Red Sox Revise Weekend Rotation after Trade Deadline

BOSTON, MA — A day after the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox announced their revised pitching rotation for the weekend series against the Houston Astros. The team confirmed that right-hander Cooper Criswell will make his club debut as a starter on Friday night opposite All-Star righty Hunter Brown.

On Saturday afternoon, Walker Buehler is scheduled to pitch with lefty Colton Gordon starting for Houston. Sunday’s series finale will feature Lucas Giolito facing lefty Framber Valdez at 11:35 a.m.

Criswell, who has a 5.06 ERA in six relief appearances for the Red Sox this season, will fill the starting spot after a successful stint in Triple-A. He holds a record of 4-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 14 games, all but one as a starter, for the WooSox.

“In Dustin May, we feel like we’ve got a tried and true starting pitcher coming from an organization with a lot of postseason success,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. “He adds depth to our rotation.” May, who will take over a starting role after transitioning from a late-relief position, has a 4.85 ERA and 97 strikeouts so far this season.

Breslow noted that May, who missed 2024 due to esophagus surgery, has shown potential to limit hard contact and keep balls grounded. May is ordered to play it safe due to his recent trade and is expected to throw 104 innings this season, which is significant given his previous career high of 56 innings in 2020.

Breslow also made it clear that Matz could remain in the mix for starting if required. “We’re doing whatever is necessary to win games,” he stated. Matz has a 3.44 ERA in 32 outings this year; however, he has faced challenges, recording a 5.40 ERA with 17 earned runs in his last 21 appearances.

Regarding potential lineup adjustments, Breslow acknowledged his efforts to acquire a hitter before the trade deadline but mentioned that they couldn’t finalize any deals. “We weren’t able to line up with other teams,” he said. The team’s internal options include rookie Campbell, currently on a 10-game hitting streak.