Ryan Dempster‘s wait to pitch again will last a bit longer than was mandated by Major League Baseball.
Though Dempster’s five-game suspension for beaning Alex Rodriguez will be up on Tuesday, the right-hander will not make his next start until the following Friday, manager John Farrell announced prior to Wednesday’s games.
The Red Sox have just three games scheduled over the next five days, allowing Farrell to take some liberties with his starting rotation.
“With the off days coming up, we’re just trying to not get too many days off for guys,” Farrell said (via CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam). “[There are] some matchups along the way as well [that factored in]. We’re trying to take advantage of all it.
“Because of [Dempster’s] experience, I don’t think the additional days at this point in the year will cause him to get out of a routine or maybe affect the overall command. When we’ve seen [him get] added rest at this point in the year, he’s been more sharp and the crispness to his secondary stuff has been noticeable.”
Dempster will be pitching on 11 days rest when next he takes the mound against the White Sox on Aug. 30. He will reportedly throw a simulated game Friday at Dodger Stadium, though, and an additional bullpen session when the team returns to Boston next week.
