The Boston Red Sox will see their bullpen grow by two Saturday when trade-deadline acquisitions Hansel Robles and Austin Davis join the team for its game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Before the outing, Red Sox manager Alex Cora shared more about what the Red Sox are expecting from the relievers, who came from the Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.
While he didn’t rule out the possibility the pitchers could see time depending on how the game goes for starter Nathan Eovaldi, he did reveal that the players will be used in different scenarios.
“With Hansel, he’ll kind of be like our other (Hirokazu) Sawamura; a righty that can come in, shut down an inning and come back for three more,” Cora told reporters pregame. “Davis … is kind of like getting somebody out in the sixth or seventh, a lefty, then move on to the next wave of relievers.”
A seven-year veteran, Robles is more established than Davis, who made his Major League Baseball debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018, so the usage plan makes sense.
Robles appeared in 45 games for the Minnesota Twins this season, posting a 3-4 record with 10 saves and 4.91 ERA. Davis has spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor-league squad this season, with 10 outings in the show and 13 in the minors. Overall, he has 65 relief outings (71 2/3 innings pitched) under his belt through four years and boasts a 5.59 ERA.
The Red Sox enter Saturday’s game against the Rays with a 3.60 bullpen ERA, ranking eighth in MLB. If their new acquisitions step up, it could mean the difference between first and second place in the American League East standings with two games left in a crucial series.
