ryan sherriff – Blogging the Red Sox

Red Sox place Corey Kluber on paternity list, recall Ryan Sherriff from Triple-A Worcester

Before opening a three-game series against the Reds at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, the Red Sox made a pair of roster moves pertaining to their bullpen.

Boston placed right-hander Corey Kluber on the paternity list and recalled left-hander Ryan Sherriff from Triple-A Worcester, the club announced.

Kluber and his wife, Amanda, recently welcomed the birth of their fourth child. The 37-year-old must now remain on the paternity list for at least 24 hours, but no more than 72 hours. In other words, he is eligible to be reinstated on Wednesday at the earliest and by Friday at the latest.

Signed to a one-year, $10 million deal back in January, Kluber was Boston’s Opening Day starter to begin the 2023 season. But the veteran righty struggled to a 6.26 ERA (6.60 FIP) with 34 strikeouts to 18 walks in his first nine starts (41 2/3 innings) for the club.

Taking those difficulties into consideration, Kluber was removed from the starting rotation and demoted to the bullpen last week ahead of Garrett Whitlock’s return from the injured list. He has yet to pitch in relief for the Sox, which is something he has not done in a regular season game since 2013.

Sheriff, meanwhile, is back with the Red Sox for the second time this season after initially having his contract selected from Worcester earlier this month. The 33-year-old southpaw made two appearances on back-to-back days against the Mariners on May 16 and 17, marking his first big-league action since 2021. He tossed a scoreless frame in each of those games and recorded one strikeout.

With the WooSox this year, Sherriff has forged a 2.79 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 21 strikeouts to nine walks over 18 outings spanning 19 1/3 innings of work. He joins Joely Rodriguez as the only other lefty available to manager Alex Cora out of the Red Sox bullpen for the time being.

(Picture of Corey Kluber: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox option Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Worcester ahead of Kutter Crawford’s return from injured list

The Red Sox optioned left-handed reliever Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Worcester following Wednesday night’s 12-3 win over the Mariners, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon.

By optioning Sherriff, the Red Sox have created a roster spot for right-hander Kutter Crawford, who will be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Padres in San Diego, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Crawford has been sidelined since May 4 due to a left hamstring strain. The 27-year-old made one rehab appearance for the WooSox at Polar Park on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits, zero walks, and four strikeouts over three innings of work.

In seven appearances (two starts) for Boston this season, Crawford has posted a 3.51 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 24 strikeouts to just three walks across 25 2/3 innings. When working out of the bullpen, the righty has pitched to a 1.08 ERA (3.60 FIP) with 12 punchouts to one walk in 16 2/3 frames.

As noted by Cotillo, Crawford will return to the multi-inning relief role he has thrived in to this point alongside the likes of Josh Winckowski and Nick Pivetta, who was removed from Boston’s starting rotation and subsequently demoted to the bullpen on Wednesday night.

Sherriff, meanwhile, had his contract selected from Worcester on Tuesday and tossed a scoreless inning in each of the last two games against Seattle. The lefty gave up one hit and one walk while recording one strikeout in his first major-league action since September 2021.

Sherriff, who turns 33 next week, signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox back in January. Prior to Tuesday’s call-up, the veteran southpaw had forged a 3.00 ERA (2.94 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to eight walks in 15 outings (15 innings) for the WooSox.

In 46 career appearances between the Cardinals (2017-2018), Rays (2020-2021), and Red Sox (2023), Sherriff now owns a lifetime 3.50 ERA over 46 1/3 innings at the big-league level.

(Picture of Ryan Sherriff: Nick Grace/Getty Images)

Red Sox roster moves: John Schreiber placed on injured list, Brennan Bernardino optioned; Justin Garza, Ryan Sherriff called up from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox placed right-handed reliever John Schreiber on the 15-day injured list with a right teres major strain and optioned left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino to Triple-A Worcester prior to Tuesday’s contest against the Mariners at Fenway Park, the club announced.

In a pair of corresponding moves, righty reliever Justin Garza was recalled from Worcester and lefty reliever Ryan Sherriff — who was not previously on the 40-man roster — had his contract selected. The Red Sox had an opening there after designating Ryan Brasier for assignment on Monday.

Schreiber felt tightness in his right lat (the latissimus dorsi muscle, on his side) after delivering a pitch to Julio Rodriguez in the seventh inning of Monday night’s 10-1 loss to the Mariners. The 29-year-old was seen flexing his throwing arm on the mound and was immediately removed from the game after a visit from manager Alex Cora and head athletic trainer Brandon Henry.

The hope is that Schreiber’s injured list stint will last the minimum 15 days, which would put him in line to return to action at the end of the month. Schreiber told reporters (including The Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo) that he had an MRI done, but it remains to be seen if Tuesday’s diagnosis will alter his recovery timeline at all.

Bernardino, meanwhile, allowed one run on three hits over 1 1/3 innings of relief in Monday’s loss to Seattle. The 31-year-old was seen hugging and shaking hands with teammates after the game, indicating that he had indeed been sent down.

Claimed off waivers from the Mariners on April 16, Bernardino forged a 3.65 ERA and 4.77 FIP with 10 strikeouts to three walks across 11 appearances (12 1/3 innings) in his first stint with Boston. He appeared in one game for the WooSox prior to getting called up for the first time on April 24.

As for the two new additions to the bullpen, Garza — in similar fashion to Bernardino — was claimed off waivers from the Angels on April 28 and was immediately optioned to Worcester. In four relief appearances for the WooSox, the 29-year-old posted a 3.38 ERA and 3.47 FIP with eight strikeouts to just one walk over 5 1/3 innings of work.

A former eighth-round draft selection of the Guardians out of Cal State Fullerton in 2015, Garza broke in with Cleveland in June 2021 and pitched to a 4.71 ERA (5.30 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to 18 walks in 21 outings (28 2/3 innings). The California native became a free agent for the first time last November. The Red Sox had interest in bringing him in, but he instead signed a split contract with his hometown Angels in December.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Garza operates with a five-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s sinker, a mid-80s changeup, a high-80s cutter, a mid-80s slider, and a mid-90s four-seam fastball. He will wear the No. 63 with the Red Sox.

Sherriff, on the other hand, signed a minor-league contract with Boston back in January. The soon-to-be 33-year-old southpaw has appeared in 15 games for Worcester this season and has put up a 3.00 ERA (2.94 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to eight walks over 15 innings in which he has held opposing hitters to a .211 batting average against.

Like Garza, Sherriff last got into a game at the big-league level in 2021, when he produced a 5.52 ERA (3.65 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to nine walks in 16 relief appearances (14 2/3 innings) for Tampa Bay. For his major-league career, which dates back to 2017, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound hurler owns a lifetime 3.65 ERA in 44 outings (44 1/3 innings) between the Cardinals and Rays.

Sherriff, who will wear the No. 71 with the Red Sox, throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works primarily with a low-80s slider and low-90s sinker. He joins Joely Rodriguez and Richard Bleier as lefties available to Cora out of the Boston bullpen.

Following Tuesday’s series of transactions, the Red Sox’ 40-man roster is back at full capacity. More moves will be coming soon, however, as Kutter Crawford — who has been sidelined by a left hamstring strain since May 4 — is expected to come off the injured list in San Diego on Friday.

(Picture of Ryan Sherriff: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox reliever Joely Rodríguez likely to start season on injured list

Red Sox reliever Joely Rodriguez will likely start the season on the injured list, manager Alex Cora said Sunday.

Rodriguez suffered a right side injury in the eighth inning of Saturday’s 9-6 win over the Orioles at JetBlue Park. After throwing his 13th pitch, the left-hander grabbed at his side and left the game with a trainer. He was “groaning in pain as he went to the clubhouse,” according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe.

When speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) ahead of Sunday’s Grapefruit League contest against the Phillies in Clearwater, Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated that Rodriguez was dealing with some sort of oblique injury after initially being diagnosed with right torso pain.

“Sore this morning,” Cora said of Rodriguez. “We feel it’s the oblique area, but he’s going to get imaging tomorrow so we’ll know more. It looks like it’s going to be an IL kind of thing. How long? We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Rodriguez, 31, signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in November that guarantees $2 million and comes with a $4.25 million club option for 2024. The Dominican-born southpaw was expected to be one of Boston’s top left-handed relief options alongside Richard Bleier.

Now that Rodriguez is slated to miss time, the Red Sox will have to look elsewhere if they intend on adding a second lefty to the bullpen mix. On Sunday, Cora identified 32-year-old Ryan Sherriff and 23-year-old Oddanier Mosqueda, who were both at camp as non-roster invitees, as potential internal candidates.

Sherriff, who has allowed one unearned run in 4 2/3 innings of work this spring, has made 44 career relief appearances at the big-league level between the Cardinals (2017-2018) and Rays (2020-2022). Mosqueda, who has allowed one earned run in 5 1/3 innings, has yet to make his major-league debut, though he is coming off a strong 2022 season with Double-A Portland.

“He throws strikes and has deception,” Cora said of Mosqueda. “Analytics-wise, his stuff is really good. He can go multiple innings, too.”

Additionally, Cora ruled out the possibility of using pitching prospects like Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy out of the bullpen, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. The two talented lefties are instead expected to begin the year in Triple-A Worcester’s starting rotation.

If the Red Sox were to look externally for left-handed relief options, then one would have to assume that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. are closely monitoring the trade market and waiver wire as Opening Day approaches.

As noted by Browne, though, the club will have a better idea of where things stand with Rodriguez and his injury timeline in the coming days. That, too, will be worth monitoring.

(Picture of Joely Rodriguez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox option top pitching prospect Bryan Mata to Triple-A Worcester in latest round of spring training roster cuts

Only two players were involved this time around, but the Red Sox still made their third round of spring training roster cuts following Sunday’s split-squad doubleheader against the Yankees and Orioles.

Boston optioned right-hander Bryan Mata to Triple-A Worcester and reassigned left-hander Ryan Sherriff to minor-league camp, the club announced.

Mata made his fourth appearance of the spring in Sunday’s 3-3 draw against the Yankees at JetBlue Park. The 23-year-old scattered three hits and two walks to go along with two strikeouts over three scoreless innings of work. He retired eight of the 13 batters he faced on 46 pitches and has yet to surrender a run in Grapefruit League play.

After returning from Tommy John surgery last season, Mata was promoted to Worcester in late August. The native Venezuelan made five starts for the WooSox and posted a 3.47 ERA (3.12 FIP) with 30 strikeouts to 15 walks over 23 1/3 innings pitched. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as Boston’s top pitching prospect and could have a chance to make an impact at the major-league level later this year.

Sherriff, on the other hand, signed a minors pact with the Red Sox in January that came with an invite to big-league camp. In four relief appearances this spring, the 32-year-old southpaw has allowed one unearned run on three hits, one hit batsman, and four strikeouts. He has held opposing hitters to a .188 batting average against thus far.

With Sunday’s subtractions, the size of Boston’s spring training roster has shrunk from 56 to 54 players. Fifteen of the 54 players who remain are not on the 40-man roster and are therefore at camp as non-roster invitees.

BOSTON RED SOX NON-ROSTER INVITEES (15)

Pitchers (4): Matt Dermody, Oddanier Mosqueda, Chase Shugart

Catchers (4): Jorge Alfaro, Caleb Hamilton, Ronaldo Hernández, Stephen Scott

Infielders (1): Christian Koss

Outfielders (3): Greg Allen, Narciso Crook, Raimel Tapia

Infielder/Outfielders (4): Ryan Fitzgerald, Niko Goodrum, Daniel Palka, Nick Sogard

(Picture of Bryan Mata: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with left-hander Ryan Sherriff

It appears as though the Red Sox have agreed to terms on a minor-league contract for the 2023 season with Ryan Sherriff, according to the free agent left-hander’s Twitter account.

“Glad to be a part of the [Red Sox organization]!” Sherriff tweeted on Saturday. “Let’s get it.”

Sherriff, 32, is a veteran of four major-league seasons who last appeared in a big-league contest with the Rays in September 2021. The lefty owns a lifetime 3.65 ERA and 3.98 FIP in 44 career relief appearances (44 1/3 innings) between St. Louis and Tampa Bay dating back to the 2017 campaign.

A native of southern California, Sherriff was originally selected by the Cardinals in the 28th round of the 2011 amateur draft out of West Los Angeles College. He first broke in with St. Louis in August 2017 and pitched to a 3.14 ERA (3.93 FIP) across 13 outings spanning 14 1/3 innings of relief.

After making five additional appearances for the Cardinals in 2018, Sherriff suffered an elbow injury that ultimately required him to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. He was released by St. Louis shortly thereafter, but he quickly bounced back by signing a minor-league deal with the Rays that November.

Sherriff was limited to just seven innings of rehab work in 2019. He remained with the Rays through the winter and, after spending the first half of the COVID-shortened 2020 season at the club’s alternate training site, made his return to the big-league mound that summer.

In 10 appearances for Tampa Bay down the stretch, Sherriff did not allow a single run while walking two and striking out two over 9 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. He then tossed two more scoreless frames against the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series.

While Sherriff found success in limited action in 2020, the same cannot be said for 2021. He forged a 5.52 ERA — but a much more respectable 3.65 FIP — with 16 strikeouts to nine walks in 16 outings (14 2/3 innings) for the Rays before being designated for assignment at the end of the season.

The Phillies subsequently claimed Sherriff off waivers, but he did not appear in a game for Philadelphia last year and was instead limited to just 14 outings in the minors before being shut down with a shoulder strain in late July. He lost his spot on the club’s 40-man roster in August and spent the rest of the season on the minor-league injured list after being outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Sherriff is a three-pitch pitcher who primarily operates with a sinker, a slider, and a changeup. While he does not strike out a ton of hitters (18.7 percent career strikeout rate) or light up the radar gun (averaged 92 mph with his sinker in 2021), Sherriff has proven to be capable of inducing weak contact, as evidenced by his career 56.7 percent groundball rate.

Sherriff, who turns 33 in May, should get a chance to compete for a spot in Boston’s Opening Day bullpen if he is back at full strength once spring training begins next month. As currently constructed, the Red Sox only have two left-handed relievers on their 40-man roster in Joely Rodriguez and Josh Taylor, so Sherriff could prove to be an impactful addition since he still has two minor-league options remaining.

And even if Sherriff does not make the Sox’ Opening Day roster out of spring training, he should still be able to provide the club with experienced bullpen depth at Triple-A Worcester. For his career at the Triple-A level, the southpaw owns a 3.11 ERA with 152 strikeouts to 11 walks over 152 appearances (two starts) spanning 170 2/3 innings of work. That includes a 3.18 ERA in 11 outings (11 1/3 innings) for Lehigh Valley in 2022.

(Picture of Ryan Sherriff: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)