Red Sox looking to activate lefty Brian Johnson for Baltimore series
The Boston Red Sox are preparing to bolster their starting rotation on Friday by activating southpaw Brian Johnson from the Injured List.
The Red Sox are getting ready to finish off their latest homestand tonight with the final game of a set with the Rangers. But that’s tonight, tomorrow starts a brand new road trip and Boston will find themselves heading to Baltimore. Ahead of the series with the Orioles the Sox are looking to beef up their starting rotation by activating Brian Johnson from the IL.
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Boston had a rough go of it with their starting rotation between poor outings and injuries. The Sox have essentially had a rotating door starter as they have been using anyone they can to fill the void left by the injured Nathan Eovaldi. With no timetable for Eovaldi’s return, it’s great news to see that Johnson is ready to return to the rotation.
"“Most likely, B.J. will be with us in Baltimore,” Cora said. “There’s a chance he might start Sunday, or a chance he might come out of the bullpen. We’re still looking at matchups and stuff like that.”"
Adding Johnson back into the mix will give some normalcy back to the Red Sox pitching staff that has seen names like Ryan Weber, Hector Velazquez, and 22-year-old prospect Darwinzon Hernandez. All tried but unfortunately, none were really able to offer anything of substance to the Sox. I’m not saying Johnson will be the savior of the team but he at least has experience as a starting pitcher in the majors.
As the Sox rotation goes the open slot that Johnson could fill would come in the series finale on Sunday. Boston can’t afford to continue dropping games to weaker teams and that trend needs to end this weekend against Baltimore. I’m not sure if throwing Johnson into such an important matchup will be the right move but it definitely feels better than another unproven arm.
Next. Wild Card positioning may prevent the Red Sox from making substantial moves. dark
With there being no timetable for Nasty Nate it is a feeling of relief to get Johnson back in the lineup. His return will give Alex Cora a chance to not burn through his bullpen every fifth start. With the sand moving quickly through the hourglass it’s time for the Red Sox to start making a run. Getting Brian Johnson back on the mound is a move in the right direction to get that run going.