The bullpen gets some triple-digit help.
Red Sox fans will finally get a glimpse of part of the return from the Rafael Devers trade. Following rehab from a toe injury, reliever Jordan Hicks will be activated for this week’s series against the Cincinnati Reds. Hicks will be the bullpen for the reminder of the season, which is where he’s had his best performances as a big leaguer and where he’s free to uncork his triple-digit heat. He’s saying all the right things about being excited to be here and being ready to contribute in the pen, but, reading between the lines, it seems like he would prefer to be given another shot at the starting rotation. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Hicks returns just in time, as the Sox bullpen took a hit when Zack Kelly left yesterday’s game with oblique tightness. It’s unclear whether Kelly will land on the IL, just as it is also unclear whether his absence is even a bad thing for the Sox. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
Of course the rotation could use as much help as the bullpen, particularly in light of Walker Buehler’s continued stretch of brutal pitching. But it sounds like the Red Sox are going to keep Buehler around for at least one more turn through the rotation as he continues to make adjustments in an attempt to get back on track. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
While Buehler has been one of the most disappointing offseason acquisitions in quite some time, his battery mate, Carlos Narvaez, has been one of the most pleasantly surprising acquisitions. He continues to impress with both the bat and the glove, though the Sox are looking for ways to keep his workload manageable. (Matty Wasserman, Boston Globe)
The Narvaez trade is definitely one of the best moves Craig Breslow has made in his tenure as Red Sox CBO. Whether he makes another great trade before the deadline is TBD, but he still sounds like he wants to buy, saying that, for the Sox, “the future is now.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
But the Sox might not make it to the deadline in a position to buy. Two weeks after the Rafael Devers trade, they remain unable to correct the vibes. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)