Red Sox Announce Three Roster Moves Ahead Of Astros Clash
The Boston Red Sox are riding high on Saturday after they picked up a walk-off 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night. Ahead of their upcoming game against the Astros, the Red Sox made a slew of roster moves involving their relief pitching depth.
Boston ultimately had a fairly quiet trade deadline day, adding just Steven Matz and Dustin May into the fold. However, they are getting a couple of players healthy for a playoff stretch run, which is sometimes just as good as making a trade.
Two players, Zack Kelly and Nick Burdi, ended up getting activated off the injured list ahead of their next game against Houston, although they both ended up getting assigned to Triple-A Worcester. The third and final move saw Luis Guerrero get transferred to the 60-day injured list.
For now, neither Kelly nor Burdi will be joining the major league team, but that could change in the future. In 17 outings this season, Kelly has a 1-3 record with a 5.56 ERA and 25 strikeouts, while Burdi has yet to allow a run over 5.1 innings of work in the majors this season.
They may not be the flashiest relief options, but Kelly was a key piece of the bullpen last season, and Burdi has shown flashes of being a reliable option when needed, albeit in limited action. If someone in the majors struggles or gets injured, one of them could get the call to the big leagues and end up pitching in some very important games.
Guerrero initially hit the 15-day injured list with a right elbow strain in June, but this move was likely being made to create a roster spot for Burdi, who is coming off the 60-day injured list. In 13 games this season, Guerrero has a 4.15 ERA and 10 strikeouts.
Boston will look to pick up their third-straight series victory with a win over Houston on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 4:10 p.m. ET, with Walker Buehler taking the mound against Colton Gordon.