In the seventh inning of a 6-2 game that slipped away from them, the Boston Red Sox looked to Josh Winckowski for help.
In a tiring 47-pitch seventh inning, he was hit for two more runs by the Seattle Mariners’ hitters. However, he saved the bullpen by denying them another for the remainder of the game. In his longest relief appearance of the season, Winckowski tossed 80 pitches, which is equivalent to a start.
In order to obtain a new arm in the bullpen before their game against the Mariners, the Red Sox optioned Winckowski to Worcester. To replace him, they called up Luis Guerrero, a high relief pitching prospect.
Last season, Guerrero made his Major League Baseball debut, pitching 10 innings without giving up a run. Although he demonstrated his ability to miss bats and recorded nine strikeouts, his performance in spring training games was not as strong. He was one of the first players released from camp after recording a 9.53 ERA in 5.2 innings in the Grapefruit League.
Red Sox call up top relief pitching prospect Luis Guerrero, option Josh Winckowski to Triple-A
So far, Guerrero has pitched 10.1 innings for Triple-A Worcester, recording a 5.23 ERA, seven strikeouts, and five walks. With his prior success in the major leagues, he should be able to regain his form when he returns to Fenway Park.
Red Sox catcher Connor Wong slated to begin rehab assignment this weekend
Connor Wong may also make a quick comeback to Fenway. On April 7, George Springer’s backswing behind the plate struck the catcher in the hand. His pinky finger fracture, which Alex Cora subsequently described as the “best case scenario,” put him on the 10-day disabled list, indicating that he shouldn’t be out for too long.
As he heals from knee problems, Wong has been watching Kutter Crawford’s bullpen sessions and started catching exercises last week. Cora anticipates that the 28-year-old will start a rehabilitation assignment on Sunday, April 27. He has also participated in batting practice.
The Red Sox will be able to option Blake Sabol back to Triple-A and give Carlos Narváez (.203/.266/.322) a break once Wong returns. After Wong’s injury, Boston also signed veteran backstop Yasmani Grandal, so it will need to make a decision on his placement. His contract contains an opt-out date of May 1.
After Wong had a breakthrough season at the plate the previous season, the Red Sox are hoping for more offensive production from him. He ended with a career-best.280/.333/.425 slash line over 126 games last season, batting comfortably into the.300s for the most of the season. Despite just hitting.087/.192/.087 in nine games in 2025, he had modest defensive gains prior to being placed on the injured list.
