Vicente Padilla was really, really hoping to be a starter for the Red Sox, but that never seemed very likely and now it’s all but official that he’ll be working out of the bullpen to begin the season (assuming, of course, that he makes the team on a minor-league deal).
Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports that Padilla is scheduled to pitch just one inning in his next appearance after logging multiple innings early in camp, which is further complicated by a recent hamstring injury.
Padilla would have been a reliever for the Dodgers last season, but he got hurt after just nine outings. He hasn’t made double-digit relief appearances since 2001, when Padilla was 23 years old and with the Phillies.
