BOSTON — The Red Sox’s bullpen will be getting deeper very soon.
Carson Smith pitched a second outing in Double-A Portland on Saturday, finishing his two-appearance rehab stint with two strikeouts and no hits or walks over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. And he’ll be activated before Tuesday’s game against the White Sox in Chicago.
“It’s felt like an eternity,” Smith said Sunday of his six weeks away from the Red Sox. “Sitting there watching the games on TV, just cheering my teammates on, that’s all I could do down there in Florida. There’s a part of it just being patient and going through all the steps it takes to get back to healthy. I’m ready to be back.”
Red Sox manager John Farrell didn’t have a corresponding move to go with Smith’s activation, but he did say Boston likely would carry an extra pitcher again. If that’s the case, infielder Marco Hernandez probably would be optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket.
“To prioritize an extra pitcher versus a bench player, that’s an internal discussion that is ongoing right now,” Farrell said Sunday before the Red Sox’s game against the New York Yankees. “And we’ve got to be mindful that Carson comes back to us with a limited rehab, so we’ve got to be careful on his frequency of use, so it’s not being ruled out that we would go with an extra pitcher for the short term.”
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
