Felix Doubront just wants to pitch.
Doubront hasn’t had much of an opportunity of late, as the left-hander essentially has been relegated to mop-up duty in the Boston Red Sox’s bullpen. It’s a harsh reality that Doubront isn’t too thrilled about.
“I’m doing my work and trying to stay sharp. My mind is positive but this sucks,” Doubront told The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham before Monday’s 14-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Doubront tossed a scoreless eighth inning in Monday’s blowout victory. He needed just seven pitches to work a 1-2-3 frame in which he struck out two. It marked Doubront’s first appearance since July 7 and only his fifth appearance since returning from the disabled list June 20.
Doubront has been the victim of circumstance as much as anything, but his rocky start to the season and his time on the DL certainly didn’t help matters. The 26-year-old’s future now is as uncertain as ever.
“I just want to pitch,” Doubront told Abraham. “If it’s here or somewhere else, I just want to pitch. I need an opportunity if it’s another team or this team.”
Red Sox manager John Farrell acknowledged Doubront’s lack of work before Monday’s game, saying the club needs to find ways to keep the southpaw fresh even with opportunities being few and far between. Doubront doesn’t sound totally sold on the path Boston is taking, though.
“We have opportunities. I guess I’m just hoping for opportunities to get in games. It’s not happening right now,” Doubront said.
Doubront started his first game off the disabled list June 20 but has pitched in relief ever since. He became the odd man out when Clay Buchholz returned and both Rubby De La Rosa and Brandon Workman proved to be better rotation options. Doubront, after all, is 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA this season.
The role change hasn’t been a smooth process, as the lefty voiced his displeasure in the immediate aftermath of shifting to the ‘pen. Doubront still views the rotation as his long-term home, even if the Red Sox have reservations.
“I’m a starter. I know I’m a starter. I need to show (Farrell) what I am capable of,” Doubront said Monday. “This is what’s happening right now. I have to suck it up and wait.”
Doubront could be waiting for a while.
