The final two months of the season will be an open tryout for many members of the Boston Red Sox organization, and that will be the case as the Sox get set to return to St. Louis for the first time since last fall’s World Series.
The Red Sox will open a three-game set in St. Louis on Tuesday, and they’ll have a pair of new faces joining them. According to multiple reports, the Sox will recall relief pitcher Heath Hembree and outfielder Corey Brown prior to the series. WEEI.com was the first to report the news.
It’s still unknown what the corresponding roster move will be, but Steven Wright is reportedly heading back to Pawtucket after being recalled for long-relief insurance over the weekend against the New York Yankees.
Hembree is one of the prospects the Red Sox acquired in a trade that sent Jake Peavy to the San Francisco Giants. Hembree appeared in nine games last season for the Giants and was terrific. He logged 7 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 12. This season, he posted a 3.89 ERA in 41 relief appearances with more than a strikeout per inning with Triple-A Fresno before being traded to the Red Sox. In two appearances with Triple-A Pawtucket, Hembree worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander throws hard, with a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s. Hembree also has shown the ability to close games, as he’s combined for 65 saves over three years at the Triple-A level.
The 28-year-old Brown has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues, where he’s appeared in 36 games since 2011 — none of those coming this season. He’s shown some impressive power, which he displayed in his limited major league experience and during spring training with the Red Sox. The Oklahoma State product is hitting just .226 in Pawtucket but does have 16 home runs and 39 RBIs for the PawSox.
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