Boston Red Sox call up first wave of September reinforcements
By Sean Penney
Robby Scott
This one comes as a bit of a surprise, as Scott wasn’t on most people’s radars when predicting September call-ups, but he could end up being a valuable member of the bullpen.
The former Independent Leaguer has produced a solid 2.54 ERA and piled up 73 strikeouts against 14 walks in 78 innings for Pawtucket, where he has bounced between the rotation and bullpen. His 0.91 WHIP has been the best among all PawSox pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched this season.
The 27-year old southpaw could be a valuable addition to a Red Sox bullpen in need of reinforcements against left-handed hitters. Scott has held lefties to a .147 average and .459 OPS at the Triple-A level this season.
Only the much maligned Fernando Abad has a better batting average allowed against lefties (.125) on this Red Sox roster. Adding another lefty should allow Farrell to keep Abad in a left-handed specialist role, considering he’s been absolutely brutal against right-handers. The manager has lost faith in Abad after he posted a 6.30 ERA in 12 appearances, so Scott has a chance to surpass him in the bullpen hierarchy if he finds early success.
Next: The Next Wave