PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Nobody knows exactly when the call-up will come, but whenever it does, Michael Bowden will be ready.
The 23-year-old right-hander, who has done a bit of work as a reliever and a lot as a starter, is being transitioned into a “permanent” member of the bullpen so that when Theo Epstein comes calling, he’ll be up to the challenge.
Whether or not Bowden truly prefers starting or relieving is irrelevant. For right now, relief work is his forte. If that’s what gets him to Fenway Park sooner rather than later, that’s what he’s happy to do.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for him to progress in the system and get to the big leagues with another bullet in his satchel, so to speak,” said PawSox manager Torey Lovullo prior to Thursday’s game against Rochester. “We all know what he can do as a starter, but I think we feel like collectively he’s got a strong body that has great bounce-back ability. He could pitch every day. … Really, we just want to provide the Red Sox with as many options as possible, and we feel like this is a good option for Bowden and the Boston Red Sox.”
Bowden started 16 games for Pawtucket this season, going 4-3 with a 3.77 ERA before making his first relief appearance on Wednesday, tossing two scoreless innings.
The PawSox may be losing one of their most valuable starters — the team is 10-6 during Bowden’s starts and averages 4.9 runs scored — but that’s not what matters. Right now, what matters is giving the Red Sox what they need to continue to be successful.
As a result, Bowden is dedicating himself completely to becoming a reliever, altering his mindset to fit the new gig.
“This is where he’s going to practice and get into a routine — get everything just right in case that moment happens,” Lovullo said. “You just have to shift your thoughts entirely to the bullpen, and it’s hard to do. You have to get ready in 10 to 15 pitches. You have to be on every single day; there’s no rest for four days. There are some unique challenges. I think it’s totally different, and he’s adjusted to that very, very well.”
One of the most important factors in ensuring a smooth transition for Bowden is making sure he understands his role. As of right now, his starting days are over. He’s a reliever, and he has to start getting used to it.
Whether or not he’ll ever return to starting remains to be seen, but as far as the present is concerned, he’s a permanent reliever.
“He asked the question once, and that was it. [He asked], ‘Does this mean I won’t be starting anymore?’ I said, ‘For right now, no,'” Lovullo explained. “We never went back over it, and I think he understood this is an opportunity for him to get to the big leagues one click faster. I think we’ll cross that road at some point maybe next season or at the end of this season, but for right now, it’s all about helping the Boston Red Sox. This is what he wants to do.”
Lovullo has resorted to one tactic in particular to help Bowden get acclimated to life in the bullpen: Every time the bullpen phone rings during a game, he answers it.
“If that phone rings, it is red alert, let’s go,” Lovullo said. “And I think with Michael picking up the phone and delivering the messages, he’s going to start getting a feel for what’s going on down there. I thought that was a pretty good learning tool.”
Right now, the plan is to get Bowden a couple of innings of work every time he gets out there in order to help him establish a rhythm. Eventually, he’ll work one inning at a time in order to keep himself fresh.
The transition is nothing more than a challenge for Bowden. Fortunately, as he fine-tunes in Pawtucket, he’s in the best possible position to conquer it before his phone rings with a call from the Red Sox.
“I think it’s a challenge he has embraced,” Lovullo said. “I don’t think you can go out there as a starter and think like a bullpen guy, and vice versa. You have to do one or the other, and I think we chose him as a candidate because he can handle that change.”
