Nearly three months after undergoing elbow surgery, Boston Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi is finally expected to return to the club on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters before Friday’s game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced that Eovaldi will likely be activated off the injured list tomorrow following a successful rehab assignment.
Eovaldi will return to the Red Sox in a different role than when he started the season. After signing him to a four-year, $68 million deal this offseason, Boston is going to make Eovaldi its closer to protect his arm and in an effort to improve the bullpen.
It’s a role Eovaldi thrived in during the 2019 postseason and made him a hero in the World Series. In eight innings as a reliever during the World Series, he allowed just three hits across 28 batters faced with two runs allowed.
If Eovaldi can avoid any setbacks and once again excel out of the bullpen, it would go a long way to improving one of this team’s biggest weaknesses. Boston’s bullpen entered Friday ranked 16th in ERA (4.51) with the third-most blown saves (18).