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Red Sox Option Newcomer After Lackluster Stint In Boston, Call Up Key Reinforcement

Boston will have one of its best pitchers back on the staff
Scott Neville|
Red Sox Option Newcomer After Lackluster Stint In Boston, Call Up Key Reinforcement
Red Sox Option Newcomer After Lackluster Stint In Boston, Call Up Key Reinforcement

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Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox entered play Sunday just three games back of the American League Wild Card race as they prepped for the rubber match game of the Detroit Tigers series at Fenway Park.

Prior to the game, they made a roster move that heavily upgraded the pitching staff.

The Red Sox added right-hander Garrett Whitlock to the active roster. To make room for Whitlock, Boston optioned newcomer Kyle Barraclough to Triple-A Worcester, the team announced.

Whitlock has a 5.23 ERA with a 47-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .298 batting average against and 1.32 WHIP in 51 2/3 innings across 10 starts. Those numbers are not exciting but he's moving back into a role where he has been absolutely dominant. 

Boston will use the 27-year-old in the multi-inning reliever role that made him a staple of the Red Sox's pitching staff.

Whitlock has a 2.24 ERA with a 125-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .215 batting average against and 0.99 WHIP in 112 2/3 innings across 68 appearances out of the bullpen since making his debut in 2021.

Fans can expect to see a version of Whitlock a lot closer to that level of production than what he's done as a starter.

As for Barraclough, the right-hander allowed one earned run with three hits, a walk, a hit batter and three strikeouts between two games before being optioned. The 33-year-old looked solid in his first appearance in the big leagues this season but never had a chance to stick on the roster with Whitlock returning and Tanner Houck not far behind.

He'll be an option moving forward but might be stuck on the outside looking in if the Red Sox pitching staff remains relatively healthy for the final few weeks of the season.

More MLB: Korean Superstar Reportedly Entering MLB Free Agency, Red Sox Would Be Strong Fit

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's "Boston Red Sox On SI." Before launching the site (formerly called Inside The Red Sox), Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series," where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group (rebranded to On SI) in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Boston Red Sox On SI." Since then, he's added eight more regional sites with the company. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: scott@moreviewsmedia.com

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