The Boston Red Sox’s battered bullpen received a boost Friday when the team announced right-hander Junichi Tazawa had been activated from the 15-day disabled list.
Tazawa, who hit the DL on July 14 with a shoulder impingement, hasn’t pitched since allowing two runs on three hits in one inning during a July 3 win over the Los Angeles Angels. In the days since, Boston has lost relievers Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara to injury.
Tazawa struggled in the month leading up to his DL stint but was rock-solid before that, posting a 1.37 ERA over his first 21 appearances. That ERA has since ballooned to 3.62.
To make room on the 25-man roster, the Red Sox optioned right-hander Noe Ramirez to Triple-A Pawtucket.
Boston’s bullpen, which was bolstered by the acquisition of Brad Ziegler earlier this month, boasts a collective ERA of 3.74 this season, placing it squarely in the middle of the pack (14th in the majors, eighth in the American League). Ziegler will serve as interim closer until either Kimbrel or Uehara is healthy enough to return.
The Red Sox have won nine of their last 10 games and enter Friday’s matchup with the Minnesota Twins in first place in the AL East.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
