Red Sox Rumors: Lefty Rich Hill Returns For Fourth Stint In Boston

The Boston Red Sox are reaching the do-or-die point of their 2024 regular season, and after kicking off a four-game road series against the Baltimore Orioles with a 5-1 loss on Thursday night, the front office made a move.

Boston signed 44-year-old Rich Hill to a minor-league deal, according to ESPN's Buster Olney and Rob Bradford of Audacy Sports. Hill, who hasn't stepped foot on a big league mound since Oct. 1 of last season, as a member of the San Diego Padres, expressed interest in a return, but only if the time was convenient -- Hill spent time coaching his son, Brice Hill, during Milton's Little League season.

Before bringing back Hill, who initially became a member of the Red Sox 14 years ago in 2010, the team attended the southpaw's showcase, along with several other big league teams, too, in need of pitching depth.

The plan, as Olney reported, is for Hill to join Boston's Triple-A affiliate either on Sunday or Monday. Worcester is slated to face the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Sunday at Polar Park, which could allow Hill to join first baseman Triston Casas before officially rejoining the Red Sox for the fourth time in Hill's 20-year MLB career.

Boston's chief baseball officer Craig Breslow identified starting pitching as one of the team's three main priorities heading into the July 30 MLB trade deadline -- relief pitching and right-handed hitting were the other two. The Red Sox addressed their need to add depth to the rotation by welcoming back fellow left-hander James Paxton, who after just two starts with Boston, suffered a (presumably) season-ending calf injury.

Hill last pitched at Fenway Park for the Red Sox during the 2022 season, going 8-7 with a 4.27 ERA through 26 starts. The Massachusetts native, who's sported 13 different MLB uniforms throughout his career, has gone 90-73 with a career 4.03 ERA in 382 games and 1,405 1/3 innings logged.