Red Sox Pitching Staff Should Look Like This After Recent Injuries

The Red Sox did a tremendous job upgrading their pitching staff this offseason, and it’s a good thing they did…

Boston has been dealt a rough hand prior to Opening Day, as a myriad of injuries will send two of last season’s starters (Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford) to the injured list before pitching in a game while another (Lucas Giolito) recently started dealing an ailment of his own.

“We talked to Brayan. He’s behind,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MassLive’s Sean McAdam on Tuesday. “He’s not going to be with us for Opening Day. It just doesn’t make sense, where he’s at, to push him and rush everything, where something major happens. He’s throwing a live BP (on Wednesday), and he’s going to be part of it, but he’s behind so we’ll take care of him.”

Crawford has been dealing with lingering patellar tendon pain in his right knee, so he won’t be ready. Giolito injured his hamstring in his first start of the spring, and it’s anyone’s guess as to when he’ll be ready.

It’s been a tough go of it for the Red Sox, but they already helped themselves weather the storm by adding significant rotation depth over the past two seasons.

How will the group look when they open things up in Texas on March 27, though?

Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler feel like relative locks, with the two former options likely battling to see who will pitch on Opening Day. Giolito very well could be ready, but even if he’s not, three men seem destined to make starting appearances at some point early in the season: Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester.

Criswell served in the same depth role last season, surprising many by finishing the year with a serviceable 4.08 ERA across 18 total starts.

Fitts and Priester might be the preferred options, however, with the former having shown stark improvement this spring with an uptick in velocity and an added pitch to his arsenal. Priester was acquired at last season’s deadline, and though his role as a starter is questionable long-term, there likely won’t be a better time to give him an opportunity.

Bello and Giolito aren’t expected to be sidelined very long, so it isn’t time to panic. The Red Sox wouldn’t have anyway, though, because they’re already seeing an offseason full of work come to fruition.

NESN’s George Balekji and Kasey Hudson discussed this very topic on “Boston Has Entered The Chat” on Wednesday, which you can find on both Spotify and YouTube.