The Boston Red Sox are tied for first place in the American League East but their pitching has been an issue. Garrett Crochet has gotten off to an excellent start after an offseason trade but Richard Fitts, Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler have combined for 22 earned runs in 31 innings.
With Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford on the injured list, the Red Sox have had to get creative on the back end of their rotation and in the bullpen. While one reliever had started the year strong, he’s part of the Red Sox’s first big pitching mistake of the season and could make matters worse in the coming weeks.
Red Sox DFA Robert Stock, Call Up Josh Winckowski
According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox have designated reliever Robert Stock for assignment while calling up reliever Josh Winckowski. The moves, which coincided with the call-up of Blake Sabol for the injured Colton Wong, already have had a negative reaction from fans, as Boston prepares for the second game of a four-game series with the Toronto Blue.
Stock was added to the Red Sox roster on Monday and quickly made an impression with his new team. Making his first major league appearance since 2021, Stock allowed a run in two innings out of the bullpen on three hits and a walk. The appearance didn’t shut down the Blue Jays’ lineup, who was up 5-1 when Stock entered the game in the seventh inning but helped relieve a taxed bullpen after Boston played a doubleheader with the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
While Stock performed admirably, he likely wasn’t going to recover in time to be available in the Sox bullpen for the next two days. Even then, Winckowski is a questionable replacement.
The 27-year-old debuted with the Red Sox in 2022, posting a 5-7 record and a 5.89 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) in his rookie season. Winckowski saw more success as a reliever in 2023, posting a 2.88 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 84.1 innings but regressed to go 4-2 with a 4.14 ERA in 40 games (six starts) in 76 innings last season.
The right-hander also posted rough analytics during his 2024 campaign, posting a 17.9% strikeout rate, a 20.9% whiff rate and a 27.5% chase rate according to Baseball Savant.
Stock’s time with the Red Sox may not be over as he’ll clear waivers and Boston has seven days to analyze his future. But his debut performance was deserving of an encore and Winckowski will now have to take the baton.
