1:10 pm: Right-hander Eduard Bazardo has been optioned as the corresponding move, the Red Sox announced.
11:22 am: The Red Sox are activating right-handed pitcher Garrett Whitlock off the injured list for the final scheduled game of the season, according to manager Alex Cora, who spoke to various reporters, including Ian Browne of MLB.com. Whitlock went on the IL September 21st with a pectoral strain and now returns less than two weeks later. The corresponding move has not been announced at this time.
After being selected from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft, the 25-year-old has emerged to be one of Boston’s best bullpen arms, if not the best. In 45 games, he’s racked up 72 1/3 innings with an excellent ERA of 1.99. His 26.8% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate are both much better than the league averages of 23.2% and 8.7%.
The return of Whitlock figures to be a boost to a Red Sox team that’s mired in a four-team scramble to get to the ALDS. The Red Sox and Yankees are one game ahead of the Blue Jays and Mariners, going into the season’s final day, with the potential for multiple tie-breaking games being needed before the Wild Card game, to determine who moves on to the next round to face the Rays. Each and every pitcher could play an important role in the chaos, especially one as skilled as Whitlock.
All hands on deck!
No Whitlock for nearly 2 weeks. Josh Taylor injured for over 1 week. Pen has been a big mess. Thank Goodness Brasier finally back, but other than him? Nobody to trust since losing that pair.
Think of it as all the arms in the Pen are rested for the postseason.
If Cora doesn’t have faith in a reliever right now, that reliever shouldn’t be on the postseason roster. Especially with the starting pitchers also available for relief duty.
I say remove the guys like Davis and replace them with position players that can contribute at least speed and defense. The bench is way, way too thin.
You might want to differentiate between ‘have faith’ and being just okay. The BP is about the same as it’s always been. It is just ‘okay’. But you can’t go without a BP just because it isn’t top-tier.
Joe I strongly disagree with your belief the BP hasn’t changed from earlier this year, and yes I have the numbers to prove it.
Sox Bullpen – First Half = 3.57 ERA 3.7 WAR
Sox Bullpen – Second Half = 4.50 ERA 1.1 WAR
I know it’s been a while, but Barnes and Taylor were basically unhittable for a long stretch in the first half of the season. Right now we simply don’t have any reliever like that, although hopefully Whitlock will regain his early season form.
A reduced number of relief pitchers in the postseason makes total sense. No need for innings-eaters, especially with all the current and former starting pitchers in the pen who can give lots of innings.
“If Cora doesn’t have faith in a reliever right now, that reliever shouldn’t be on the postseason roster.”
Where do you find new ones? You go with what you got. Every team is beat up.
Don’t need 10 relievers on the active roster, dump the ones that can’t be counted on … like Davis.
That means you carry only Hernandez & Perez as out lefties? On a pure L/L basis, Davis has better results than Perez or Hernandez.
Joe, it’s true that without Taylor and with Barnes still trying to resolve his issues, Davis has the best results against LHB.
But here’s the thing ….. 2 years ago I’d say keep Davis as a LOOGY.
Today, with the minimum 3 batter rule (unless it’s the end of an inning) and with teams heavily rotating L/R in their lineups because of that rule, the number of situations where Davis can be used without facing a RHB are very, very limited.
For that reason, he’s not worth keeping … especially in situations like today where JD turns his ankle and may not be available for a few days.
The 3-batter rule actually suggests we keep more lefties and more RPs. Cora often brings in a lefty with 2-out to face a lefty, knowing he likely needs to only face one batter.
It also depends on which team we face. The only Yankee lefty with weak splits is Gallo. And Hernandez is 0-4 against him with 4 Ks. We might not need much more than that. But even then, you are still choosing Perez over Davis.
Against TB, they have more lefties. Lowe has a .958/.666 split this year. Wendle has a .794/.602. Meadows has a .879/.549. Choi has a .836/.524. I think you need all three lefties against TB.
Joe, do you know what has happened when Cora has brought in a lefty to face a LHB with two out?
The LHB reaches base, and then the LHP is forced to face one or two RHP. Cora has been burned several times by this scenario.
Managers like Cora are the reason why MLB instituted a 13-pitcher limit (waived in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid) and they are the reason why MLB is looking into a 11 or 12 pitcher limit in the near future.
The pitching changes are also a huge reason why games run longer than MLB prefers.
Yup, that happened to Hernandez. I never claimed the strategy to be perfect.
And I agree with the changes, since I don’t want to see the entire BP every game. But it is Cora’s job to play to the changes, since everyone else will.
That is misplaced trust in Brasier, did you see his last outing? 2 hits and a walk in one inning.
He’s got a 1.333 WHIP and has a career-low 6.8 SO9 rate, not good.
I’m just VERY happy Whitlock is back, that is huge for us.
Compared to what else they have.. brasier is fine without Taylor and Whitlock and that last line? remember that was his 4th consecutive day of pitching after being on the shelf all season until September.
Issues with him, for sure. Like his FB no longer sits upper 90’s and touches 98-9mph this season have seen. All have noticed was sitting 94-5 and touching 96tops. Maybe it’s from the injury.. maybe just age, but he’s looked much better after trip from AAA. Like the guy from previous seasons, only few ticks less velocity.
What they need is Taylor back and Barnes with his head screwed on straight.
John that’s a great point about the 4 days in a row. Yet another reason to question why Cora pulled Houck so quickly, and why he pulled Richards so quickly.
Don’t hold your breath on Taylor, they are saying his season is done.
Barnes is a real big dilemma now, because there’s no more low leverage situations to bring him into (unless today’s game is a blowout, which is possible).
The sox just aren’t scoring runs right now the way they should be. I mean they put their all offense lineup out there and get 4 runs the other day and last night it took them 8 innings? Bogaerts has been awful lately. You need more from him, devers and martinez for this team to score runs… they won’t be blowing anyone out until this happens. .. the real question is if Barnes makes the wild card roster. If he does it is because of name and contract only (given they just signed him to an extension)
Just win today baby and don’t get involved in that mess if the Yankees lose to Tampa again. I just can’t see Tampa rolling over they hate the Yankees and would love to see them knocked out of the playoffs plus it’s sending a message that we have nothing to play for and you have everything and we are still crushing you and your hopes go Tampa.
FWIW – Wacha has been pitching well of late, but I still can’t picture the Yanks getting swept at home by Tampa.
My heart can’t take games like this. Eovaldi to make up for the last outing against the Yankees cmon Evo.
I have unique strategy for Red Sox if it’s a four way tie today. (I know this won’t happen, but is this that bad of an idea).
Red Sox chose to play Mariners
Jays chose to play at home
Red Sox avoid Yankee team that has its number of late. They have to fly to Seattle, but after winning, get to fly back home to face Jays.
Again, I know this won’t happen – The players would hate you for making them fly to SEA, and the team would lose home box office receipts. But, if losing, meant the end of the world, I would think hard about it.