Red Sox face old friend Clay Buchholz in finale versus Toronto Blue Jays

The Boston Red Sox will be opposed by Clay Buchholz for the first time since he left the organization in Thursday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

A familiar face will be on the mound when the Boston Red Sox step into the batter’s box tonight. Clay Buchholz will get the start for the Blue Jays in the finale of the three-game set in Toronto.

Buchholz spent the first 10 years of his career with the Red Sox, compiling an 81-61 record and 3.96 ERA over that span.

The right-hander is an enigma with an enticing skill set yet equally frustrating due to his inconsistencies and injuries.

The two-time All-Star had a few brilliant seasons in a Red Sox uniform. In 2010, Buchholz won 17 games with a 2.33 ERA to finish sixth in Cy Young voting. In 2013, he would have led the majors with a 1.74 ERA if he had enough innings to qualify but injuries limited him to only 16 starts that season.

That would be a theme throughout his career. Buchholz has never made more than 29 starts or reached 190 innings in a season.

There were also a few clunkers on his resume. His career year in 2013 was sandwiched between a season with a mediocre 4.56 ERA and a dismal 5.35 ERA. The talent was always there but Buchholz sometimes struggled to harness it.

He certainly had his ups and downs but Buchholz was a key part of the World Series championship team in 2013. Despite battling injuries, he returned to make four starts in the postseason. That included a four-inning effort in Game 4 of the World Series. While he didn’t last long enough to earn the win, holding the St. Louis Cardinals to one unearned run allowed Boston to build a lead in an eventual victory that evened the series.

The Red Sox traded Buchholz to the Philadelphia Phillies after the 2016 season. They had previously picked up his $13.5 million option but the acquisition of Chris Sale made Buchholz expendable. Buchholz would end up making only two starts for Philadelphia before a torn flexor tendon ended his season.

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He signed a free-agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks in May of last season and debuted in their rotation a few weeks later. Buchholz went 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 16 starts in the desert. Former Red Sox executive and current Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen was well-acquainted with Buchholz from their days in Boston and his gamble on the injury-prone pitcher paid off.  At least until a flexor strain prematurely ended his season in mid-September.

Buchholz found a frigid free-agent market last winter while recovering from yet another injury. He ended up settling for a 1-year, $3 million deal with the Blue Jays. Any attempt to re-establish his value with a “prove it” year has backfired. He’s 1-4 with a 5.31 ERA in nine starts and missed over two months with a strained shoulder.

The 35-year old may be nearing the finish line of his career but not before facing his former team. This will be the first time that Buchholz has ever pitched against the Red Sox, making Boston one of the very few clubs he’s never faced. That’s not all that surprising considering he’s only made 26 starts since leaving town, most of which were in the National League.

Seeing Buchholz on the mound, even if it’s against us, will be a treat for nostalgic Red Sox fans who can look back at his complicated yet never dull tenure in Boston.