Red Sox right-hander Heath Hembree is headed back to the injured list due to an elbow strain, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Hembree also missed about three weeks earlier this summer owing to a similar injury.
Hembree, 30, hasn’t looked right whatsoever in his return from that prior IL stint. He’s made a dozen appearances and totaled only nine innings while yielding 10 runs (nine earned) on 14 hits (including three homers) and six walks with 10 strikeouts. As Speier points out, he’s also displayed diminished velocity readings since being activated.
Hembree punched out 35 hitters and logged a 2.51 ERA through 28 2/3 innings prior to that initial injury. It’s not clear how long he’s expected to miss, but the injury is yet another setback to a Red Sox relief corps that surprisingly went unaddressed at the trade deadline (and in the offseason). The elimination of August trade waivers all but eliminates the possibility of Boston adding any truly notable help to the relief corps, although there are still some ways to add some depth to what they already have in house.
Whoah brother.
We all saw this coming after his latest outing… really even before that as he’s just flat out not been the same pitcher since he came back from the IL – the velocity has just vanished… another reason you would’ve thought they’d have addressed their bullpen at the trade deadline but nope… and to be totally honest after their showing against the Rays maybe standing pat was the right decision… because they definitely didn’t look like a playoff team the past 3 games! (4 really if you go back one more against the Yankees)
IMO, with no good pitching prospects above RK league to call upon for RP help, BOS is doomed to mediocrity.
Darwinzon Hernandez and Tanner Houk
Bryan Mata 20 year old in AA top 100 according to BA.
By far their best pitching prospect is Mata.
Good thing Sox traded for some relief help before the deadline…
Red Sox should have either addressed their bullpen or sold a couple big names. Betts and Holt could have brought back some huge prospects.
Betts to Dodgers for a slew of prospects. Bellinger to 1B. Joc to the bench.
Holt to the Braves to fill in for Swanson til he comes back. Could have gotten a nice prospect for him.
I’m sure you felt smart
I’m in agreement with Jeff. I really don’t think it would mattered if they made a move. One guy wouldn’t have fixed the bullpen. Beside the fact that they just don’t look like the same team as last year. The offense has been great for the most part but you can’t have your ace with an ERA over 4.00 and your number 3 starter with an ERA approaching 6. Tough to win consistently when that happens.
Maybe his disproportionate, child sized arms caused it.
Red Sox can always send Cashner to the bullpen.
The second weeks card is looking like a long shot at this point.
The team has nothing but huge contracts, with some getting even bigger and an empty farm system.
Why not trade for a couple relievers? It’s only gonna get harder to field a team going forward. Should of taken one last chance
“One last chance”
True. It’s obviously over for Red Sox fans. Forever.
The Red Sox season looks like it is sinking the only way they even make the playoffs if the starters actually pitch like they are capable off. That is the only thing that is going to change things. We all knew that the bullpen was going to be weak but the way you make a weak bullpen better is by starters going 6 or 7 innings and that has not happened. If the Red Sox starting doesn’t turn around didn’t matter who they brought in for the bullpen they are doomed.
The Red Sox have a lot of money coming off the books next year, contrary to what some are saying on the thread, and I believe next year is a perfect time for a soft reset.
The key to them resetting the lux tax is JDM. If he opts out they can do it pretty easy if he doesn’t then they will probably have to trade Mookie. They should go hard in the offseason to see if they can sign Mookie long term, unlikely, and if the can’t see what they can get for him. They would go below the Lux Tax line for a year and be ready to go after it in 2021. They would still have a formidable team even without Mookie or JDM especially if the starting pitching rebounds.
It’s not all bad though Bogey and Devers have absolutely broken out as superstars and there farm system is getting better with BA rating them with 3 top 100’s.
I’m also glad they didn’t unnecessarily weaken an improving farm especially after what the Astros did. They just went out and grabbed the World Series by the throat going to be very difficult to beat that team for anyone.
Lol. Good thing they covered themselves by acquiring a much needed reliev…. oh, never mind.