BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox will take another peek into their future when left-hander Henry Owens, a former Portland Sea Dogs standout, makes his major league debut in the opener of a three-game series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx on Tuesday night.
Yes, at Yankee Stadium.
“One, we wanted to insert another starter and not move guys up,” manager John Farrell said after struggling right-hander Rick Porcello was placed on the disabled list with a right triceps strain. “We wanted to provide an extra day of rest. So Tuesday is Henry’s day.
“It’s going to be probably the biggest stage he’s going to make his debut on, (as) the schedule has it. But ideally having another left-hander go against that lineup in that ballpark (would give us an edge).”
Fellow left-hander Brian Johnson made his debut for the Red Sox on their last road trip and will likely get another look soon.
Owens, the organization’s No. 5 prospect, is another crafty lefty. He hasn’t been great in Triple-A Pawtucket, going 3-8 with a decent 3.16 ERA, but has been better lately.
“A lot more strikes. Repeating his delivery,” Farrell said. “Coming out of spring training, there was some work needed with just commanding his body as well as the baseball. And that’s been the case over the last four weeks or more. In a nutshell, it’s more quality strikes throughout the entire time he’s on the mound.”
By blowing a late one-run lead and falling to the Tampa Bay Ray on Sunday, the Red Sox saw their three-game winning streak snapped and dropped into a tie for the worst record in the American League.
So why not look toward the future?
Owens spent parts of the 2013-2014 seasons with the Sea Dogs where he owned a 17-5 record alongside a 2.44 ERA while striking out 172 in 151 1/3 innings.
His 2014 campaign earned him Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honors when he went 14-4 with a 2.60 ERA and struck out 126 in 121 innings.
The Boston Red Sox selected Owens in the first round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, California. He was voted a MiLB.com Organizational All-Star in 2012 and 2013, a mid-season All-Star in 2013, a mid- and postseason All-Star in 2014 and was named to the MLB Futures Game and selected to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star team that same season.
Betts improving
Center fielder Mookie Betts, on the seven-day concussion disabled list, was making progress but won’t join the team until it gets to Detroit on Friday. “(His) headache has disappeared,” manager John Farrell said before the game Sunday. “He’ll begin exertion testing (Sunday) and will continue to go through the MLB protocol for concussions, but a much improved state with Mookie.”
Ramirez OK
Left fielder Hanley Ramirez injured a knee during an eighth-inning at-bat and was removed for pinch runner Alejandro De Aza. Ramirez, who singled in the at-bat and was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, isn’t expected to miss any time. “He tweaked his knee on that previous swing to the base hit,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He should be good to go for Tuesday, but yeah, it was a little bit of a zinger and just got him off his feet.”
Sandoval back in lineup Tuesday
Third baseman Pablo Sandoval struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning after missing two games with a left forearm contusion. Sandoval took batting practice Sunday, and he will be back in the lineup for the team’s three-game series against the Yankees starting Tuesday. “He’s good to go today, but as we did recently with Brock (Holt), just an extra day and (and Monday is) an off day,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He’ll be full go when we get into New York.” Sandoval is hitting .260 (88-for-339) with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 93 games this year.