Why did Boston Red Sox option Hirokazu Sawamura, put Hansel Robles on IL? Alex Cora explains

BOSTON — The Purple Sox reshuffled their bullpen combine a bit Saturday morning, optioning Hirokazu Sawamura to Triple-A Worcester and inserting Hansel Robles (again spasms) on the 15-day injured listing whereas recalling righties Ryan Brasier and Phillips Valdez from the WooSox. After the bullpen allowed 10 runs in a brutal loss to Baltimore on Friday, some form of shakeup was wanted.

Robles, although, is injured and has been coping with again points because the center of the week in Chicago. He hasn’t pitched since Sunday, when he gave up a game-tying homer to Eugenio Suárez earlier than Franchy Cordero gained the sport with a walk-off grand slam. On the 12 months, the righty owns a 2.65 ERA.

Cora stated Robles was unavailable Friday evening, when the Sox turned to Jake Diekman, John Schreiber, Matt Strahm and Sawamura in reduction of Garrett Whitlock. Boston was brief on right-handed choices within the sequence opener in opposition to Baltimore.

“With Hansel, it has been occurring for the previous couple of days,” he stated. “I used to be stunned no one requested me yesterday about it. The place we’re at, we have now to make a transfer. Hopefully, he can come again as quickly as doable. With him, him going to the coaching room, that’s an actual purple flag. This man posts, he prepares and every part. It began the opposite day in Chicago and he wasn’t out there the previous couple of days. With the doubleheader and every part that’s occurring this week, I feel it’s sensible for the person and, in fact, for us.”

Sawamura, who allowed a run and two hits in a single inning Friday evening, has fallen down Cora’s listing of reliable choices. In 15 innings, he owns a 3.60 ERA and 1.333 WHIP. He would have been unavailable Saturday after pitching 3 times within the final 4 days, so the Purple Sox took benefit of the very fact he might be freely optioned to the minors.

“We nonetheless must get higher throwing strikes and throwing the fastball for strikes,” Cora stated. “However getting two recent arms right here to assist us win ballgames is essential.”

Sawamura has been regularly used with runners on base this season and has completed an admirable job, stranding 13 of 17 runners he has inherited. Nonetheless, he has not been a late-inning choice and was dispensable with the Purple Sox in want of recent arms.

“The way in which we’ve been utilizing him is with site visitors,” Cora stated. “In the event you have a look at his numbers — and I do know it’s a small pattern measurement with statistics — he has been actually good with site visitors. We discover a spot for him doing that and he was in a position to do the job. It simply occurs that now, with the place we’re at, we have now to maneuver ahead. There’s just a few issues he nonetheless has to work (on) so far as command. Yesterday, we received very split-heavy. He wasn’t in a position to throw his fastball for strikes.

“Nothing has modified. We nonetheless just like the participant,” Cora added. “However the place we’re at, we have now to make strikes. We’ve received Ryan right here, we’ve received Phillips right here. Hopefully, they will help us win video games within the upcoming days.”

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