In order to bring Brayan Bello back off the injured list, the Boston Red Sox had to execute a roster change on May 12. Boston optioned righty reliever Josh Winckowski to Triple-A, much to the astonishment of many fans. After spring training, Winckowski joined the big league squad, and he was the Red Sox’s dependable reliever for the majority of the 2024 season’s first quarter. Through 12 appearances, three of which were starts, the right-hander pitched to a 3.33 ERA. Winckowski has allowed more runs and struck out fewer batters in his last several outings. In his last seven games, he has given up six earned runs, and throughout that span, his ERA has risen dramatically. Lately, a different Red Sox pitcher has shown increased dependability for both short and long relief appearances. That
Because Booser is left-handed, he gives the Red Sox bullpen some variation in an otherwise heavily right-handed lineup. Winckowski is a right-hander, and the Red Sox would probably like to hang onto a lefty in the major leagues, so that could also account for his demotion following his early success. The Red Sox skipper, Alex Cora, described the decision to option Winckowski as “tough,” adding that Sox fans will get to see him again in the future. Booser, Brennan Bernardino, and Justin Slaten can hold things steady in Boston’s bullpen for the time being. Cooper Criswell might provide another dependable long-relief option for the pen when Garrett Whitlock eventually makes his way back into the starting lineup.
