,” Wright explained to Rob Bradford of WEEI on Saturday. “If the pain doesn’t go away, it’s just about if it’s tolerable enough to pitch through. Right now, I don’t know. I right now, it’s 50-50. It all depends on how I feel when I get off the mound.”
The absence of Wright is certainly a negative for the Red Sox, who pummeled Arizona, 16-2, on Sunday for their third straight win. Boston is now 64-52, two games up on a Wild Card spot and two back in the American League East, but its starters entered Sunday with a middling ERA (4.47), and that includes Wright’s sterling 3.01 mark through 146 2/3 innings. With Wright down, the only member of the Red Sox’s staff with a sub-4.00 ERA is Rick Porcello (3.40). However, despite his run-prevention issues this year, David Price remains a more-than-capable option. Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez has fared well over the past month, and costly July trade acquisition Drew Pomeranz has turned in back-to-back encouraging starts after a rough beginning with the team.
For at least the time being, the Red Sox will turn to beleaguered righty Clay Buchholz to fill Wright’s void. Buchholz was a quality starter as recently as last year, but he has shuffled between the rotation and bullpen during a forgettable 2016. In 75 2/3 innings as a starter this season, the 31-year-old has logged a 6.30 ERA, 5.67 K/9 and 4.05 BB/9. He’ll take the mound Thursday in Detroit.
Oh geez… Here we go…
Probably Buchholz’s last chance for redemption in a Red Sox uniform. While unlikely, it will be interesting if he can battle his way to a quality start or two before the season’s end.
Well I guess this is the other shoe dropping after they announced Wright was 50-50 for Thur. This team has struggled most of this season with consistent play… Amazing they have the record they have, but this is the road trip to put things together so Zander and Shaw need to get things turned around now. Obviously Taz has been pushed back to earlier innings, lost his set up role…
Agree it’s truly impressive with all the close losses they haven’t really lost ground in either race
Also with Taz bumped to 6th inning I could see a role if and I mean IF sox choose to add Pab back! At this stage has similar stuff to Taz and both are f/a at end of year ! For league minimum why not???
If Elias could pitch anywhere near what he did for Seattle, the Red Sox could breathe a little easier, but every time they throw him out there, he gets tattooed.
Flyball pitcher, everything he throws is flat and it’s not just the short time he’s had with Boston, but the games at Pawtucket as well. Stick him in another huge stadium and he’d probably fare a little better maybe.. Still.. There just isn’t much of anything to Elias.
90-92fb, flat curve. He needs to go back to one of those places, or better? The NL and get to face a pitcher one time around as well.
Take a flyer on Paps. Can’t hurt.
Well actually, it could…
Pap isn’t going to help. And with the selfishness and not to mention the dumb comments upon his departure I think and hope it’s a no go.
I’ve defended JF for months but putting in Wright as a pinch runner was dumb as hell.
I remember several years ago they used Buchholtz as a pinch runner and he hurt himself. Should have used him again in that spot as losing him at this point in time vs Wright wasn’t a good move.
How did that affect the injury? It only changes the timing of the DL start date.
Agreed. I’m no fan of Farrell as this is just his most recent head scratcher – remarkably poor choice to use Wright in such a role. At least Pomeranz, if you absolutely have to use a pitcher, has modest experience on the base paths from his time in San Diego. Farrell is part of the problem, not the solution.
ah, the wonderful 13-man pitching staff/3-man bench comes back to bite a team hard. Gosh, remember the 80s and 90s when teams had these magical unicorns called “pinch-hitters” and “pinch-runners”? But no, instead teams need to waste roster spots on lefty relievers who throw thirty innings a year.
I would pass on Pap. Noe has done an acceptable job both @ Fenway and the Paw Sox..
Buch has been more than acceptable in his last 4 appearances.—-fans are fickle–if he gets a start Thurs. and goes 5 or 6–allowing a couple of runs I’d be happy.
Take a look at Lackey, would you like to have him in a Sox uni going Thursday? Buch is going to make some changes and his head is going to make some changes. The Sox will be sorry if they sell short on him.
Owens has been pitching well of late. Johnson seems to have recovered. Kopech had 11 K’s Fri @ Salem–should be getting moved up to AA for an outing or two maybe not with Salem probably a favorite to go deep in the playoffs.
Stay away from Pap—-maybe try to extend Ziegler before he goes to FA.