The Boston Red Sox are once again placing a pitcher on the IL. This time it's 36-year-old righty Liam Hendriks, who has struggled out of the bullpen this season. Through 14 appearances and 13.2 innings, Hendriks has a 6.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP.
His replacement will be 32-year-old Nick Burdi, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. Burdi has allowed four hits and a walk in 2.1 scoreless innings with the big-league club this season. He has 18.2 innings under his belt with Triple-A Worcester.
Hendriks' injury diagnosis is unclear right now, but his velocity was down 2 mph this week and he was visibly uncomfortable in his latest outing for the Red Sox. Now he gets a chance to recuperate, while the Red Sox get a chance to look at different options for an ailing bullpen.
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Red Sox put Liam Hendriks on IL, call up Nick Burdi as bullpen turnover continues
Burdi's MLB career has been turbulent at best, but he put up a 1.86 ERA in 12 showings for the New York Yankees last season. There's a good chance he provides an upgrade over Hendriks in the short term.
As for where Boston can turn next, well — how about the trade front? With the Alex Bregman injury, it feels like a no-brainer for Craig Breslow to hammer the phone lines and see what's out there. Marcelo Mayer and (eventually) Roman Anthony figure to supplement in the lineup in Bregman's absence, but the Red Sox need help and depth all over. This is a team dangerously close to falling out of contention.
There are always good bullpen arms available at the deadline, often from non-contending teams desperate to add to their farm systems. Jake Bird in Colorado is a favorite in the rumor mill right now, but looking to teams like the White Sox (Steven Wilson?), Pirates (David Bednar?) and Orioles (Gregory Soto?) is smart business. Those options will be on the table.
Boston can also look deeper into its farm system, with a familiar name like Josh Winckowski, who's still only 26, making a lot of sense internally. FanSided's Cody Williams has also pitched bringing Brayan Bello out of the bullpen as his longevity issues persist in the starting rotation. Might letting Bello tear loose for an inning or two every few games, rather than asking him to go five-plus innings deep every fifth outing, be the best use of his talent?
The Red Sox will see what they've got in Burdi, who packs 94th percentile velocity and an impressive knack for soft contact. There's a nonzero chance Boston ends up sticking with Burdi the rest of the way if he can mirror what he did a season ago in the Bronx. That said, if Burdi's production peters out, Boston can take various routes, both internally and externally. Ideally Breslow and the front office consider both, with the Red Sox' pitching needs extending well beyond Hendriks' untimely injury.