NEW YORK — The Red Sox welcomed two of their most important pitchers back Friday ahead of a crucial three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Boston activated right-handers Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock off the injured list Friday. To make room on the roster, the Sox placed lefty Matt Strahm (left wrist contusion) on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 13, and optioned righty Phillips Valdez to Triple-A Worcester.
Eovaldi will start Friday night’s series opener against the Yankees. It will be his first start since June 8; he was placed on the IL with lower back and hip issues four days later. Whitlock, whose last nine appearances came as starts before he injured his hip in mid-June, will be in the bullpen as a multi-inning weapon.
Strahm was injured Tuesday night when he was hit in the wrist with a 98 mph Taylor Walls line drive, though X-rays were negative. The Red Sox were hoping to avoid putting him on the injured list but he was unable to play catch over the last three days and won’t be eligible to return until July 28. Boston now has 10 players on the injured list, including eight pitchers (Strahm joins James Paxton, Josh Taylor, Matt Barnes, Rich Hill, Tyler Danish, Michael Wacha and Connor Seabold). Darwinzon Hernandez, who joined the team Thursday, is a candidate to take Strahm’s role as a high-leverage reliever from the left side.
“It’s stiff. He hasn’t been able to throw,” said manager Alex Cora. “It’s going to take longer than this weekend. We’ve just got to get him right.”
Valdez has bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the majors this year and owns a 4.41 ERA in 16 ⅓ big league innings. This is the fifth and final time he can be optioned without being exposed to waivers, so the Red Sox risk losing him the next time they call him up and send him down.
Friday’s game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.
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