Red Sox Opening Day 2017: 25-man roster breakdown

Bullpen

RHP Craig Kimbrel, RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Heath Hembree, RHP Ben Taylor, LHP Robbie Ross Jr., LHP Fernando Abad, LHP Robby Scott

With setup man Tyler Thornburg still working his way back from a right shoulder impingement, Joe Kelly will be counted on to fill his eighth inning role. This is the first time since joining the Red Sox that Kelly opens the season knowing his role is set in stone as a reliever. There’s some risk in handing the setup job to a pitcher with limited experience in that type of role, but Kelly was brilliant once he was transitioned to the bullpen last season. He posted a 1.02 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 17 2/3 inning of relief, followed by 3 2/3 shutout innings in the postseason.

Price’s injury means that none of the team’s other options for the rotation need to be relegated to long relief, at least not yet. That leaves room in the bullpen for both Fernando Abad and Robby Scott, who competed in camp for a spot as the second lefty in the bullpen behind roster-lock Robbie Ross.

The surprise of the group is Ben Taylor, a 24-year old who has never pitched above Double-A. The former 7th round pick doesn’t have the experience or pedigree of some of the other pitching prospects that were in camp, yet still managed to earn a spot with a solid spring. He posted a 3.46 ERA and struck out 19 batters over 13 innings. More impressive is that he held opposing hitters to a .212 average, third best on the team among pitchers who tossed double-digit innings this spring.

Taylor will almost certainly be sent down when Pomeranz is activated for his first start, while one of the lefties will probably be out of the mix when Price’s return bumps a starter to the bullpen. The Red Sox are also expecting to get Carson Smith back in June. The team is starting the season with eight arms in the bullpen, but only about half of them should feel secure in their role and performance will dictate who gets to stay when reinforcements arrive.