The Red Sox are playing it safe with Michael Wacha.
Wacha was scheduled to make his sixth start of the 2022 Major League Baseball season Sunday when Boston hosts the Chicago White Sox. But when Red Sox manager Alex Cora released his lineup for the matinee matchup at Fenway Park, it was Tanner Houck who was penciled in as the club's starting pitcher.
Boston moved off Wacha out of precaution. As Cora explained to reporters less than two hours before first pitch, Wacha experienced soreness on his right side following his latest bullpen session. Considering the 30-year-old's history with oblique issues, the Red Sox decided to keep Wacha on the bench and give the ball to Houck instead.
Barring any setbacks, Wacha will be available to pitch for Boston this coming weekend when it visits the Texas Rangers for a three-game series.
The Red Sox surely were looking forward to Wacha toeing the rubber against the South Siders, as the 10th-year pro has been excellent in the early goings of his Boston tenure. Wacha is responsible for three of the Red Sox's 10 wins on the young season and he currently owns a 1.38 ERA.
Boston lost four consecutive games following Wacha's sharp outing against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. The Sox will try to close their homestand on a high note before they leave for a five-game road trip.
