The Red Sox will finally get a badly needed boost in the bullpen this weekend as Nathan Eovaldi is expected to join the team during its three-game set with the Orioles beginning Friday, according to the team’s website.
Eovaldi, who can’t be activated until Saturday at the earliest, has been on the injured list since late April because of a sore elbow.
He had an impressive outing Thursday with Triple-A Pawtucket, striking out the side in one scoreless inning of work.
Nathan Eovaldi: 1 Inning, 3 K’s, 1 BB on 19 pitches with 11 of them for strikes! #NastyNate @RedSox pic.twitter.com/7vxor8hL51
— PawSox (@PawSox) July 18, 2019
“I felt good,” Eovaldi said after the game. “Cutter felt better. I didn’t throw any splits today, but threw some curveballs and felt really good. I feel like I’ve gone through all the tests I possibly can. I feel like I’m ready to go. We’ll just use tomorrow as a recovery day and go from there.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora hasn’t specified what Eovaldi’s role will be within the Boston bullpen, but it stands to reason he’ll take over as a hard-throwing closer. Regardless, Cora is welcoming the 29-year-old righty with gracious, open arms.
“It’s very significant,” Cora said when discussing the return of Eovaldi. “That’s one more arm, and there’s a few more guys that have thrown the ball well, too. … It’s kind of like the domino effect, like, one more guy is going to help us get the previous inning and the previous inning and the previous inning, but everything starts from the first inning.”
Eovaldi has spent his entire career as a starting pitcher. He’s made only eight relief appearances his eight-year career. Last postseason he made four appearances out of the bullpen, tossing 9 1/3 innings and giving up just one run.
In Game 3 of the World Series last season, an 18-inning marathon won by the Dodgers, Eovaldi set a series record throwing 97 pitches in relief.
Boston (53-34) is off to a mediocre start to the second half of the season, going 4-3 after sets with the Dodgers and Blue Jays. The team remains 10 games back of the Yankees in the AL East and two games back of the Rays and Athletics for the second wild-card spot in the AL.