The Boston Red Sox are waiting to hear back about Steven Wright’s knee, but in the meantime, someone has to start in the knuckleballer’s place Thursday.
And that someone will be Kyle Kendrick.
The Red Sox announced the decision after Tuesday night’s 5-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, giving the right-hander the chance to make his first major league appearance since 2015. The Red Sox will have to purchase Kendrick’s contract from Triple-A Pawtucket and likely will place someone else on the 60-day disabled list to make roster room.
“That was the recommendation of the staff in Pawtucket,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said Tuesday, per the Boston Herald. “(Hector) Velazquez has been throwing the ball better of late, obviously coming off the game he recently had, but this is something that we felt Kendrick was the most prepared and ready to go.”
Velazquez pitched six no-hit innings Sunday in his last outing with the PawSox, but he’d be pitching on short rest. Kendrick, who last pitched for the Colorado Rockies and went 7-13 with a 6.32 ERA, will pitch Thursday against Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez.
As for Wright, he received a second opinion on his sprained knee Tuesday, but Farrell said before the game it’s too early to say whether the knuckleballer will require surgery, per CSNNE’s Evan Drellich. The skipper indicated it’s likely reliever Tyler Thornburg will be the one moved to the 60-day DL.
Wright is 1-3 with an 8.25 ERA in five starts so far for the Red Sox this season.
Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images
