Red Sox 'Anticipate' Keeping Clay Buchholz In Rotation After Latest Rough Outing
BOSTON (CBS) -- Clay Buchholz has pitched poorly when called upon to start games, but the Red Sox have minimal options in the way of possible replacements. For this reason, the much-maligned starter is likely to keep his spot in the Red Sox rotation, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
"I anticipate he'll start for us again," Dombrowski said of Buchholz after his latest outing against the Texas Rangers and meeting with manager John Farrell. "I anticipate. But you're asking me questions and we haven't even had a chance to get showered, basically. So, we still have time to sit down and visit and have all those types of discussions. But I anticipate he will."
Buchholz allowed five runs (four earned) with seven hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings against the Rangers on Sunday, doomed by a three-run, 30-pitch first inning. He was coming off a start at Fenway Park against the Chicago White Sox in which he gave up a solo home run and double on the first two pitches of the game and never fully recovered.
The Red Sox lack substantive options to replace Buchholz in the rotation. Joe Kelly continues to recover from an injury and could be headed to the bullpen, while Henry Owens and Roenis Elias haven't performed well enough to stick at the major league level. Brian Johnson, meanwhile, remains on the inactive list due to problems with anxiety.
As a starter, Buchholz is 2-7 with a 6.31 ERA. He is 3-8 with a 5.90 ERA in 17 total appearances in 2016.
