Red Sox Rival Options Starting Pitcher Amid Erratic Season

One of the Boston Red Sox’s competitors made a major roster shake-up on Wednesday night.

While Boston rallied to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in a thrilling extra-innings bout, the Tampa Bay Rays fell 11-9 to the Chicago White Sox. Taj Bradley allowed four runs in just 1 2/3 innings to a last-place team with the American League’s lowest OPS (.652) this season.

After the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters they’re optioning Bradley to Triple-A. He explained the organization’s choice, per FanDuel Sports Network’s Ryan Bass.

“Tough decision, certainly, but felt like it’s best for him to get down there right now,” Cash said. “He’s got to get to work … It’s probably a better environment for him to work rather than compete every single pitch. But know that Taj Bradley is massive to our success, and we need to get him back to the form that we know he’s capable of.”

Bradley has spent the entire 2025 season in Tampa Bay’s rotation after making 25 starts last year. The 24-year-old has continued to tease immense upside, recently limiting the Red Sox to one run over six strong innings on July 10.

However, the right-hander has yet to harness his stuff into consistent results. Wednesday’s start elevated Bradley’s ERA to 4.61, not far from his 4.70 ERA in 354 career innings since arriving in 2023.

Bradley allowed his 13th home run of the season on Wednesday, and he relinquished four hits and three walks without a single strikeout. While he piled up punchouts in the previous two years, he has just 95 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings this season.

Bradley was part of a five-man rotation that’s started all but one of Tampa Bay’s 103 games. That outlier belonged to Joe Boyle, a likely candidate to replace Bradley.

Boyle has thrown 14 innings in four appearances as a bulk reliever since rejoining the Rays this month. The 25-year-old has permitted just six hits in the majors and dominated Triple-A batters to a 1.85 ERA and .160 opposing batting average in 73 innings.

The Red Sox are 1.5 games ahead of the Rays, whom they swept in a four-game series before the All-Star break. They won’t meet again until Sept. 19.