Brandon Workman is the odd man out.
The Boston Red Sox added Nathan Eovaldi to the active major league roster Thursday, one day after acquiring the hard-throwing right-hander from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Jalen Beeks. To make room, the Red Sox optioned Workman to Triple-A Pawtucket.
Eovaldi, 28, will wear No. 17 with Boston following the midseason trade. He’s expected to make his Red Sox debut Sunday when he starts against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park.
Workman has made 21 relief appearances with Boston this season, posting a 2.89 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP over 18 2/3 innings. He’ll return to Pawtucket amid the Red Sox’s roster crunch, but the 29-year-old could find his way back to Boston before long.
