The Red Sox have most of their Mariners pitching plan mapped out, but one missing name is the one that matters most.
Boston will send Payton Tolle out for Monday’s opener and Patrick Sandoval to the mound for Wednesday’s finale, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. What the Red Sox still have not done is identify a starter for Tuesday’s middle game, and that gap has turned into the biggest storyline in the series setup.
Sonny Gray was previously tabbed as Boston’s probable starter for Tuesday, but Cotillo reported that there was no mention of the veteran right-hander in the team’s latest pitching plans. That doesn’t automatically rule him out, but it does leave the Red Sox with an unexpected bit of uncertainty as they get ready for another American League series at Fenway Park.
Tolle’s assignment comes first, and it is not a soft landing. He is set to oppose George Kirby in Monday’s 5:45 p.m.
ET opener on NESN. Kirby’s reputation for pounding the zone and limiting walks means Boston may have to manufacture offense the hard way.
Tolle’s job will be to keep Seattle from grabbing control early and buy time for the Red Sox lineup to work against the Mariners’ starter.
Wednesday brings Sandoval against Emerson Hancock in the 3:10 p.m. ET finale, giving Boston clarity at the front and back ends of the series.
The middle game, though, remains unresolved. Seattle has Bryan Woo listed for Tuesday, but Boston’s counter has not been announced.
Gray’s absence from the plan is what makes this situation stand out. The Red Sox could still come back and name him Tuesday’s starter, especially if they are waiting to see how he comes through the weekend. But the fact that Boston did not include him when it revealed the rest of its rotation plan is hard to ignore.
If Gray is not available, interim manager Chad Tracy and the Red Sox will have to get creative. A spot starter, an opener or a bullpen game are all on the table, though none of those options would be ideal in the middle of a demanding stretch. That is especially true after an emotional series against the New York Yankees.
There is also the matter of the bullpen itself. Boston’s relievers could already be asked to cover a lot of innings in the first two games, and a heavy lift on Tuesday would have a ripple effect into Wednesday’s finale.
For now, the Red Sox know who is taking the ball to start the series and who is finishing it. The empty space in the middle is the one everyone will watch next. Boston’s next pitching announcement will tell the real story: whether Gray is still in the immediate mix, or whether the Red Sox have to patch together one of the most important games of the series.
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