Red Sox Announce Latest Decision on Rubber-Armed Pitcher Before Mariners Finale

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The Red Sox announced their latest decision involving a rubber-armed pitcher before their series finale against the Seattle Mariners.

The Boston Red Sox recalled Raymond Burgos once again Wednesday, turning back to the lefty just three days after cutting him loose. The call-up marked the fourth time this season that Burgos has been shuttled from Triple-A Worcester to the big-league club.

Burgos steps into Jedixson Paez’s roster spot one day after Paez got rocked in a spot start against Seattle.

Boston optioned Paez to Worcester after Tuesday’s start, made in place of Sonny Gray, who’d been pushed back for extra rest. Paez lasted just 3 2/3 innings, and the bullpen behind him paid for it.

Chris Cotillo first reported the move Wednesday morning. “Raymond Burgos is expected to take Jedixson Paez’s roster spot as a long man in the bullpen, per sources,” Cotillo wrote.

Patrick Sandoval starts Wednesday’s finale against the Mariners, and he hasn’t finished six innings in a start since Aug. 11. Boston needs length, and a heavy workload is exactly what the seemingly rubber-armed Burgos has provided all season.

Raymond Burgos’ Call-Up History and Workload

Wednesday marks Burgos’ fourth recall and his seventh roster move overall since Boston signed him in May. The Red Sox first selected his contract on Aug. 7, optioning Greg Weissert. Burgos threw three scoreless innings that day and picked up his first career save.

Boston sent him down on Aug. 9, then recalled him again a week later when Justin Slaten hit the injured list. He was optioned again Aug. 17. He returned Aug. 29 as the 27th man for a doubleheader against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings that inflated his season ERA, then was optioned once more before Wednesday’s call.

Every stint has carried the same job description — soak up innings, then head back to Worcester. Cotillo described the Sept. 2 recall in nearly the same terms he’d used for Burgos all season, calling him a long man in the bullpen.

That reputation traces to his first week in the majors for Boston. Burgos threw three innings against the Athletics on Aug. 7, then three more the very next night. No Boston pitcher had worked at least three innings on back-to-back days since 1977, according to FanGraphs writer David Laurila.

Worcester manager Iggy Suarez pointed to that willingness when Burgos was named the 27th man for the Yankees series.

“Rubber arm and just one of those guys with a passion for the game,” Suarez said, as quoted by Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. “He’s willing to do anything for us and the team, and that hasn’t changed.”

The clearest example came Aug. 16 at Pittsburgh. Burgos threw two innings, sat through a rain delay of roughly two and a half hours, then returned and threw two more, finishing with four innings in an extremely rare feat of pitching both sides of a lengthy rain delay.

Burgos’ Numbers and Path to Boston

Across four appearances with the Red Sox this season, Burgos has a 5.84 ERA and one save in 12 1/3 innings, with eight earned runs and seven strikeouts against a single walk. Strip out the Yankees outing and his ERA sits at 2.70 through his first three appearances.

At Triple-A Worcester, Burgos has made 17 appearances, including 15 starts, posting a 5.14 ERA over 70 innings. Boston signed him to a minor-league deal in May after he opened the year with Guerreros de Oaxaca in the Mexican League.

Burgos, born in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, stands 6-foot-5 and throws left-handed. The Cleveland Indians’ 2016 18th-round pick made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants in June 2024 before finding his way to Boston. Wednesday’s recall gives him another shot to stick.

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