Eduardo Rodriguez has the potential to be a No. 1 starter, and the Boston Red Sox don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that future.
The rookie left-hander is approaching his innings limit this season, so the Red Sox will skip his next turn in the rotation Saturday against the New York Mets. Rodriguez has accumulated 140 2/3 innings this season between Triple-A Pawtucket and the big leagues, and his career high is 145.
“We’re trying to manage his time and his workload,” acting Red Sox manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday, per Masslive’s Jen McCaffrey. “And this is a way to give him a couple extra days. And it makes sense for us.”
The Red Sox also will keep an eye on Henry Owens, who is further away from his career high of 159 innings. The lefty is at 146 1/3 innings between Boston and Triple A.
“I think both of these guys are getting ready to pitch into their sixth month of baseball and they’ve never done that before,” Lovullo said. “We’re going to add everything up and make sure we don’t put either of those guys in harm’s way. Henry’s name has come up a little bit, not as much as Eduardo. We’ll let them dictate how they’re doing on the mound and move forward with some of our thoughts.”
Thumbnail photo via Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports Images
