Red Sox Fireballer in Trouble as Tommy Kahnle Looms in Triple-A

The Boston Red Sox should make a change in the not-so-distant future.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Tommy Kahnle walks off the field after the 3-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners in 15 innings at ALDS Game 5 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have a veteran reliever down in Triple-A just waiting for his opportunity to help this club out in the big leagues.

That is 11-year big league veteran Tommy Kahnle.

Kahnle signed with the Red Sox late before the 2026 season began and is down with Triple-A Worcester right now. So far this season he has made three appearances and has a 2.70 ERA. He also made two appearances with Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic and didn't allow a run. The Red Sox's bullpen could be better right now. Boston is 12th in the league with a 3.58 bullpen ERA overall.

With Kahnle gearing up and trying to make a return trip to the big leagues, the guy to watch right now in the bullpen is flamethrower Zack Kelly. He didn't make the club out of camp, but has since been promoted and has appeared in five games and has a 6.75 ERA to show for it so far in 5 1/3 innings pitched. If anyone is at risk of a demotion in the bullpen right now, it would be him.

The Red Sox Should Promote Tommy Kahnle

Mar 8, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Israel pitcher Tommy Kahnle (43) looks on toward catcher C.J. Stubbs (not pictured) after the game against Nicaragua at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Kahnle has appeared in 456 games throughout his big league career to this point and has a 3.61 ERA to show for it. The Red Sox also pursued him multiple times over the last few years, but missed out, until landing him just before the 2026 season. After all of the public interest in Kahnle, it would be a pretty big shock if the club didn't use him now that they have him. The bullpen has already been a bit of a revolving door so far.

Boston has a day off on Thursday, it would be a good time to make a change if the club sees fit. All in all, at some point Kahnle is going to help this club. If Kelly doesn't turn things around quickly, he could very well be the guy who loses his spot in the bullpen to make that happen.

It's been a roller coaster of a start to the season for the Red Sox. It seemed like they figured things out towards the end of the St. Louis Cardinals series only to drop the first two games of the Minnesota Twins series. Fortunately, the offense erupted behind Connelly Early on Wednesday.

Now, with a day off on Thursday, an easy way to improve the team would be giving Kahnle a shot. Boston will begin a series against the Detroit Tigers on Friday as well, who Kahnle played for last year.