The Boston Red Sox made a roster move before Sunday's game. It just wasn't one that many expected to see.
Instead of activating Brock Holt from the IL, the team elected to call up top pitching prospect Darwinzon Hernandez to add help to their bullpen. The corresponding move was to send down Colten Brewer, per the Red Sox official Twitter account.
Hernandez had one appearance in his lone stint with the Red Sox earlier in the season. He was called up as the 26th man for a doubleheader and logged 2 1/3 scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers. Hernandez will add a lefty to the bullpen, which is something the Sox have been operating without in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Brewer has been on the Red Sox roster since Opening Day. The 26-year-old has struggled at times, posting a 5.32 ERA in 20 appearances, but he did pitch 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of David Price in last night's game against the Astros. Perhaps the team just needs bullpen help after Price's unexpectedly short start and sent down Brewer because he still had options.
Either way, this is an intriguing move, as Hernandez is one of the Sox' top pitching prospects and has posted 41 strikeouts in 31 innings at Portland this year. We'll see if this is a temporary move or if the team is willing to give the 22-year-old a shot to help fix the team's leaky bullpen.
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Boston Red Sox
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