The Red Sox are heading into Saturday’s game against the Mets with a stripped-down bench and a rookie on the mound, a combination that makes this one feel a little different before it even starts.
Boston will have just 12 available position players, according to reports, after choosing Eduardo Rivera for his first major league start. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo reported Saturday that the left-hander will make his second big league appearance against New York at Citi Field. If the Red Sox win, they’ll complete their third straight series sweep.
To make Rivera’s start work, Boston is sending infielder Brett Harris back to the minors after recently acquiring him in a trade from the Athletics. That leaves the club with a three-man bench for Saturday’s matchup, with Willson Contreras also unavailable while serving the second game of a five-game suspension.
The setup is hardly ideal on paper. Rivera is being thrown into his first career start against two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta of the Mets. But Boston’s rotation has been rolling lately, and the way the starters have been carrying things has made it a little easier to trust whoever gets the ball.
Rivera also may not be asked to do much beyond getting through the lineup once. Only two of his 20 Triple-A appearances this season were starts, so the Red Sox are likely planning for a short outing before handing things over to a bullpen that should be in decent shape.
At Worcester, Rivera has gone 6-2 with a 2.84 ERA across those 20 appearances. He has struck out 46 batters in 38 innings while giving up just 25 hits, though he has also issued 21 walks.
The 23-year-old has already shown he can handle a big stage in a limited look. In his first major league appearance, he threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on April 20.
Now the Red Sox will see whether that early promise carries over in a much different role, with an unusual roster behind him. First pitch is set for Saturday at 4:10 pm ET.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Put One Mets Trade Deadline Dream In Jeopardy
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Philadelphia may have just changed the equation. By quietly adding Derek Hill, the Phillies appear to have addressed part of their center-field need, and that could make Robert a far less obvious fit for a division rival the Mets were already watching closely. For New York, it is another reminder that deadline ideas can shift fast, and that the front office may have to weigh not just who is available, but which targets still make sense once the market starts moving. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Draft Target Brings The Kind Of Risk Fans Fear Most
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The financial side adds another layer, since Wiggins is already protected by a draft slot floor tied to the 27th pick, and there is still a path back to Arkansas if he and the Mets cannot come to terms. That leaves his situation in a familiar but uncomfortable place for clubs that like to gamble on pitching. The arm talent is obvious enough to keep him in the conversation, but the question now is how much risk a team is willing to absorb to get it. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Clifford Just Put More Weight On A Huge Mets Question
Ryan Clifford got a little extra spotlight at the All-Star Futures Game, where the Mets prospect handled first base for three innings and worked a six-pitch walk in his lone plate appearance. It was a small moment on a showcase stage, but one that still mattered for a player whose path to Queens has been watched closely since the Mets brought him over in the Justin Verlander deal.
The bigger issue is what Cliffords profile still looks like as he keeps climbing. Hes sitting at .196/.283/.395 with 16 home runs and 129 strikeouts, a line that shows the power the Mets covet but also the contact issues that make his next step harder to project. Even in Philadelphia, where fans booed him as he stepped in, Clifford offered a reminder that his bat will keep drawing attention for reasons both encouraging and uneasy. [Read more 🡒]