Red Sox lose reliever to Diamondbacks in waiver claim

The Boston Red Sox have been severely bitten by the injury bug and it's forced management to be strategic with its pitching depth.

Left-handed reliever Joe Jacques was called up to Boston for its April 18 matchup against the Cleveland Guardians. Jacques pitched 1.2 innings, let up three hits, hit a batter, allowed an earned run and fanned one Guardian.

The following day, the Red Sox designated Jacques for assignment to give his roster spot to Cam Booser, another Triple-A reliever who made an emotional big-league debut at the age of 31 on April 19.

Four days after he was DFA'd, the 2023 World Series runner-up Arizona Diamondbacks have claimed Jacques off waivers.

The Diamondbacks picked up recently DFA'd former Red Sox Joe Jacques

Boston acquired Jacques as a Rule-5 draft pick from the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022. He's a ground ball pitcher who doesn't strike out many batters, which doesn't suit the Red Sox's lackluster defense. Jacques is a 3.72 ERA pitcher in his six-year minor league career, but he's been rocked in 2024 — Jacques has thrown 121 pitches and allowed seven runs in four innings with the Woo Sox.

Despite being rather shy on lefties, the Red Sox have left-handed pitching depth with better performance numbers from this year. Booser, Lucas Luetge, Joely Rodríguez and Brennan Bernardino are the lefty options the Sox still have to work with, although it should be said that Rodríguez has cost them a few games and Luetge has been hit around in Triple-A.

More Red Sox reads: