Alex Cora Reveals Red Sox Rotation Following All-Star Break

The Boston Red Sox have been forced to rely on a three-man rotation in the weeks entering the Major League Baseball All-Star break.

That formula hasn’t exactly been ideal, with injuries to Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock making it a necessity, but the Red Sox have been successful since the change. Boston won six-of-seven games entering its Saturday afternoon contest with the Oakland Athletics.

That might be why Red Sox manager Alex Cora is in no rush to switch things up.

Boston will enjoy a four-day break from Monday to Thursday, with Kenley Jansen heading to Seattle for All-Star festivities. The Red Sox will come out of that break the same way they went into it, having Brayan Bello, James Paxton and Kutter Crawford start the unofficial second half of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

Cora confirmed that Boston would likely continue with a pair of bullpen games as they head out to Oakland for another series, resetting the rotation with Bello.

The Red Sox could then see both Houck and Whitlock re-enter the rotation, as both men would be eligible to come off the injured list. Nick Pivetta is being built up as a bulk reliever who can eat innings in those bullpens, but will not be entering Boston’s rotation, according to Cora.

Dinelson Lamet, Kyle Barraclough and Andrew Politi are options from Triple-A Worcester to make spot starts.

The Red Sox will play their final game before the break Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET following an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.