Red Sox right-hander Hector Velazquez has been scratched from his scheduled start tonight against the Mets at Fenway Park with an illness and another right-hander, William Cuevas, will make the start, the team announced.
It'll be the first major league start for Cuevas, 28, called up from Pawtucket after rosters expanded on Sept. 1. He's made four relief appearances and allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings and struck out nine. In 23 starts for Triple-A Pawtucket, Cuevas was 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA.
He'll be opposed by Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard (11-3, 3.44 ERA) in the opener of the three-game series. The Sox enter with their magic number for clinching the American League East title at 6.