Red Sox Make Jake Bennett's Debut Official Ahead of Crucial Astros Series

Remember when it seemed like the Boston Red Sox almost had too many starting pitchers on the organizational depth chart?

During spring training, 25-year-old lefty Jake Bennett was impressing just about everyone, but there seemed to be little opportunity to earn his way to a major league debut. But with injuries to Johan Oviedo, Sonny Gray, and Garrett Crochet, the trade of Kyle Harrison to the Milwaukee Brewers, and Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval remaining on the injured list, the door suddenly swung open.

On Friday, the Red Sox made the move official. Bennett was recalled to the active roster to make his major league debut to kick off a weekend series at Fenway Park against the Houston Astros, while outfielder Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

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What Red Sox fans need to know about Bennett

Mar 3, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett (64) pitches in the first inning against the Puerto Rico. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

After a rocky spring training in Grapefruit League play, Bennett earned his way to the top of the heap in Triple-A among guys who were angling for their major league debuts. In his first five starts of the season, he allowed just two earned runs in 21 innings, giving him a 0.86 ERA and a fantastic 0.77 WHIP.

Of note, Bennett has not pitched more than 5 1/3 innings yet in a single game this year. It seems likely that the Red Sox would want him to get through the Astros' lineup twice, then quickly hand the ball off to the bullpen.

Acquired in the December trade that sent hard-throwing righty pitching prospect Luis Perales to the Washington Nationals, Bennett was someone the Red Sox envisioned becoming a key player -- just likely not this quickly.

The small-sample numbers at Triple-A might indicate that Bennett would be ready for a moment like this, but the gap between the majors and the next-highest level of competition has never been larger. Bennett faced the likes of Ji-Hwan Bae and Cristian Pache in his last start; now he's got to deal with Yordan Alvarez.

Bennett is essentially the last line of defense between the Red Sox and total starting pitching chaos, so if he can hold the fort for a couple of trips through the rotation until Gray or Crochet gets back, he will have passed his first test.

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