Clay Buchholz officially has been removed from the Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation.
The struggling right-hander will be moved to the bullpen, manager John Farrell told reporters Friday afternoon in Toronto, with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez taking over his spot in the rotation.
Rodriguez, who has yet to appear in a major league game this season after suffering a knee injury in spring training, is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles, per Farrell.
Buchholz has been the clear weak link in Boston’s rotation this season. He’s allowed five or more earned runs in six of his 10 starts, has completed seven innings just once and entered Friday with a 6.35 ERA that ranked second-to-last among all qualified major league pitchers.
Farrell told reporters there is a chance Buchholz could earn his spot back at some point this season, but for now, he’ll work out of the ‘pen as a long reliever. That’s a role the 31-year-old has little experience in, as he’s made just two relief appearances in his big league career (compared to 177 starts) and none since 2008.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
