With two Boston Red Sox relievers suffering injuries this past week, the organization addressed its bullpen depth Sunday following a win over the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom announced that the club claimed left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino off waivers from the Seattle Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester. Boston made room for Bernardino on the 40-man roster by placing Zack Kelly on the 60-day injured list.
Bernardino has only made two appearances in the majors over his career, both of which came last season with the Mariners. He allowed one earned run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings during his brief stint in the big leagues.
Bernardino, who signed with the Mariners in June of 2022 after pitching for Tijuana in the Mexican Baseball League, pitched well with Triple-A Tacoma last season when he posted a 2.20 ERA to go along with five holds and two saves across 23 outings. He also held opposing batters to a .161 batting average and recorded 35 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings.
But the 31-year-old wasn’t able to replicate those results this season. He allowed eight runs in six innings for Tacoma before being designated for assignment.
The Red Sox’s bullpen has been a strength during the early portion of the season, but is thin on arms. Kelly’s elbow injury, which left him emotional after having Tommy John surgery in 2020, appears serious and Chris Martin landed on the 15-day IL Sunday due to right shoulder inflammation.
