Rubby De La Rosa will make his first start in a Boston Red Sox uniform Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 25-year-old right-hander has been tabbed to start in place of the injured Clay Buchholz, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier this week with a hyperextended left knee.
De La Rosa, who came to Boston from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the blockbuster deal two years ago, has spent the early part of this season as a starter at Triple-A Pawtucket, posting a 2-3 record with a 3.04 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 10 starts.
Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters Thursday that positive reviews from the Pawtucket coaching staff played a role in De La Rosa getting the nod for the call-up over fellow PawSox starter Allen Webster, who made seven starts for the big club in 2013.
“The recommendation of the staff in Pawtucket (was a factor),” Farrell said, via MLB.com. “You look at their numbers overall on the course of the year, they’re pretty similar. The last two starts for Rubby have been strong, and that was pretty much the deciding factor.”
De La Rosa made 11 relief appearances for the Red Sox last season, allowing seven runs on 15 hits over 11 1/3 innings. He has started at the major league level before, going 3-5 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 starts as a rookie with the Dodgers in 2011.
