BOSTON — Brandon Workman gave the Red Sox a nice little parting gift Tuesday.
Workman, who was told after Tuesday’s game he’ll be sent down to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for the Red Sox to activate reliever Craig Breslow from the 15-day disabled list, provided Boston with four solid innings of relief in his final appearance before being demoted.
Workman entered Tuesday’s game against the Texas Rangers at the start of the sixth inning with the Red Sox trailing 9-1. The right-hander pitched the final four frames, surrendering just one run on two hits while striking out three. It was a performance that wasn’t all that important in the grand scheme of things — Boston still lost 10-7 — but it was another indication that Workman is ready to make an impact at the major league level.
“He pitched very well, very effective,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said after Tuesday’s loss. “(He threw) three pitches for strikes. He attacks the strike zone, pitches ahead (and has) some swing and miss to his fastball. Just a solid four innings here tonight.”
The Red Sox didn’t officially announce a roster move after Tuesday’s game, but Workman’s trip to Triple-A has been inevitable. The 25-year-old will be sent to Pawtucket to be stretched out as a starter — a process that began during spring training.
Workman served as a starter and as a reliever in the majors last season, but Farrell said during spring training that the Red Sox don’t want him to bounce back and forth between roles this season. That means Workman’s next big league call-up could come when something happens in Boston’s rotation.
