Before taking on the Mariners at Fenway Park on Friday night, the Red Sox reinstated right-hander Michael Wacha from the 15-day injured list. In order to make room for Wacha on the major-league roster, fellow righty Ryan Brasier was unsurprisingly optioned to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced.
Wacha returns from the injured list after being placed there on May 8 because of left intercostal irritation. Because his stint on the IL was backdated to May 5, though, the 30-year-old was eligible to be activated as soon as Friday.
As such, Wacha will take the mound against the Mariners to kick off the weekend, marking his first competitive outing since May 3. Through his first five starts of the season, the veteran hurler has posted a 1.38 ERA and 3.91 FIP to go along with 19 strikeouts to 11 walks over 26 innings of work.
Brasier, meanwhile, will head to Worcester after getting his 2022 campaign in Boston off to a rough start. After giving up a home run to Julio Rodriguez in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 12-6 win over Seattle, the 34-year-old reliever has now put up a 6.28 ERA and 6.03 FIP with 16 strikeouts to three walks across his first 18 appearances (13 1/3 innings) of the season.
Since he has one minor-league option remaining, the Red Sox are presumably optimistic that Brasier can find something in Worcester while working with WooSox pitching coach Paul Abbott, as he did last September.
The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams was the first to report that Brasier would be optioned to Worcester to make room on the roster for Wacha.
(Picture of Michael Wacha: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
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